WPC DECKING TECHNICAL DATA GUIDE
WPC Decking Technical Data Sheet Library: Field Guide
A WPC decking technical data sheet is the manufacturer’s performance document for one specific board profile. It should state composition, dimensions, weight, flexural strength, thermal movement, water absorption, slip rating, fire classification, and a span table tied to board thickness and load.
If a sheet is missing the span table, fire class, or the standard each figure was tested to, it is a brochure, not a specification. Use this guide to check the fields and request the documentation you need.
TECHNICAL DATA SHEET
What Is a Technical Data Sheet?
A technical data sheet is the manufacturer’s performance document for a single product, usually shortened to TDS. For WPC decking, it covers one board profile and should state composition, dimensions, weight, mechanical strength, thermal and moisture behavior, slip rating, fire classification, and maximum support spacing.
01
Definition
A technical data sheet is the manufacturer’s performance document for a single product, usually shortened to TDS. It is not a catalog page and not a general brochure.
02
Scope
A WPC decking technical data sheet is a one- or two-page document covering one decking board profile. It is specific to that profile: a sheet for a hollow board tells you nothing about a solid one.
03
Core Content
It carries the composition, dimensions, weight, and mechanical strength. These are the basic physical and structural properties of the board.
04
Additional Declarations
It also states thermal and moisture behavior, slip rating, fire classification, and the maximum support spacing for that board.
05
Data Sheet vs. Catalog
A catalog lists what a range includes. A data sheet declares what one board does, under a named test method, at a stated age. A decking specification sheet, a composite decking technical data sheet, and a datasheet are all names for the same document.
FIELD TABLE
What a WPC Decking Data Sheet Must Contain
A complete sheet carries twelve core fields, and each one comes from a standard rather than from the manufacturer’s preference — which is what makes two suppliers’ documents comparable at all.
CORE DATA SHEET FIELDS
Twelve Fields and the Standard Behind Each
12 Fields
| # | Field | What It States | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Material Composition | Wood or natural-fiber content, polymer type, additive share, by percentage | EN 15534-1 |
| 02 | Board Dimensions | Length, width, thickness, and profile geometry, in millimeters | EN 15534-4 |
| 03 | Weight | Mass per linear meter (kg/m) and per square meter (kg/m²) | EN 15534-1 |
| 04 | Density | Core density in g/cm³, which separates solid from hollow profiles | EN 15534-1 |
| 05 | Flexural Strength | Bending performance of the board under load, in N/mm² or MPa | EN 310 / ASTM D790 |
| 06 | Modulus of Elasticity | Stiffness in MPa, the property that drives the span | EN 310 / ASTM D790 |
| 07 | Thermal Expansion | Movement per degree of temperature change, in µm/m·°C | EN 15534-1 |
| 08 | Water Absorption | Percentage uptake after immersion, usually at 24 hours | EN 15534-1 |
| 09 | Slip Resistance | The R-class under barefoot or shod testing | DIN 51130 / EN 16165 |
| 10 | Reaction to Fire | The Euroclass, or the US flame-spread classification | EN 13501-1 / ASTM E84 |
| 11 | Weathering & UV | Accelerated exposure method and duration in hours | EN ISO 4892 |
| 12 | Span Table | Maximum support spacing by board thickness and load | ASTM D7032 / EN 15534-4 |
Field list and standard mappings compiled from published manufacturer data sheets and from the scope of the EN 15534 and ASTM D7032 series. Confirm each mapping against the current edition of the standard before you rely on it. This table describes what a decking data sheet should contain and carries no Yuheng values.
STANDARDS BEHIND THE NUMBERS
Which Standard Each Figure Is Tested To
The standard behind a figure is the difference between a measurement and an assertion. Four families cover most of what a decking data sheet contains.
EUROPE — CEN
EN 15534 Series
EN 15534-1 sets out the test methods used to characterize the material and the product. Part 4, published in April 2014, applies specifically to decking profiles, and Part 5, from December 2015, covers cladding. When a European sheet cites Part 1 for a test method and Part 4 for profile requirements, it is telling you which measurements were taken and against which product standard.
