survey of cardboard furniture

Transcription

survey of cardboard
furniture
cardboard furniture | david durance 2009 | p
why
cardboard?
Cardboard offers a good opportunity for the design of
sustainable furniture products.
Sustainability. In terms of a sustainable material cardboard is one of the best. The raw material of all paper
products is cellulose fibre and this can come from a
number of different plants. Cardboard ban be fully recycled and can be made from up to 100% of recycled
paper and cardboard.
McDonough & Braungart (2002 -p5) oppose this view:
“the tree, among the finest of nature’s creations... is
not a fitting resource to use in producing so humble
and transient a substance as paper.” They go on to reinforce their point by talking about how their book is
made from synthetic paper instead. I would respond
first to suggest they might have mentioned that paper
doesn’t have to come from trees. Hemp, for example,
makes a superior paper, and has less than a year lead
time rather than 15 or 20 years. Second, on practicalities, the paper industry is well established. In the study
of social marketing “Choosing Green” (Durance, 2007),
I concluded that social change was more likely to hap-
pen step by step rather than by sudden large leaps.
Perhaps paper may not be the ultimate material, but it
is better than others, and the opportunities for improving our overall sustainable practices is in the realm of
the here and now.
Plastic, on the other hand, must be a lot worse. Plastic
generally comes from non-renewable resources, and
this in itself is is a long term problem, but the documentary Addicted to Plastic (2009) shows a very pressing immediate one - pollution of the worlds oceans. In
some parts of the oceans, due to a combination of currents and atmospheric effects there are heavy concentrations of vast quantities of plastic. Bags and bottles
float around, discarded fishing nets entrap marine life
and it’s there to stay as plastic takes very long time to
degrade. When it plastic finally breaks down, it forms
very small particles. In some of the sea vortexes samples of water were shown to contain a concentration
of these particles 10 times more than organic matter
which serves to sustain marine life.
Cardboard will not replace many of the current applications for which plastic is used, but there should be a
conscious effort to replace as much as possible.
Cardboard is ubiquitous. Paper and cardboard products are all around us. Paper and paper products are
widely used as packaging in the home. ABS (2003)
shows that 88% of paper and cardboard was either
reused or put into the recycled waste stream. This has
also been the case in surveys taken in 1996 and 2000.
Paper can be recycled between 1 and 7 times, depending on the final use. (TAPPI 2001)
Paper and cardboard products are all around us. It is a
major product, produced by some of our biggest com-
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panies, yet in some areas such us furniture it hardly
seems to have made any impact. Cardboard furniture
appears to be thought more as a fringe product, a
material useful for student projects, or for temporary
applications such as exhibitions, rather than the mainstream.
New Technology. As paper products become more
and more appreciated for their sustainability credentials, development is producing more technological
advances, and more material formulations. There are
opportunities for new technologies in the use of cardboard.
Cardboard is ubiquitous - products in the home
photo: David Durance
paper & cardboard
commercial & industrial uses
toothpaste*
turpentine*
vacuum cleaner bags
wallpaper
waxed paper
wicker furniture from
twisted paper
window shades
school & office
home
baking cups
bibs
carpeting & upholstery
backsiding*
cellulose sponges*
cereal & other
dried-food boxes
chewing gum*
coasters
coffee filters
combs & brush handles*
coupons
disposable diapers
doilies
drinking straws
egg cartons
emery boards
fabric softener*
facial & toilet tissue
food thickeners*
furniture polish*
grease-proof
meat
wrapping paper
grocery bags
ice cream containers
imitation leather*
ink*
labels for canned &
bottled goods
lamp shades
lipstick & other
cosmetics*
liquid soap*
luggage
magazines, catalogs, &
newspapers
microwave-food
containers
milk cartons
napkins
paint & varnish*
paper plates & cups
paper towels
pine oil & other
household cleaners* pizza boxes
place mats
popcorn bags
rayon clothing*
sausage casings*
shampoo thickeners*
shoe boxes
shoe polish*
suntan lotion*
tablecloths
tea bags
tool handles*
tooth brush handles*
bank checks
banners
books
book marks
business cards
calendars
cash register receipts
construction &
tracing paper
crayons*
crayon wrappers
election ballots envelopes
hair spray*
index cards
laminates for desk,
counter & table tops
library cards
mailing tubes
maps & world globes
papier-mâché
masking tape
menus
notebooks & notebook
paper paper bags
paper money
photocopy & computer
paper
postage stamps
poster board
report cards
shaving cream*
shipping containers
stationery
tags & labels
telephone directories
medicine and
technology
bandages
Braille paper
coffins
coveralls for nuclear
power workers
eyeglass frames* hospital & surgical
gowns, hats, masks
& shoe covers
medical charts
piping for irrigation
systems* prescription paper
gauze
purifying filters
surgical dressings
sutures
pollen & dust masks
building materials
and automotive
caulk*
car insulation
car gaskets & filters
car wax*
cellophane*
concrete mix*
counter-top laminates fiber board
flame-resistant paper
flooring
gypsum board
insulation
putty*
roadside flares roofing paper
roofing shingles*
rust preventative*
sandpaper
spray paint*
tar paper
recreation and
miscellaneous
accordions
animal bedding
board games
bumper stickers
CD & audio tape inserts
coloring books
confetti
doll houses
flashlight batteries
football, bicycle, &
other sports helmets* greeting cards
gum & candy wrappers
jigsaw puzzles
kites
molded carry-out
food trays
paper airplanes
paper dolls
paper flowers
party hats & favors photographs
playing cards
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ribbons & bows
seedling planting pots
stickers
streamers
tickets
trading cards
video cassette packaging
wrapping paper
*these products are
made from cellulose,
oils, and resins, the natural wood chemicals
which are byproducts
of the papermaking
process.
