The Institution accepted a suggestion from the Standing Committee on Structural Safety that guidance on the structural use of chipboard for flooring should be produced which would take into account long-term load effects, deterioration, moisture, misuse, vibration, impact, and local application of load. The Standing Committee pointed out that the properties of chipboard are somewhat different from those of traditional flooring materials in that the critical mode of failure is more likely to be by punching or shear, particularly where there are heavy concentrations of applied load. As the Timber Research & Development Association (TRADA) had, at the same time, requested Government financial assistance to produce a similar document, it was agreed that a joint IStructE/TRADA Working Party should be set up to produce a state-of-the-art report on flooring before the end of 1983.