Current standards on wood
From sawn wood to furniture
Wood and timber are products that have a long tradition in Austria. Processing, high quality and good products are of great concern to economic actors and, thus, also to standardisers.
High quality right from the start
- Credit: pixelio.de
Austria plays a leading role in the standardisation of wooden materials and was the first European country to prepare standards for composite materials.
In the measurement of sawn wood, the trend goes away from visual inspection to mechanical procedures.
The Austrian tensile loading test method for structural timber and lamellas will be promoted at the European level.
Timber standardisation:
Wood plastic composites
ÖNORM B 3030: ... - terminology
ÖNORM B 3031: ... - material characteristics and test methods
ÖNORM B 3032: ... - product characteristics
ÖNORM L 1021: Measurement of round timber
ÖNORM B 4125: Tensile loading test method
Building with wood
- Credit: pro:Holz
On principle, building with wood is mainly covered by European Standards in Austria. Eurocode 5 - ÖNORM EN 1995 - is the fundamental document of this sector all over Europe. Specifically Austrian criteria are laid down in the national standard ÖNORM B 1995.
An Austrian speciality are prefab houses made of wood. Their market grows continuously. Therefore, construction experts develop standards for this building method.
Building with wood (examples):
Eurocode 5 = ÖNORM EN 1995
ÖNORM B 1995 national annex to Eurocode 5
ÖNORM B 2310: Prefabricated buildings - Definitions
ÖNORM B 2320: Wooden residential houses - Technical requirements
ÖNORM B 3804: Timber preservation in building construction
Protecting wood
- Credit: pixelio.de
Mould, bark beetles and wood borers are downright enemies of wood. Wood preservatives help to control them. They are subject to strict requirements and tests defined in harmonised European Standards.
These products are to be effective and their quality/performance has to be comparable. However, they must not endanger health. Several standards on these issues have been prepared by Austrian experts.
Wood preservatives (examples):
ÖNORM B 3802: Protection of timber used in buildings (three parts)
ÖNORM B 3803: Protection of timber used in buildings: Coatings of wooden outdoor building components
ÖNORM EN 599: Durability of wood and wood-based products - biological tests
Living with wood
- Credit: ASI prm
Using wood in building construction is one aspect, but producing furniture is a completely different thing. Specific standards exist for the art of cabinet making.
They define pieces of furniture and basic terms such as “solid wood”, describe surfaces and lay down safety requirements. In case of a divergence of opinions, they provide clear orientation.
Furniture standards (examples):
ÖNORM A 1610: Furniture requirements (12 parts)
ÖNORM A 1605: Furniture testing (13 parts)
ÖNORM A 1600: Furniture types and classification (2 parts)
ÖNORM A 1640: Furniture for children in kindergartens and crèches: dimensions and design
Sustainable resource
- Credit: ASI prm
Wood is a sustainable, renewable resource that becomes more and more popular among the general public. Hence, standardisation experts search for the best solution for assuring quality, making products comparable and protecting them against pests in an ecological way.