source: TAPPI (2001)
a typology of
paper based
furniture
As part of this project survey of furniture and related
products made from paper, cardboard or paper pulp
was made and assembled into a typography. The initial classification is based on the type of material used.
Subclasses are based on material variants and the main
method of construction used.
Material Classification
There are six classes of material defined in this typology: corrugated cardboard, paperboard, tube, pulp, paper maché1, and paper cored board. Most or the exemplars surveyed fell easily into a a simple classification,
a few were of mixed types, and some use a composites
of cardboard and other material. These were provided
for in classes 7 & 8.
1. Corrugated Cardboard. This is the material usually
referred to by the term cardboard. It consists of a sheet
of kraft paper which has been corrugated by passing
it between a set of mated fluted rollers or corrugators.
Either side of the corrugated sheet is glued a sheet of
flat kraft paper. Sometimes just a single side only is
covered, this is referred to as ‘single-face’. Cardboard
1
Strictly spelt should be pâpier maché, but paper maché is
common.
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can have two or three layers of corrugations - ‘double’
or ‘triple’ flute cardboard.2 These forms of cardboard
have greater strength and stiffness and are often used
to make larger cartons.
Cardboard also varies in the size of fluting, and the
type and quality of paper. Fluting size is denoted by
the letters A, B, C, D & E - ‘A’ flute is the smallest. Larger
flutes make the corrugated core thicker, giving greater
stiffness but also making the board more prone to local crushing. Multi-fluted board often has a different
flute size in each layer, for example B/C. The smaller
flute side is placed on the outside of cartons to give
give the best performance, ie stiffness and resistance
to crushing.
Cardboard with various flute sizes.
Stronger paper will improve strength and appearance,
but increase cost.
image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Cardboard_All_Flutes.jpg
Coatings can be put on the outside layers of the cardboard to modify its behaviour. They can make improve
water resistance, toughness and printability.
sometimes the terminating sections are made from an
alternate material–fine fluted board, mdf or plywood.
There were four commonly used methods of constructing furniture from cardboard sheet found in the
survey: folding, fabricating and laminating.
1.1 Folded. A sheet of cardboard (often a single sheet) is creased and folded into three dimensional
forms and typically fastened with integral tab and slot
methods, glue, adhesive tape or staples. Cardboard
cartons are typical exemplars of this folding.
1.2 Laminated. Components are cut into a
cross-section by laser, die cutter or knife (low volume).
These cross-sections are assembled and fastened either mechanically or glued. To improve durability
2
I’ve also heard this referred to as double or triple ‘cushion’.
Products are either entirely made from an assembly of
laminations of the same shaped section (1.3.1 single
section) or of several section (1.3.2). Either the sections vary throughout the product or components are
made individually from laminated sections and then
assembled.
1.3 Slotted Fabrication. Components are cut
from a cardboard sheet with with laser, die cut or knife
(low volume), and assembled in a grid. Slots the thickness of the cardboard are cut at grid intersections - so
components of the grid are interlocked.
Fabricated products either remain as an open grid
structure (1.3.1) or covered by sheets of cardboard or
paperboard (1.3.2) - and often painted.
1.4 Mechanical fastening. Other methods
of joining cardboard together to make furniture are
theoretically possible but appear not to be well represented in the survey results. However, MakeDo, a new
fastening system, has the potential to develop exemplars in this classification. At this stage the classification remains somewhat provisional.
