ISO 21629-2:2022

Bamboo floorings - Part 2: Outdoor use

This document specifies the technical requirements, test methods and requirements for the handling, storage, packaging and marking of outdoor bamboo flooring. It is applicable to outdoor bamboo flooring including bamboo laminated flooring and bamboo scrimber flooring

Planchers en bambou — Partie 2: Utilisation en extérieur

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 28-Aug-2022
• ICS: 97.150 - Floor coverings
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 296 - Bamboo and rattan
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 296/WG 2 - Bamboo Flooring
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 29-Aug-2022
• Due Date: 10-Sep-2022
• Completion Date: 29-Aug-2022

Overview

ISO 21629-2:2022 - "Bamboo floorings - Part 2: Outdoor use" specifies technical requirements, test methods and rules for handling, storage, packaging and marking of outdoor bamboo flooring. It applies to both laminated bamboo flooring and bamboo scrimber flooring, and defines appearance, dimensional and physical/mechanical performance criteria for products intended for exterior applications.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope and terminology: Defines bamboo flooring types (laminated, scrimber), outer/inner bamboo layers, and defects such as cracks, gaps and splinters.
• Appearance: Materials must be free from physical damage, decay and insect attack; colour variation is permitted as a natural characteristic.
• Dimensional tolerances: The standard sets tolerances for length, width, thickness, squareness, cup and bow to ensure consistent product fit and installation quality.
• Physical and mechanical properties:
  • Density minima (e.g., higher requirement for scrimber than laminated).
  • Moisture content control and determination procedures (oven drying per Annex A, with modified method for scrimber).
  • Mechanical strength: minimum values for modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE) where applicable (tested for products installed on battens).
  • Wet bending strength requirements and decay/durability classification (durability classes DC1–DC5; DC2 corresponds to a 5–10% mass loss in decay tests).
  • Bonding quality limits (cumulative delamination not to exceed one‑third of total glueline length).
  • Swelling limits: test methods for thickness and width swelling (Annex B).
• Sampling and test specimens: Detailed specimen sizes and quantities for laboratory testing (sampling diagrams and trimming rules).
• Handling, storage, packaging and marking: Manufacturer responsibilities and minimum package marking (manufacturer, trade name, ISO reference, dimensions, bamboo species, production date/batch, quantity/covered surface).

Applications - who uses ISO 21629-2

• Manufacturers of outdoor bamboo laminated and scrimber flooring - to design, test and certify products for exterior use.
• Testing laboratories and quality control teams - for standardized sampling and test methods (moisture, swelling, bonding, strength).
• Specifiers, architects and landscape designers - to select compliant outdoor bamboo flooring for decks, terraces and exterior walkways.
• Importers, distributors and regulatory bodies - for product marking, conformity checks and procurement specifications.
• Certification and inspection bodies - to verify durability class, emissions and performance claims.

Related standards

• ISO 21625 (terminology and product definitions)
• ISO 16978 / ISO 16979 (bending and moisture tests)
• ISO 9426 / ISO 9427 (dimensional and density tests)
• ISO 17959, ISO 20585 and EN 17009 (related flooring test methods and performance classes)

ISO 21629-2 is essential for ensuring consistent quality, durability and safe use of bamboo flooring outdoors, supporting manufacturers and specifiers with clear, testable performance criteria.

