Oriented Strand Board OSB
Oriented Strand Board or OSB is an increasingly common sheet material used in construction. It is an engineered panel made from wooden strands laid across each other and glued using a variety of adhesives.
It is a cost effective engineered panel that possess good structural properties and can also be used as temporary facia and hoarding. It is said to have been invented by Armin Elmendorf in California in the 60's, where it continues to be manufactured and used in ballon frame timber structures. Today it is also manufactured in Canada and Eastern Europe and more recently in the UK.
See also: Oriented strand board.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
Featured articles and news
Edmundson Apprentice of the Year award 2026
Entries now open for this Electrical Contractors' Association award.
Traditional blue-grey slate from one of the oldest and largest UK slate quarries down in Cornwall.
There are plenty of sources with the potential to be redeveloped.
Change of use legislation breaths new life into buildings
A run down on Class MA of the General Permitted Development Order.
Solar generation in the historic environment
Success requires understanding each site in detail.
Level 6 Design, Construction and Management BSc
CIOB launches first-ever degree programme to develop the next generation of construction leaders.
Open for business as of April, with its 2026 prospectus and new pipeline of housing schemes.
The operational value of workforce health
Keeping projects moving. Incorporating unplanned absence and the importance of health, in operations.
A carbon case for indigenous slate
UK slate can offer clear embodied carbon advantages.
Costs and insolvencies mount for SMEs, despite growth
Construction sector under insolvency and wage bill pressure in part linked to National Insurance, says report.
The place for vitrified clay pipes in modern infrastructure
Why vitrified clay pipes are reclaiming their role in built projects.
Research by construction PR consultancy LMC published.
Roles and responsibilities of domestic clients
ACA Safety in Construction guide for domestic clients.
Fire door compliance in UK commercial buildings
Architect and manufacturer gives their low down.



















