What does 4×8 plywood mean?
Four-by-eight plywood is the standard North American sheet size: nominally 4 feet by 8 feet, or about 1220×2440 mm. Actual length and width can run a few millimetres under the stamped size after trim and sanding. Specifiers still call it 4×8 even when the tape measure reads slightly short.
What thicknesses are common in 4×8 plywood?
Retail and construction packs commonly stock 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 5/8, and 3/4 inch nominal thicknesses, with metric mills shipping 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, and 21 mm equivalents. Nominal labels are not always the sanded actual thickness, so check the mill or APA stamp when fit is tight. Formwork programmes usually lock thickness to span and pour pressure rather than to a single retail SKU.
Is 4×8 plywood the same as 1220×2440 mm?
They are the same module family for most trade talk: 1220×2440 mm is the metric labelling of the imperial 4×8 sheet. European formwork frames often prefer 2500×1250 mm instead, so do not mix modules inside one gang without checking the system envelope. Put the sheet module on the RFQ next to thickness and glue class.
Can I use 4×8 plywood for concrete formwork?
Yes, when the panel is a formwork grade with the right overlay and bond class, not an interior decorative sheet. Many North American gangs still run 1220×2440 mm film-faced or HDO panels inside imperial frame kits. Match reuse band and EN or APA class to the pour programme before you treat every brown 4×8 as interchangeable.
How many 4×8 sheets fit in a container?
Fill depends on thickness, packing method, and whether the load is a full container of one SKU or a mixed list. Use a packing or CBM calculator with your exact thickness and sheet count rather than a single rule of thumb from a brochure. Mill packing lists are the source of truth once the grade mix is locked.
Where should buyers source commercial 4×8 plywood?
Importers who need consistent grade and documents usually buy mill-direct by container; crews who need sheets this week use distributor stock. Vinawood ships construction plywood from Vietnam and supports North American distribution warehouses that supply local distributors. Send size, thickness, bond class, and destination paperwork on the RFQ before asking for a landed price.