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 21629-2
First edition
2022-08
Bamboo floorings —
Part 2:
Outdoor use
Planchers en bambou —
Partie 2: Utilisation en extérieur
Reference number
© ISO 2022
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
1 Scope . 1
2 N ormative references . 1
3 T erms and definitions . 1
4 R equirements . 3
4.1 A ppearance requirements . 3
4.2 Dimension requirements . 3
4.3 Property requirements . 4
4.3.1 Physical and mechanical requirements . 4
4.3.2 O ther declarations at the time of the first delivery . 5
5 T est samples .5
5 .1 S a mpl in g . 5
5.2 D imensions and quantity . 6
5.2.1 L aminated bamboo flooring . 6
5.2.2 B amboo scrimber flooring . 7
6 H andling, storage, packaging and marking . 9
6.1 Ha ndling, storage and packaging . 9
6.2 M arking . 9
Annex A (normative) Determination of moisture content .10
Annex B (normative) Test method of thickness and width swelling .11
Annex C (normative) Test method of bonding quality .13
Bibliography .14
iii
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
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electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
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expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to
the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see
www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 296, Bamboo and rattan.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.
iv
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 21629-2:2022(E)
Bamboo floorings —
Part 2:
Outdoor use
1 S cope
This document specifies the technical requirements, test methods and requirements for the handling,
storage, packaging and marking of outdoor bamboo flooring.
It is applicable to outdoor bamboo flooring including bamboo laminated flooring and bamboo scrimber
flooring.
2 Normat ive references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 9424, Wood-based panels — Determination of dimensions of test pieces
ISO 9426, Wood-based panels — Determination of dimensions of panels
ISO 9427, Wood-based panels — Determination of density
ISO 16978, Wood-based panels — Determination of modulus of elasticity in bending and of bending strength
ISO 16979, Wood-based panels — Determination of moisture content
ISO 17959, General requirements for solid wood flooring
ISO 20585:2005, Wood-based panels — Determination of wet bending strength after immersion in water
at 70 degrees C or 100 degrees C (boiling temperature)
EN 17009:2019, Flooring of lignified materials other than wood — Characteristics, assessment and
verification of constancy of performance and marking
3 T erms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
bamboo flooring
assembled bamboo-based panel used as floor boards
[SOURCE: ISO 21625: 2020, 3.3.4]
3.2
bamboo scrimber
panel or lumber made of compressed bamboo fibre bundle strips or compressed bamboo fibre bundle
sheet
[SOURCE: ISO 21625: 2020, 3.2.17]
3.3
laminated bamboo flooring
flooring product made from laminated bamboo strips
[SOURCE: ISO 21625: 2020, 3.3.4.2]
3.4
bamboo scrimber flooring
flooring product made of bamboo scrimber (3.2)
[SOURCE: ISO 21625: 2020, 3.3.4.3]
3.5
bamboo outer layer
hard, compact sheath of bamboo culm which is exposed to the external environment
[SOURCE: ISO 21625: 2020, 3.1.3]
3.6
bamboo inner layer
soft inside layer of the bamboo culm, serving as boundary to the hollow central portion of the culm
[SOURCE: ISO 21625: 2020, 3.1.4]
3.7
squareness
distance, d , between the panel edge and the side of the other arm of the square
Note 1 to entry: The squareness is shown in Figure 1.
Dimensions in millimetres
Figure 1 — Example of squareness
3.8
decay
decomposition of bamboo by fungi or other micro-organisms resulting in softening, progressive loss of
mass and strength, and often a change of texture and colour
3.9
crack
lengthwise separation of the bamboo fibres caused chiefly by shrinkage in drying and/or mechanical
damage
3.10
gap
opening on the face or bottom of the bamboo flooring (3.1) product
3.11
splinter
filament protrusion on the surface of bamboo scrimber (3.2)
4 R equirements
4.1 A ppearance requirements
The material used for the bamboo flooring shall be free from physical damage, decay and insect attack.
There may be variations from element to element, but the total impression of the installed flooring shall
show a homogeneous character.
Any part of the material that hinders preservation, bonding and finishing shall be removed entirely.
As bamboo is a natural material, colour variations can occur naturally or due to exposure to light over
time.
The appearance requirements of bamboo flooring for outdoor use are indicated in Table 1.
Table 1 — Appearance requirements
Types of defects Laminated bamboo flooring Bamboo scrimber flooring
Bamboo outer Permitted if this does not impair the
layer bonding strength between the bundles of
a
the bamboo flooring
Bamboo inner
layer
Not permitted
Splinter
Cracks Not permitted
Gaps
a
If the bonding strength between the bundles of the bamboo flooring is impaired by outer layer and inner layer, they
shall be removed.
4.2 Dimension r equirements
The dimension requirements of bamboo flooring for outdoor use are indicated in Table 2.
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