2. Tube. Cardboard tubes are made from paper or paperboard which is wound onto a mandrel to form a
cylindrical tube. These are typically used in the packaging industries to wind textiles paper, plastic sheet
or foils onto. Large diameter tubes with water resistant coatings are used in the building industry to form
concrete columns.
3. Paper cored board. These boards have a core that
is made from paper or cardboard with a cellular structure. They can be faced with paper or mdf, plywood
or other materials. They have the property of great
strength and stiffness to weight ratios.
ferred to as triangular cell, although the actual shape
is more semi-sinusoidal. As the flutes are much more
tightly packed than honeycomb cells the boards have
better rigidity, crush strength, and structural integrity
than paper hexagonal cell board. They are also heavier
and more expensive. While EPH can be supplied as a
core only triangular cell boards are always faced with
paper or other board as the cells would delaminate
without this support.
4.1 Pulp. Paper is made from a slurry of pulped paper,
and this classification furniture is directly moulded
from a similar paper pulp slurry. Egg cartons are a result of this process.
4.2 Pulp board. Pulp paper is moulded into a board
with a honeycomb structure. The board can be used
in a similar way to paper cored boards. This is generally used like cored boards but is made with a different
process.
3.1 Expanded Paper Honeycomb (EPH).
This is material made by fabricating paper strips and
expanding them out to create a structure with a hexagonal cell. It is usually faced with plywood or mdf and
typically used to make shelves or flush-panel doors. An
exception is ‘void-former’ which is only faced with kraft
paper and used in the building industry as a consumable material to form cavities in concrete structures.
5. Paper Maché. Paper Maché products are generally
made by applying pieces of paper covered in adhesive
paste onto a form. After several layers are made and
dried, the form is removed. This process has been used
for hundreds of years and is a traditional craft technique. The adhesive paste is usually made from flour
and water, although other adhesives such as wallpaper
paste and polyvinyl acetate (PVA wood working glue)
can be used.4
3.2 Triangular cell. Instead of a hexagonal
honeycomb cell the core is made from fluted cardboard which has been laminated and sliced into blocks
to make a sheets in various thicknesses.3 This often re-
The paper can be beaten to a pulp and having finer
consistency can be used for finer details and for moulding. At this point there is a similarity between this form
and that covered with the pulp classification, however
3
Xanita “X-Board, readily available in Australia comes in
thicknesses of of 10, 16 and 20 mm.
4
http://ultimatepapermache.com/paper-mache-recipes
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being a stiffer compound than the slurry the moulding
process is generally different.
6. Paperboard. This is made from several layers of
plain kraft paper. Applications for furniture are limited
because unmodified it is not very strong.
7. Mixed. In the mixed category furniture was made
from a material that has combined characteristics of
more than one of the previously defined classes, or is
a product assembled from components belonging to
one or more different classes defined in the typology.
8. Composite. There are a few composite materials
that include a paper component combined with another material such as plastic.
Tea room by Shigeru Ban
this shows a folded cardboard stool and a table with cardboard tube
pedestal and honeycomb board top
http://web.mac.com/selophane/BlogImages/ShigeruBanTeaRoom.jpg
a typology of
cardboard furniture
1.1 folded
1.2.1 single
section
1.2 laminated
1.2.2 multi section
1.1
3.1
1. Corrugated
Cardboard
other materials
1.3 fabricated
1.3.1 open
structure
1.4 mechanically
fastened
1.3.2 closed
structure
1.2.1
2. TUBE
raw cellulose fibre
- wood fibre
- jute
- cotton
- hemp
paper pulp
3.1 hexagonal cell
honeycomb (EPH)
3. paper core
boards
4. PULP
3.2 triangular cell
(inc. X-board)
1.2.2
2
4.2 pulp based board
(gridcore/Sonoboard
4.1 moulded products
paper
3.2
1.3.1
5. PAPER
MACHÉ
4
6.
PAPERBOARD
8. COMPOSITE
7. MIXED
1.3.2
1.4
5
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right - models of children’s furniture by Foldschool.
1 cm
1/4 inch
cardboard furniture
foldschool
Foldschool sells plans on the web (eg below) so the furniture has an educational role as well as a functional one.
