Type of Document	Dissertation
Author	Mackes, Kurt H.
URN	etd-08232007-112543
Title	Predicting the static bending behavior of pallets with panel decks
Degree	PhD
Department	Wood Science and Forest Products
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Loferski, Joseph R. Committee Chair Dolan, James Daniel Committee Member Holzer, Siegfried M. Committee Member White, Marshall S. Committee Member Woeste, Frank E. Committee Member
Keywords	standardized panel-deck pallets
Date of Defense	1998-03-17
Availability	restricted
Abstract With increased use of pallets constructed utilizing structural panel decks, there is a need for a standardized, reliability-based design system, PDS-PANEL, to assist in the design and manufacture of panel-deck pallets. The primary objective of this research was to develop finite element models which predict the static bending behavior of pallets with at least one panel deck. stringer and block pallets were modeled using plate elements to simulate deck behavior and were validated by comparing predicted deflections to experimentally measured deflections. Differences were considerably less than the allowable 15 percent for both stringer and block models. Sensitivity studies conducted with these models provided a rational basis to simplify models for use in the existing PDS-PANEL program developed at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University. Simplified models were required to have solution times of less than 2 minutes on a 286 type or more powerful personal computer (PC).
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