Covers
NORTH AMERICA
ASTM D7032
In the North American market the governing document is ASTM D7032. It establishes performance ratings for wood-plastic composite deck boards and associated guardrail systems, and it is the standard that produces the span ratings your inspector or code official will look for. A board sold into the US or Canada without a D7032 basis has no recognized route to a span rating.
Covers
OUTSIDE THE MAIN PRODUCT STANDARDS
Fire, Slip, and Weathering Are Easy to Drop by Accident
Three fields sit outside the main product standards. A sheet that states a fire class or a slip rating without naming the test method has given you a claim, not a result.
- Reaction to fire — classified under EN 13501-1 in Europe, tested under ASTM E84 in the US. The two systems do not translate directly.
- Slip resistance — reported as an R-class from ramp testing.
- Weathering — established by accelerated exposure, commonly under a xenon-arc method in EN ISO 4892.
GENUINENESS CHECK
How to Check a Data Sheet Is Genuine
Most data sheets you receive are genuine documents describing real products. A minority are assembled from a template and never tested. The difference is checkable — in four steps.
FOUR CHECKS
Standard + edition + test date + certificate
Standard Named
Edition Year
Test Date
Certificate Trace
Which Standard?
A real sheet names the test method beside each figure. If a number appears without a standard attached to it, you cannot tell whether it was measured or estimated.
Method Beside the NumberWhich Edition?
Test methods are revised. A result reported against a superseded edition of a standard needs a reason before it can be relied on.
Current Edition?Test Date or Report Reference?
A genuine document carries a test date or a report reference that traces back to a laboratory. Without one, the figures cannot be verified.
Traceable to a LabCheck the Certificate Number
A certification body’s public register is the authority on what a certificate actually covers. Verify the number against the issuing body, not the supplier’s summary.
Public Register
IF THE ANSWERS DO NOT COME
An Unanswered Sheet Is an Unverifiable Sheet
If a supplier cannot answer those three questions about their own document, the figures on it are unverifiable regardless of how professional the layout looks. Send us the sheet you have been given — we will tell you which standard each figure is tested to and which fields are missing.
Replies
→ within 12 hours
DATA SHEET FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about WPC decking technical data sheets, the twelve core fields, span tables, Declarations of Performance, and how to verify a supplier’s document.
A WPC decking technical data sheet is the manufacturer’s measured performance document for one specific board profile. It reports composition, dimensions, weight, density, flexural strength, thermal movement, water absorption, slip rating, fire classification, and maximum span, each against a named test standard. It differs from a catalog page in that it declares tested values for one profile rather than listing what a range includes.
A complete decking data sheet includes twelve core fields: material composition, board dimensions, weight per linear meter and per square meter, density, flexural strength, modulus of elasticity, thermal expansion, water absorption, slip resistance, reaction to fire, UV weathering, and a span table. Each field should name the standard it was tested or declared to, and the sheet should carry a test date or report reference.
Yes, a WPC decking data sheet should carry a span table stating the maximum support spacing for each board thickness at a stated load. Span depends on board stiffness and on the load applied, not on dimensions alone, so the ratings cannot be transferred between profiles. If a supplier cannot provide a span table for the board you are buying, request it before you set joist centers rather than applying a generic spacing rule.
A Declaration of Performance is a structured European document that declares a construction product’s performance against each essential characteristic, names the standards applied, and identifies the attestation route and any notified body involved. It is issued separately from the technical data sheet. Where one applies to a decking product, it typically declares impact, deflection, water absorption, biological resistance, and reaction to fire characteristic by characteristic.
Check four things. Look for the standard named beside each figure, the edition year of that standard, and a test date or laboratory report reference. Then verify any certificate number against the issuing body’s own public register. A genuine sheet answers all four checks. A document that reports performance figures without naming a method or a date cannot be verified, however well it is presented.
Ask, and we will tell you exactly what we can issue for the profile you are considering. Some documents in the table above are confirmed and some are still being assembled, so the honest answer depends on the board. Send the profile or the deck layout you are working to, and we will confirm which of the twelve fields we can document today, which are in preparation, and when the rest will be available. Replies come within 12 hours.