Laminated veneer lumber
Encyclopedia
Laminated veneer lumber (LVL) is an engineered wood
product that uses multiple layers of thin wood
assembled with adhesive
s. It offers several advantages over typical milled lumber
: it is stronger, straighter, and more uniform. It is much less likely than conventional lumber to warp, twist, bow, or shrink due to its composite nature. Made in a factory under controlled specifications, LVL products allow users to reduce the onsite labor. They are typically used for headers, beams, rimboard, and edge-forming material.
It is similar in appearance to plywood
without crossbands, and is typically rated by the manufacturer for elastic modulus and allowable bending stress. Common elastic moduli are 1800000 psi (12,410.6 MPa); 1900000 psi (13,100 MPa); and 2000000 psi (13,789.5 MPa); and common allowable bending stress values are 2800 psi (19.3 MPa); and 3000 psi (20.7 MPa).
A comparable material is parallel strand lumber (PSL), which is used in the same applications. Rather than being manufactured from full, parallel veneers, Parallel Strand uses veneers with more defects in a more random-looking pattern. Laminated strand lumber
(LSL) is another similar type that uses smaller veneers, and so is similar to oriented strand board
(OSB) in appearance. Laminated Veneer, Parallel Strand, and Laminated Strand all belong to the general category of Structural Composite Lumber
.
Engineered wood
Engineered wood, also called composite wood, man-made wood, or manufactured board; includes a range of derivative wood products which are manufactured by binding the strands, particles, fibers, or veneers of wood, together with adhesives, to form composite materials...
product that uses multiple layers of thin wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
assembled with adhesive
Adhesive
An adhesive, or glue, is a mixture in a liquid or semi-liquid state that adheres or bonds items together. Adhesives may come from either natural or synthetic sources. The types of materials that can be bonded are vast but they are especially useful for bonding thin materials...
s. It offers several advantages over typical milled lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
: it is stronger, straighter, and more uniform. It is much less likely than conventional lumber to warp, twist, bow, or shrink due to its composite nature. Made in a factory under controlled specifications, LVL products allow users to reduce the onsite labor. They are typically used for headers, beams, rimboard, and edge-forming material.
It is similar in appearance to plywood
Plywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
without crossbands, and is typically rated by the manufacturer for elastic modulus and allowable bending stress. Common elastic moduli are 1800000 psi (12,410.6 MPa); 1900000 psi (13,100 MPa); and 2000000 psi (13,789.5 MPa); and common allowable bending stress values are 2800 psi (19.3 MPa); and 3000 psi (20.7 MPa).
A comparable material is parallel strand lumber (PSL), which is used in the same applications. Rather than being manufactured from full, parallel veneers, Parallel Strand uses veneers with more defects in a more random-looking pattern. Laminated strand lumber
Oriented strand board
Oriented strand board, also known as OSB and SmartPly , is an engineered wood product formed by layering strands of wood in specific orientations. In appearance, it may have a rough and variegated surface with the individual strips Oriented strand board, also known as OSB (UK) and SmartPly (UK &...
(LSL) is another similar type that uses smaller veneers, and so is similar to oriented strand board
Oriented strand board
Oriented strand board, also known as OSB and SmartPly , is an engineered wood product formed by layering strands of wood in specific orientations. In appearance, it may have a rough and variegated surface with the individual strips Oriented strand board, also known as OSB (UK) and SmartPly (UK &...
(OSB) in appearance. Laminated Veneer, Parallel Strand, and Laminated Strand all belong to the general category of Structural Composite Lumber
Glued laminated timber
Glued laminated timber, also called Glulam, is a type of structural timber product composed of several layers of dimensioned timber bonded together with durable, moisture-resistant adhesives. This material is called 'laminating stock' or lamstock for short.By laminating several smaller pieces of...
.