Modeling of Falling Ball Impact Test Response on Solid, Veneer, and Traditional Engineered Wood Floorings of Several Hardwoods

Abstract

Hardness is a key mechanical property of flooring materials. In this study, the performance of veneer floorings (with a top layer thickness of 0.6 mm) was investigated by dynamic hardness tests, comparing it with those of traditional engineered wood floorings (with a top layer thickness of 3 mm) and solid wood floorings. Two hardwoods commonly used on wood flooring, viz. Quercus robur L. and Hymenaea courbaril L., and two fast-growing hardwoods, Eucalyptus globulus Labill. and Eucalyptus grandis W. Hill ex Maiden, were tested as top layers. To compare their usage properties, a dynamic impact hardness test involving steel balls with three diameters and five different drop heights was carried out, measuring the footprint diameter (FD) and the indentation depth (ID). The data from 4800 impacts, corresponding to 180 different individual groups (4 hardwood species × 3 ball diameters × 5 drop heights × 3 floor types) were analyzed. The results showed that the general response in terms of both FD and ID was better in the engineered wood floorings than in solid wood floorings, and that the veneer floorings (0.6 mm) showed better behavior than traditional engineered wood floorings (3.0 mm). Furthermore, for the veneer floorings, the two fast-growing hardwood species tested, which have significantly different densities, showed similar behavior to traditional hardwoods, suggesting that they would be suitable for valorization in the wood flooring industry.