Corrugated fiberboard (pallets and slip sheets)
Also called: corrugated board, corrugated cardboard, combined board
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.
In depth: Paper pallet: corrugated and honeycomb pallets explained
Corrugated fiberboard is described by its wall construction and strength rating.
Construction
| Wall | Build | Pallet use |
|---|---|---|
| Single wall | 1 fluted medium, 2 liners | Light tier sheets |
| Double wall | 2 mediums, 3 liners | Paper pallet decks and runners |
| Triple wall | 3 mediums, 4 liners | Heavy tier sheets, bulk bins, pallet decks |
Strength is usually specified by ECT (edge crush test) or burst strength. A triple-wall 40 × 48 in layer pad sold as "1100#TW/ECT-90" is a typical catalog example.
In pallet products
- Paper pallets: corrugated decks with corrugated runners, tube feet or honeycomb blocks.
- Slip sheets: corrugated is the cheapest slip-sheet material, suited to one-way, dry use.
- Tier sheets: layer pads between tiers of product on a pallet.
Why it matters
Corrugated is light, cheap, recyclable and exempt from ISPM 15. It loses much of its strength in humidity, so corrugated pallets and slip sheets do poorly in cold, damp or wet conditions. Moisture-resistant coatings help. Solid fiber and plastic slip sheets are used where corrugated is too weak or too moisture-sensitive.
On a spec sheet
Wall type, flute, ECT or burst grade, dimensions, any coating, and for pallets, the foot type, entry and required load.
Related
- GlossaryHoneycomb paperboard (paper pallets)Honeycomb paperboard is a panel made of kraft paper formed into hexagonal cells and faced with paper liners on both sides. It is light and stiff in compression, and it is used for paper pallet decks and feet.
- TypesPaper pallet: corrugated and honeycomb pallets explainedA paper pallet is made entirely from paper products: a corrugated or honeycomb paperboard deck on feet of paper tubes, honeycomb blocks or folded board. It is very light (from about 4 kg, 9 lb), recyclable and ISPM 15 exempt. Ratings reach about 750–1,000 kg, and humidity reduces strength.
- TypesSlip sheet: the thin pallet alternative, sizes, tabs and materialsA slip sheet is a thin sheet of solid fiberboard, corrugated board or plastic used under a unit load instead of a pallet. A push-pull lift truck attachment grips its tab and pulls the load onto its platens. Sheets for a 40 × 48 in load are commonly 43 × 51 or 44 × 52 in with 3–4 in tabs.
- GlossaryTier sheetA tier sheet (layer pad) is a flat sheet of corrugated board, solid fiber or plastic placed between layers of a unit load, or on the pallet deck, to spread weight, bridge deck gaps and stabilize the layers. It is not lifted by equipment.
- ComparisonsPallet vs slip sheet: cost, cube and handling comparedChoose a slip sheet when you ship high volumes in containers or trucks, both ends have push-pull forklift attachments, and saving weight, cube and pallet cost matters. Choose a pallet when the receiver handles with standard forks or pallet jacks, loads are racked, or handling equipment is unknown.
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.
- GlossaryComposite block (pallet)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.
- 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. 219 words.