What makes corrugated boxes so strong?

With so many people ordering products from online businesses, I began thinking about the structural integrity of this material. This is an exciting topic to discuss, in my opinion. In reality, these boxes are made from stacked paper, but there is a little more going on than that. There is a science that goes on behind the scenes that give it the strength and uncompromising integrity. There are a few factors that play into the structural integrity of the corrugated boxes. Before we get into the structural integrity, we need to understand where and how these boxes came to be.

Corrugated boxes have been around since 1817. The first ship

ping box was made in London, and it was made from a material known as paperboard. It was not until the 1890s someone tired of the weak paper boxes decided to invent the stacking of ridged or wavy paper. This brought about what we know today as corrugated cardboard boxes. Once this technique was developed, the old paperboard boxes were replaced by the corrugated boxes for shipping. A decade these boxes are still being used today and are close to replacing wood shipped boxes as these boxes are lighter and easier to produce.  

The term corrugated means to bend into folds or alternative ridges. If you look closely next time you have this material, you will see small waves in between the stacked paper. These waves or ridges are what give the substance its strength and rigidness. It is interesting how one of the more soft materials on this planet makes up something as strong as these boxes. Yes, the material is still considered weak but not as fragile as paper. Paper boxes would also begin to fall apart after a few drops of rain, thus leaving the purchased product vulnerable to the elements. 

There is a test you can do at home to see how this technique works. All you will need is some pieces of paper and a workspace. Take two pieces of paper and fold them like a traditional Japanese paper fan, just a bunch of long rectangles, really. Once this is done, place a piece of paper on top of the now wavy paper. With the piece of paper on top, you can begin stacking random objects on the paper till it collapses. This is precisely how corrugated boxes work, just on a bigger scale. Of course, the paper will not be as strong as the mass produces boxes, but this will give you a good visualization of how they work. 

It is interesting to me how a material that is considered relatively weak can make up something as structurally sound as cardboard boxes. We really need to thank the people who were fed up with flimsy paper boxes and invented the technique that makes corrugated boxes. In today’s world, I do not think that paper boxes would have cut it. The material was thin and could break relatively easily. Not to mention a couple of drops of rain, and the paper boxes would start breaking apart. It is fascinating how corrugated boxes today are more or less water-resistant. They still hold their shape but will lose some structural integrity. The strengths of corrugated boxes solely come from a few sheets of paper folded into ridges or waves. What a mind-blowing fact that something so simple makes something so substantial.