A
www.foldschool.com
1/2
© foldschool 2007
A
1.1 folded cardboard
http://www.foldschool.com/_gallery/gallery.html
Shoe box & rack - Acerly International
acerly.com.tw
left - Children’s Furniture and a wine rack by Kroom. Note the use of graphics printed on the
cardboard. The wine rack is made to look like timber - complete with screws. Perhaps it alludes to
where cardboard comes from, perhaps it’s just kitsch.
http://www.krooom.com/
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David Graas: “This Side Up” - set of nested tables/stools
http://www.treehugger.co
above - Designframe, USA - “Pause stool”
image: Brower, Mallory & Ohlman, (2009)
Cardboard boat
David Graas - not a lamp (2004)
http://www.thecardboardboatbook.com
http://www.davidgraas.com/products
David Graas - not a box (2007)
The design cleverly uses the “lumiere” as the packaging for all the
components
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1.2.1
laminated cardboard
with single section
Frank Gehry - Easy Edges Cardboard Furniture 1969-1973
The transformation of humble materials into elaborate and striking geometries–an intrinsic aspect of Gehry’s early buildings–exists in a more intimate scale in his Easy Edges furniture. The rough
appearance appealed to Gehry’s informal design sense, and he
discovered that while relatively malleable as a single sheet. It gains
strength exponentially as it is laminated. Gehry added hardboard
facing to the flat surfaces for increased strength and durability.
Gehry - Rocker image: liveauction.com
Gehry/Vitra 1972/2005 - ‘low table set’ -nesting tables - image: cite.co.nz
http://www.1stdibs.com/archives/upload/8305/183/gehry.jpg
Gehry -wiggle chair - image nova68.com
http://www.1stdibs.com/archives/upload/8305/183/gehry.jpg
“Experimental Edges” a second series of cardboard furniture was
introduced by Frank Gehry in 1979. Gehry’s intention was to make
durable furnishings from throwaway material “to suit the homes
of the young as well as old, as urban sophisticates as well as country dwellers” he has said.
As the material wears it becomes suedelike, malleable and soft.
ref: description accompanying Bubbles exhibit at MoMA
above - “Curumba”, 1987 - image: sfmoma
right -”Bubbles Chaise Longue”, 1987 - images: David Durance
Corrugated cardboard with fire retardant
below - “Red Beaver”, 1983 - image: hivemodern.com
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Giles Miller
http://www.inhabitat.com
Miller, who just received his masters degree from the Royal College of Art (RCA)
where he studied product design under the tutelage of Ron Arad, has been exploring various applications of corrugated cardboard since his undergraduate days at
Loughborough University. Several pieces from his collection, including a wardrobe,
grandfather clock and sidetable, have already been picked up by brands such as
Dovetusai and Skitsch.
http://www.dwell.com/articles/live-from-london-giles-miller.html
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N. Michelin 2005 - Caternary chair.
Claimed to ustilize the tensile strength of paper.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nmichelin/48542115/
“SPLAT “ chair
laminated seat from reused cardboard
www. gomi.com
http://www.therecyclewarehouse.com
4-petals coffee-table by Josh Levy
http://www.hometone.org/tags/coffee-table/6/
1.3.1
laminated cardboard furniture
with multiple sections
Store mannequin laminated from varying shaped cardboard sections. Displayed in the Museum of Art and design store NY.
above - coffee table by Leo Kempf
http://www.leokempf.com/cardboard.html
stool by David Durance
reused cardboard, laminated , sawn then glued
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1.3.1
fabricated cardboard
furniture with open structure
Furniture by David Graas - corrugated cardboard parts are flatpacked and slide together for user assembly.
http://www.davidgraas.com
far right - the appropriately named “Don’t
spill your coffee table” and “Don’t spill your
dinner table”
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The “Build Up” range by Philippe Nigro
image: www.philippenigro.com
Many designers surveyed had a range of furniture, and they appeared
to specialize in just one type of technology
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Giles Miller
Giles Miller uses a technique of cutting components “on the bias” - at 45deg to the fluting.
This gives components a more uniform appearance as there isn’t one face showing a flute
cross-sction and one showing flute edges.
http://3rings.designerpages.com/2009/10/16/giles-millers-cardboard-world-and-beyond/
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1.3.2
fabricated cardboard
furniture with covered structure
right - Bertrande Durand-Jenny - various
Instead of using multiple layers of cardboard for strength, the Cartonnistes use a
tab and slot construction technique that
requires a lot less cardboard, but is still
sturdy and durable
http://www.lescartonnistesassocies.com/index.html
left - designer unknown
http://www.compagnie-bleuzen.
com/vignette1.htm
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Mike Sheldrake 2008 - isogrid surfboard - cardboard, fiberglass &
epoxy resin
Sheldrake (2008) describes the process of making surfboards using
a cardboard grid core. Ribs are laser cut and slotted together to
form what he describes as a quarter isogrid, which is between a
hexagonal honeycomb and true isogrid. He claims “The quarter
isogrid is better suited than the conventional isogrid for a notched
rib assembly, since ribs only intersect two at a time. Intersections
are simpler and the average notch depth is shallower, retaining
more of the ribs’ strength, and simplifying reinforcement efforts”.
