Composite block (pallet)
Also called: presswood block, compressed wood block, chipwood block
A composite block is a pallet block made from wood chips, particles or fibers bonded with resin under heat and pressure. It does not split like solid wood and, as processed wood, is exempt from ISPM 15 on its own.
In depth: Block pallet: construction, dimensions and uses
Composite blocks are common on block pallets in Europe (including EPAL pallets) and on export block pallets elsewhere. They replace solid-wood blocks and are often made from recycled wood.
Requirements in the Uniform Standard (2012)
| Property | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Density | 36.9 to 42.1 lb/ft³ (591 to 675 kg/m³) |
| 24 h water soak | Weight gain up to 25%; length and width change up to 2%; height up to 6% |
| Side tine compression | At least 1,400 lbf (6.2 kN) |
| Nail insertion force | Up to 500 lbf (2.2 kN) |
| Nail withdrawal | At least 310 lbf (1.4 kN) |
| Size tolerance | L +3/16 / −0, W +1/8 / −1/16, H ±1/16 in |
Why it matters
Solid-wood blocks split along the grain when forks hit them, especially at the corners. Composite blocks have no grain, so they resist splitting and hold a consistent size. As processed wood they do not need ISPM 15 treatment themselves, although solid-wood deckboards and stringerboards on the same pallet still do. The trade-offs are weight and sensitivity to prolonged soaking.
On a spec sheet
Block type "Wood composite", with count and width × height × length. Ask for the supplier's test data if your application is wet or high-impact.
Related
- GlossaryBlock (pallet)A block is a rectangular, square or cylindrical spacer between the decks of a block pallet. Most block pallets have 9 blocks in a 3 × 3 grid, and the block height sets the fork entry height.
- GlossaryCorner block (block pallet)A corner block is one of the four blocks at the corners of a block pallet. Corner blocks take the most fork and pallet-jack impact, so the Uniform Standard requires more fasteners there than at interior blocks.
- TypesBlock pallet: construction, dimensions and usesA block pallet is a wooden pallet whose deck sits on blocks, usually nine arranged 3 × 3, joined by stringerboards. The gaps between blocks give full 4-way entry for both forklifts and pallet jacks. EUR/EPAL, CP and the pooled 48 × 40 in pallets of CHEP and PECO are all block pallets.
- TypesEuro pallet (EUR / EPAL 1): dimensions, weight and constructionThe Euro pallet (EUR or EPAL 1) is a licensed European block pallet measuring 1200 × 800 × 144 mm (47.2 × 31.5 × 5.7 in). It weighs about 25 kg (55 lb), has 11 boards, 9 blocks and 78 nails, and carries a safe working load of 1,500 kg (3,307 lb). Only EPAL licensees may build and mark it.
- ComparisonsPresswood vs wood pallets: differences and when to use eachChoose a presswood (molded wood-fiber) pallet for one-way export and air freight: it is ISPM 15-exempt, nails-free, light and nests about 4:1 for storage. Choose a solid wood pallet when you need racking, heavy or custom loads, or pallets you will reuse and repair.
More in Materials
- GlossaryBark (on pallet lumber)Bark is the outer layer of a tree trunk. ISPM 15 requires wood packaging to be made from debarked wood, allowing only small remnants: pieces under 3 cm wide of any length, or wider pieces with a surface area under 50 cm².
- GlossaryCant (pallet lumber)A cant is a log that has been sawn flat on two or four sides. In the pallet industry it usually means the low-grade center of a hardwood log, left after grade lumber is cut from the outside, which is resawn into pallet parts.
- GlossaryCorrugated fiberboard (pallets and slip sheets)Corrugated fiberboard is a board made of a fluted paper medium glued between flat paper liners. It is used for boxes, and in pallet work for corrugated paper pallets, slip sheets, tier sheets and pallet runners.
- GlossaryCut stock (pallet components)Cut stock is lumber already sawn to the finished thickness, width and length of pallet parts, such as 5/8 × 3-1/2 × 40 in deckboards, ready for nailing. It is also called pallet stock or shook.
- GlossaryDouglas-fir (pallet lumber)Douglas-fir is a dense, strong softwood from western North America, also grown in Europe. It is species class 11 (Douglas-fir–larch) in the Uniform Standard and PDS, and class 33 in the European species list.
- GlossaryGalvanizing (steel pallets and fasteners)Galvanizing is coating steel with zinc to protect it from corrosion. Steel pallets are often hot-dip galvanized after fabrication, and galvanized nails, staples and hinges are used where wood pallets or collars see moisture.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 221 words.