Pallet types
Panel deck pallet: plywood and OSB decks
Reviewed
A panel deck pallet replaces some or all deckboards with plywood or OSB panels. The Uniform Standard requires grade-stamped panels (Rated Sheathing or Sturd-I-Floor, Exposure 1 or Exterior), face grain perpendicular to the stringers, pieces at least 24 in wide, and strips and cutout webs at least 6 in wide.
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What is a panel deck pallet?
A panel deck is a deck made from a wood-based panel, plywood or OSB, instead of individual deckboards. In the Pallet Design System, panel is a deck style, not a pallet class: a stringer pallet or a block pallet can have a panel top deck ("Panel" or "Panel/Stringerboard" for block pallets). Panels give a flat, continuous surface like a solid deck, in fewer pieces.
palletdesign.ai designs board decks today and doesn't model plywood or OSB panels. For a gap-free wood deck it can design a solid deck of butted boards; the panel rules below are for specifying a panel pallet with your manufacturer.
How a panel deck pallet is built
Panel rules from the Uniform Standard (2012 edition):
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Panel standards | Plywood and OSB to PS 1, PS 2 or PRP-108, with exterior adhesive, grade-stamped |
| Grade | Rated Sheathing or Sturd-I-Floor |
| Exposure | Exposure 1 or Exterior |
| Face grain | Perpendicular to the stringers |
| Piece width | At least 24 in |
| Strips and cutout webs | At least 6 in wide |
| Bottom boards | OSB strips are not allowed as bottom boards |
| Thickness tolerance | Plus or minus 1/32 in; length and width plus or minus 1/8 in |
Fastening differs from board decks. On panel-deck stringer pallets the Uniform Standard calls for at least 3 fasteners at each stringer end, starting 1 in from the end at 2 in spacing, and interior fasteners no more than 10 in on center. Panel-deck block pallets fastened with bolts need at least one bolt per block.
The Pallet Design System has analyzed panel-deck stringer pallets since version 5.5 and side forklifting of them since 6.0.
When to use a panel deck
- Point loads and small items that need a continuous surface.
- Loads that must not mark or snag on board edges and gaps.
- Machinery bases and crate floors, often as a plywood top on a skid.
- Export: plywood and OSB are processed wood and exempt from ISPM 15 on their own. A pallet that mixes panels with solid-wood stringers or blocks still needs the solid wood heat treated and marked.
When not to use one
- Wet service unless the panel is rated for it; choose Exterior exposure.
- When the customer's spec forbids panels. Snap-on's pallet standard, for example, prohibits plywood, LVL and corrugated without approval. Confirm with the current vendor guide.
- Low-cost general freight, where a board deck is cheaper.
Panel deck vs solid board deck
| Panel deck | Solid board deck | |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Plywood or OSB | Butted solid-wood boards |
| ISPM 15 | Panel exempt; solid wood parts still treated | All parts treated |
| Pieces | Few | Many |
| Moisture movement | Low | Boards shrink, gaps open |
| Fastening | Edge and field spacing rules | Nails per board per joint |
| Supported by the designer | No | Yes |
How to specify a panel deck pallet
- Pallet class (stringer or block) and size.
- Panel material, grade, exposure rating and thickness.
- Face grain direction.
- Any cutouts or strips, with widths.
- Fastener type, edge distance and spacing.
- Stringers or blocks and bottom deck.
- Load, support and environment (dry or wet).
- ISPM 15 treatment for the solid-wood parts if exported.
See plywood and OSB decks for material details.
Questions
- Can pallets be made with plywood decks?
- Yes. The Uniform Standard covers plywood and OSB decks, with rules on grade, exposure rating, face-grain direction, piece width and fastening.
- Do plywood pallets need ISPM 15 treatment?
- Plywood and OSB are processed wood and exempt. If the pallet has solid-wood stringers or blocks, those parts still need treatment and the pallet needs the mark.
- Does palletdesign.ai design panel deck pallets?
- Not yet. It designs board decks, including solid decks of butted boards, for stringer, block and skid pallets.