The outside is finished in fibreglass using an epoxy resin and the
resulting surfboard is translucent.
Children’s shelves by Miraki
Note the joining system
http://www.inhabitots.com/2009/11/17/mirakadi-paper-mache-and-cardboardfurniture/
Compared to a proper isogrid the ribs must be weaker because of
the slots but the fibreglass skin would effectively close the section.
Sheldrake was a web programmer but turned to making his own
surfboards three years ago, (Hammond 2009) effectively becoming one of the a “Pro-Ams” that Leadbeater refers to.
images: http://www.sheldrake.net/cardboards/
1.4
cardboard furniture with
mechanical fastening
The mechanical fastening system devised by Makedo is intended
for a range of applications from prototyping to playing. It can be
used for other materilas apart from cardboard, but has been primarily designed for it, as evidenced by the inserting and cutting
tool - left centre.
The company says “We love making. Not just making but making
do - using the stuff we have, to make something new. makedo by
name, ‘make do’ by nature”, so there is a connection to the tinkering
ethos.
left - the Makedo range
below - ‘liquid city’ by cache -paperboard, makedo
right - ‘stealth table’ by chris connell - x-board, makedo
centre right - paper cup part sphere - creator unknown
bottom right - cardboard bird - creator unknown
images: www.makedo.com
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2.
cardboard tube
below: bridge and tower made from cardboard tube by reknowned architect Shigeru Ban
http://www.designboom.com/cms/images/andrea02/ban01.jpg
right and below - Shigeru Ban 1998 cardboard tube furniture
http://www.designboom.com
http://zedomax.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/cardboard-bridge.jpg
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3.1
Expanded paper honeycomb
(EPH) furniture
half expanded sheet of EPH
image - material connection
a4a design -EPH bookstack
http://www.a4adesign.it/
The paper lounge furniture by Molo Design is a series of seating elements in
various materials and natural colours, all utilizing a honeycomb structure to fan
open into various furniture such as, stools, benches, and loungers.
counter made from a stck of EPH board
images: David Durance
Honeycomb light by Molo -designed for indoor use it can accommodate LED or
compact florescent lightbulbs.
3.2.2
Triangular cell board
top - the system is made up from a single module
bottom -shelving/room divider system by freefoldfurniture
www.freefoldfurniture.com
top centre - Jacky Downing & James Burns - childrens chair
right - James Harris & Craig Artemiou -office table - 20mm X-board
the strength of this was demonstrated with a student jumping up and
down on it
below, right - display unit, note edging
below, far right table with printed promotional material
www.xanita.com
image: material connection
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Nick & Alex “Creator space” left child’s seat
right - the same structure as the seat can be used for room dividers with 2
different configurations
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4.1
moulded pulp
Cat Scratcher Lounger by Bergan
a disposable product the cat can destroy
http://www.berganexperience.com/scratchlounger/index.html
Södra - “Parupu” Pulp chair
made from paper pulp and PLA - poly lactic acid .
PLA created a harder and more water resistant material
Katzutosh Amano & Shinichi Sasaki - “Mould Chair”
mades from cardboard pulp
Note the similarity to the Södra chair!
image Brower, Mallory & Olman (2009)
right - fruit punnet - New York
the use of pulp in the packaging industry is well established
Tamago series, Tamago collection, Merci Design
Tamago was conceived by the Latvian design team, Merci Design
http://www.tamago.lv
4.2
pulp board
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GRIDCORE is “ a lightweight honeycomb panel manufactured
using 100% recycled card and paper pulp. , as well as agricultural
fibers. The panels themselves can also be recycled. The panels are
formaldehyde free and will not offgas during fabrication or after
installation. Standard 3/4 in. Gridcore Panels have the bending
strength of low-density particleboard at less than half the weight.
They can be painted, laminated, edge banded, even curved to
custom radii. Product applications include furniture, cabinetry,
exhibits, displays, stage sets, interior design and industrial components. Gridcore was originally developed by the US Department of
Agriculture.”
http://www.kingston.ac.uk/~kx19789/rematerialise/html_and_flash/index-application-wall-surfacing.htm
Gridcore went out of production early 2002 but was then produced by Sonoco and marketed as Sonoboard up until about
2007.
