Improperly Labeled Scaffolding Planks Imported from China

Non-certified Chinese laminated veneer lumber (LVL) used as scaffolding planks recently failed tests conducted on it by the APA-The Engineered Wood Association (APA). The APA put several samples of the product through mechanical evaluations and it failed to meet the design property embossed on it. The results are summarized in APA’s Product Advisory, “Imported Chinese LVL Scaffold Plank,” available online at apawood.org.

“This does raise concern for life safety issues,” says Dr. Borjen Yeh, director of technical services for APA. Even though the sample size was limited, the performance of the tested planks was substantially below the value proclaimed by the manufacturer, and therefore, end users are advised to be wary of all non-certified product.

Earlier this year APA evaluated LVL scaffold planks imported into the United States from China to compare the adhesive and mechanical properties relative to similar products manufactured in the United States and Canada. The planks were labeled 2.2E, which means they should have a modulus of elasticity (MOE) of 2.2 million pounds per square inch (psi). (MOE is a measure of stiffness under load.) The 30 test specimens averaged 1.8 million psi, which is about 20 percent below the proclaimed value.  Based on the strength test results, the allowable bending strength is 2,100 psi, which is nearly 30 percent less than domestic LVL planks of comparable (2.2E) grade.

In two adhesive durability tests, the imported LVL planks did not meet U.S. Voluntary Product Standard PS 1 for glue bond durability. The delamination results indicated that the panels probably were manufactured with water-resistant adhesives, but that the glue bond quality was inconsistent.

In addition to their poor strength and durability performance, the tested samples did not bear the mark of an independent certification agency. According to the OSHA scaffold plank regulations and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A10.8 Standard for scaffolding safety, “all laminated scaffold[s] shall bear the seal of an independent nationally recognized agency certifying compliance with the design criteria referenced in the standard.”

The LVL scaffold tests come on the heels of last year’s imported concrete forming panel tests. APA tested the strength, adhesive durability and formaldehyde emissivity of Chinese overlaid concrete forming panels and found that they did not meet the standards set forth in PS 1. The Product Advisory, “Imported Chinese LVL Scaffold Plank” (Form No. SP-1139), as well as a summary of concrete forming panel tests may be found on APA’s website.

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