Punching Holes (Literally) in Gypsum Wall Boards

Punch a hole in a plasterboard wall?
Easy peasy if you are angry enough, (or know how to punch).

It won't hurt ..it will only hurt if you don't manage to break it.

Del (Damn...there goes another wall...terms and conditions apply ..this is all
IM(NV)HO

It depends how close you get to a stud....

Anyone who could punch through a stud, I would want them locked up for sure.

While at in-laws about 20 years back slipped and fell. While trying to catch my self on the way down stuck my arm through 4 sheets of 3/8 dry wall leaning together against the wall. Didn't hurt my hand at all but then again wasn't paying any attention to it. Arm got stuck in drywall and dislocated my shoulder as I went down. So I don't think one sheet would be a problem. See these little martial arts guys busting bricks all the time. Just got to hit it right.

holes in gypsum are also affected by the dynamic-ness of the punch.... a 100 pound slow punch can be as affective as a 50 pound fast punch.

I believe testing and charting would be one way to define likely solutions to the problem.

This may include dropping a devise that simulates the fist with a known mass and speed and observing the results. Then assessing if the results for reasonable-ness for the circumstances of the case.....

I personally watched my small 10 year old do it in a temper tantrum.I have no idea of the specs.I do know that he had no training other than what he got after for doing it.He was lucky and hit exactly between the studs.He did not harm the opposite wall.He said he had "Done it before and it did not hurt it".Was it damaged from repeats?I will never know. alfred.

How much force...

Wrong question.

Correct question:

What is the minimum force...per square unit

Probably not more that a few pounds...

Bollocks...

Correct answer..

Stop wasting expensive court time and just tell 'em it's easy...or take a bit of board in and break it over your head ..that would demonstrate it's weakness admirably.

No point in colculations will will produce figures meaningless to a judge, jury and 90% of the population!

Del

Bullocks? As in bum steer?

No, ballocks as in prairie oysters...that kind of steer. A little south of the bum kind. Essential to the steer in terms of lack thereof.

Mark

I'm 6'5" tall weight 150 lbs and I can punch a hole in the wall with my fist.

Just ask my eldest after he pissed me off after a VERY long day. He's since learned not to push my buttons after a long day.

I would assume that the wall manufactures would have some data on this particular subject.

Wall manufacturers? Maybe you've been punching too many holes...with head or bottle. Might wanna go back to Bud...cans, that is.

I put three such holes through 1/2" sheetrock (gypsum board) through the course of a long, drawn out divorce. I'm only about 150 lbs, never work out, so I imagine just about anyone could do it. Adrenaline and emotion contributed, I'm sure. Luckily, I never "located" a stud! Having to fix my careless carnage made me think, "That was really a stupid thing to do".

Tom

there a re several things wrong with the post about holes in drywall.

before being brought to trial the lawyers if competent to the task would have during discovery had expert witness data assembled for confirmation in the court .

2) sheetrock and drywall and wall boardare three different things, the expert is unless working for themakers of that particular material subject to court enquiry is rarely ever able to determine flat out what force was used to perf the wall.the coatings on them affect the strength, intensity of blow direction as well as the atmospheric conditions WITHIN the material. meaning - uncoated e.g. no cement or parging- wet or damp drywall no matter how thick it may be when struck at any angle with any force will be perffed at any time by weak or limited atacks on it. a fully cured peice of sheetraock dryall or walboard taken from anymanufacturers mill run of either material coated even with something as thin as a layer of latex paint or latex enamel will perf at considerably different presures than the dry.

if you want to find out where the standards are check out the g.s.a. rating for destructiobility standards tests.then find a ttorney who has the nrains to think that bullpuckey can be a legitimate cause inaction.

'da ber

No wonder we are over run with wealthy lawyers...

It's a sorry state of affairs if you need an 'expert' for crap like this.

Del

...worse yet, that anyone who can read and write bought into such a ridiculous, and ridiculously contrived, question--one that so "evidently" doesn't sound with the clear ring of truth.

Lawyer

Proof-read copy:

there a re several things wrong with the post about holes in drywall.

before being brought to trial the lawyers if competent to the task would have during discovery had expert witness data assembled for confirmation in the court .

2) sheetrock and drywall and wall boardare three different things, the expert is unless working for themakers of that particular material subject to court enquiry is rarely ever able to determine flat out what force was used to perf the wall.the coatings on them affect the strength, intensity of blow direction as well as the atmospheric conditions WITHIN the material. meaning - uncoated e.g. no cement or parging- wet or damp drywall no matter how thick it may be when struck at any angle with any force will be perffed at any time by weak or limited atacks on it. a fully cured peice of sheetraock dryall or walboard taken from anymanufacturers mill run of either material coated even with something as thin as a layer of latex paint or latex enamel will perf at considerably different presures than the dry.

if you want to find out where the standards are check out the g.s.a. rating for destructiobility standards tests.then find a ttorney who has the nrains to think that bullpuckey can be a legitimate cause inaction.

'da ber

so ber

As a good ME, you should be able to re construct the scene of the crime, and do a quick experiment to put the question to bed...

As has been said, plain 1/2" drywall 16" on centers is pretty easy to punch through...

Look at ISO 7892

TABLE 2 ISO 7892 Section 4.3 - Hard Body/Impact Resistance Test (Single Impact @ 10 ft. Height-22 ft.-lb. force) The hard body impact test was conducted with a 1 kg ball bearing as outlined in Section 4.3.1 through 4.3.5 of ISO 7892.

There is also a soft body impact test as well.

You may find IZOD data which would be appropriate if there was a ring involved to create a "notch".

Good luck.

milo