It is now no longer produced.
http://www.oikos.com/esb/50/gridcore.html - viewed 18 August 2009
GridCore about to be used in a Montana State University designworkshop
http://www.livearchitecture.net/blog/index.php?m=09&y=07&d=22&entry=entry0
70922-224842
5.
paper maché
Historical uses
Paper maché has been a commonly used material
in furniture since the mid 1800’s. It had begun to be
used as early as the sixteen century for dolls’ heads
in France. In the nineteenth century the invention
of efficient pressing and molding machines made
it possible to produce innovative furniture from
papier-mâché. The piece was treated with numerous coats of heavy lacquer (often black) before being decorated with gild and inlaid mother-of-pearl,
often in a chinoiserie style. Many large and elaborate papier-mâché pieces were shown at the London
Crystal Palace Exhibition in 1851, including a grad
piano. The major producer of papier-mâché furni-
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ture in England at that time was the firm of Jennens &
Bettridge. (Origin of Innovative furniture, 2007)
One surprising use of paper maché was in train carriage
wheels. There were introduced in 1870 and used without incident until 1915. Their benefit was they reduced
noise inside the carriages. Pullman had introduced his
luxury carriages at this time, but he suspension system
was not very sophisticated. Timber had been tried but
there were failures. Paper maché wheels performed
without incident (Cupery 1997).
bottom - Japanned table
http://www.tudor-rose-antiques.co.uk/product.asp?itemid=3502
left - http://www.oneofakindantiques.com/catalog/6779_english_papier_mache_tray_table_1880_1.htm
Paper maché railway wheels were used from 1870 to 1915 by US
railways. They consisted of a steel hub and tyre with a
paper maché infill covered by a protective metal disc. image :
Cupery 1997)
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Contemporary uses of paper maché
All of the surveyed paper maché artefacts are one-off
or small batch produced items by craftspeople or amateurs. Many of the items produced are small - toys, ornaments and sculptures. They are usually decorated in
a ‘handcrafty’ way - folksy, näive or kitsch style.
right - This cube shaped coffee table, made in Haiti, has
a more contemporary style. However, the sea-from motif
on the front keeps it within the craft based paper maché
vernacular
http://www.vivaterra.com
left -Flying Dog Throne by Miraki - paper Maché
http://www.wedhorndesign.de/mirakadi.htmlmache-and-cardboard-furniture/
bottom - paer maché boat
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2006/08/paper_boat.html
table by Suie Raskusin
http://www.sudierakusin.com
‘Surfer Girl Clock’ by Allie Scott
http://www.papiermache.co.uk/gallery/artist/391/
6.
Paper board
No exemplars of current furniture have been found
during the survey for furniture made from plain paperboard, however there are some references to other
products made from modified paperboard - Taylor Paper Glass and the paper boat technology developed
by Waters and Sons in the 1860’s and 1870’s.
Taylor Paper Glass (TPG) is a composite used in some
light aircraft construction. It uses Kraft paper 0.1 to
0.2mm thick, which is laid out on wooden formers and
coated with polyester resin to set it in shape. Layers of
fibreglass and resin are then coated on either side of
the paper layer. The advantages claimed for this are
the low cost of the core, a rigid, strong and lightweight
composite sandwich structure without the need for
expensive tooling (Mini-IMP 2009). Other paper composites. Norplex-Micarta (2009) make a number of paper composites using phenolic, malamine and expoxy
resins. These find use in electrical engineering due to
their insulative properties.
1867 when John McKiel of Cold Spring, NY was defeated
by Henry Coulter of Pittsburgh. The Waters catalog of
1871 proudly lists a total of 14 races won by paper boats
during 1868. In 1869 the list grows to 26 races and the
sites include distant cities such as Savannah, Pittsburgh,
Boston, and Toronto. A typical 31 ft. shell weighed approximately 22 lbs., (compared with about 40 lbs. for a
comparable wood hull.) The light weight resulted from
using only three layers of 0.015” thick manila paper for
the hull, and but one layer of paper for the deck as well
as a minimalist approach to wood supporting structure.
In many ways it was a precursor to modern composite
hull construction. (Cupery 2009 - 1)
67
Beginning in 1878, E Waters and Sons constructed
several observatory domes across the US from paper.
Domes were constructed from paper over a wooden
frame; it was felt that other materials would be too
heavy, leading to complexities in construction.2 One of
the domes was built at the West Point academy in 1881.
It survived without incident until it was repaired1924,
then eventually dismantled in 1958/9 - 77 years after
initial construction. (Cupery 2009 -2)
paper dome patent (Cupery 2009 - 2)
The boats were made from several layers of jute fibre
paper laid out over a mould. The thickness varied between 2.5 and 5mm. Waterproofing was achieved by
coating with shellac (Bishop, N 1878).1
Paper Boats
“George Waters’ first shell was built in 1867 and was
formed using an old Josh Ward shell as a mold. Several
large sheets of a high-quality manila paper were laminated over the mold to form the skin of the hull. Wood
framework, a seat, oarlocks, & etc. were added after the
hull was removed from the mold. By 1868 George had
obtained a U.S. patent and was actively engaged in the
commercial manufacture of paper shells in Troy, NY
with his father Elisha and his brother Clarence. The first
race won by a paper boat was on the 30th of October of
The Nautilus paper hulled canoe
1
Nathanial Bishops book “the Journey of the paper canoe”
recounts the author’s 1874 journey of two thousand miles from Delaware to the Gulf of Mexico in a paper canoe
2
Meanwhile in England the dome at Greenwich observatory
was made from paper maché over an iron frame. (Cupery 2009 -2)
7.
furniture from mixed
classifications
below - furniture by Schmulb. Thiis is claimed to be made by the ‘Schmulb
Process’ developed in the 1980s. This process is unspecified but it appears
to be a combination of paper maché or similar technique over a structure
of fabricated cardboard.
http://schmulb.com
right -334 bench by Oscar Lhermitte
The newspapers aren’t glued, but mounted on 3 parallel steel bars.
It is claimed to be able to support the weight of 5 people
http://www.oscarlhermitte.com
68
8.
furniture from paper/cardboard composites
Armacel is an Australian developed product. It is a process of
vacuum forming PET sheet over a core, and has the claimed
advantages of toughening and strengthening the core, as
well as providing weather resistance.
Few exemplars of Armacel covered furniture exist, however
it looks like a promising material especially for cardboard
products.
“Armacel is a high-impact vacuum-tensioning process that is used
to manufacture totally unique product solutions engineered to suit
any customer or user requirement. Predominantly, little or no specialized tooling is required in the product design or manufacturing
process thus providing Armacel manufacturers and end users with
maximum flexibility and cost-saving advantages. The Armacel
technology allows the creation of low cost and lightweight furniture products ideal for many applications. The ability to use low
cost substrates that could not normally be considered makes many
new products possible. Lightweight convention furniture is one
application that utilizes the lightweight construction properties of
Armacel solutions very well.
The unique AAPET plastic outer surface which results from the Armacel process is easy to clean, abrasion and chemical resistant,
water resistant and can include fire retardant and UV protection
agents suitable for outdoor use. Any number of separate and loose
pieces can be combined and securely held together by the tensioning process itself; consequently eliminating the need to use fastener
devices such as nails, staples, adhesive etc. Individual pieces can be
hinged and the final product can also be drilled, heat welded and
tapped if required.”
www.Armacel, com.
right - products from Armacel covered cardboard - bookshelves,
bin, pallets, stool.
bottom right - bicycle helmet, surfboard
See also chapter on “Cardboard in Architecture” (Appendix 1).
69
cardboard &
engineering
One of the main obstacles to overcome when building from cardboard is the method of connection of
the elements. It is the Archilles heel of most cardboard
structures, says Eekhout. He lists three general methods, gluing, bolted and ‘folding’ or ‘sleeving’. Various
observations were made about these methods:
methods of connection
30m span dome - image: Eekhout (2007)
The Delft University department of Building Technology has a research team investigating architectural uses
of cardboard from 2003. The results of the research,
Cardboard in Architecture, has been written by Eekhout
(2008). One of the major projects undertaken during
the research was the design and construction of a 30m
span dome from cardboard tube in collaboration with
the Japanese architect Shiguru Ban.
While Eekhout says that cardboard is a new material in
the building industry and there is not a lot of data for
its use, the result of this body of work has been a greater understanding of the technical aspects of working
with cardboard. The dome itself was impressive.
Gluing. Cardboard elements are joined together with
adhesive. Glues can be either PVA or epoxy based1.
Glued connections should aim to transfer the loads
either in direct compression or shear along the sides
of the connected elements. A problem observed when
coating the cardboard with (water based?) adhesive is
that it diffuses into the paperboard, the paperboard
softens and loses its original form (due to loading).
After drying the deformation is permanent. A solution
was suggested to fix components in place while drying.
Bolted connections. Cause stress concentration which
can be lessened by using large diameter or sleeved
bolts and/or large diameter washers.
however it was noted that thick card (~12mm) chars
like timber, protecting itself from further deterioration
Engineering properties of cardboard.
Cardboard is a non-homogeneous, anisotropic, nonlinear, visxoelastic and hygroscopic material.
Non-homogeneous. It is composed of elements that
are not of the same type. Fluted board for example has
corrugated flues face with craft paper. The flutes behave differently to the faces.
Anisotropic. It performs differently depending on the
direction of loading. The greatest compressive strength
is in the direction of loading. The paper from which
cardboard is made is also anisotropic as a result of the
manufacturing process. As paper is passed through
rollers, paper fibres generally align in the direction of
of rolling - machine direction (MD) rather than cross
direction (CD). This has the consequence that paper
is stronger in the MD rather than the CD. The MD/CD
ratio depends on the type of paper. Young’s modulus
E, for MD ranges between 2-20GPa, and CD is about
25-65% of MD. (Eekhout, 2007)
Folding or sleeving. Connections can be made by mechanically linking elements together using tab and slot
or other methods. This method avoids glues or bolts.
The Delft research did not cover this method. (Examples of this method are listed in the ‘X-board’ study
elsewhere in the appendix.)
Surface applications. The surface can be coated with
polymeric paint or laminated with building paper or
metallic foil. It can also be coated with a fire retardant,
typical stress/strain curve for cardboard (Eekhout 2007)
1
This is not a complete list as other adhesives can be used eg
solvent based construction adhesive.
70
Hygroscopic. Cardboard absorbs moisture from the
atmosphere, and this impacts on its strength. If it becomes wet, cardboard degrades and ultimately turns
into a pulp.
Water resistant cardboard is manufactured with additives in the pulp. While this achieves water resistance it means that the cardboard cannot be as easily
recycled.
Beam testing
To generate data sufficient for engineering calculations on architectural structures the Delft team designed, built and tested four test beams. The beams
were built and tested in a four point loading test. The
testing concluded that a cardboard beam would be
feasibly strong enough to build with. However, the
beams were not very stiff and showed large deflections. This could be improve by using a better class of
material and by increasing the moment of inertia by
making the beams deeper.
Delft test rig - Eekhout 2007
Some faults can be found with the methodology of the
testing.
1. The testing rig placed a load that was far too concentrated and didn’t take into account local crushing
effects of the cardboard. The rig would be OK for steel there seemed to be a failure at the outset to appreciate
the differences the cardboard would have.
2. No data provided for the amount of cardboard used.
This makes it difficult to assess the efficiency of the
beam, strength top weight ratio or relative cost.
3. While this was a reiterative process, with a consequent improvement for each test there are jumps between tests. Failure modes could have addressed, improving each beam, but instead each test, apart from
beam 3 to 4 jumped to a new type of beam.
71
ented. I would also question if the edge-on orientation
of honeycomb board in the webs is really the most efficient.
A question of method
To my eye there could have been better design of the
beams - I have included my comments on the summary table. I wonder if this is a result of the methodology
used. Eekhout’s diagram of the relationship to research
and design shows some connections between the development stages, but it is still a very linear “scientific”
approach. One might ask what would have been the
result if there had been some ‘application design’ at the
fundamental research stage.
4. In general there appears to be little consideration
to board orientation, given its anisotropic nature. Between tests 3 to 4, the core honeycomb board is reori-
The relationship to research and design in the Delft Cardboard research centre - Eekhout 2007
Beam
size/ final load
failure
load/deformation curve
72
comments
Only solid board used. Central section filled with Zig-Zag to prevent buckling.
Flange connected to web via tab & Slot and glue.
1
250 x 300mm
6kN
Comments (DD): Flange looks too thin, and is not flat, reducing compression performance.
Only solid board used with layers glued with PVA. Top flange 8 layers, bottom
flange 1 layer, web 5 layers. Flange connected to web via comb type construc-
2
300 x 150mm
10kN
tion, no glue. Webs were stiffened by triangle construction to prevent buckling.
Comments (DD):. The comb interlock is an obvious weakness, and should have been
predicted to not stop the flange buckling out. Triangle web stiffener also has no
means of preventing web buckling outward.
Only solid board used with layers glued with PVA. Top flange 8 layers, bottom
3
250 x 150mm
40kN
flange 1 layer, web 5 layers. Flange connected to web via comb, no glue.
Comments (DD): I question the use of EPH board on edge in the flange.
Loading method causes local crushing & beam failure.
Similar to beam 3, but with a tube to improve the compression characteristics.
4
250 x 150?mm
90kN
The failure was a brittle fracture, which is considered somewhat undesirable
because it gives not warning.
Comments (DD): Orientation of the EPH board has been changed in the core, looks
quite random.
Summary of test results from cardboard beam testing. (Eekhout 2007)
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survey of cardboard furniture

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