
Laminated veneer lumber
Laminated veneer lumber (LVL) is an engineered wood product that uses multiple layers of thin wood assembled with adhesives. It is typically used for headers, beams, rimboard, and edge-forming material. LVL offers several advantages over typical milled lumber: Made in a factory und…
What does LVL stand for?
The Latvian lats ( LVL) joined the Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM II) on 2 May 2005, and Latvia unilaterally maintains a 1% fluctuation band around the central rate - which is 0.702804 to the euro. EURO CHANGEOVER: AGREEMENT WITH LATVIA More results Acronyms browser ? LVIFT LVIG LViHD LVIL LVIM LVIMA LVIO LVIP LVIR LVIRK LVIRT LVIS LVISD LVIT
Is LVL stronger than wood?
LVL has a “maximum allowable bending stress” of 2,800 or 3,000 psi. And according to this source, most wood has a maximum bending stress of about half that. So, yes. LVL beams will bear more weight than the same size wood beam. But that isn’t the most important thing in building construction. Other important factors are
What is the difference between LVL and PSL?
- LVL typically has a bending strength of 2800psi. However, the bending stress of LVL composed of entirely high-grade veneers is 4250psi.
- Very common elasticity module is 2,000,000psi.
- It has a perpendicular compression of 500 psi.
- The horizontal shear strength of this structural lumber beam is 285psi.
How to use microllam or LVL for home remodeling?
Microllam® LVL beams work well in applications all over the house. They can easily be built-up on site to reduce heavy lifting. No matter where they’re used, they install quickly with little or no waste. MICROLLAM® LVL BEAM BENEFITS: Uniform and predictable; Resists warping, splitting and shrinking while supporting heavy loads; Dimensionally stable

What is an LVL beam What is it used for?
LVL beams are typically used where long spans or extra strength are desired of beams, such as over garage doors, ridge and hip beams for suspended roof designs (cathedral ceilings below), and for window and door headers.
What are some of the benefits of LVL?
Benefits of LVLThe Strength of Steel. ... Consistency Means No Surprises. ... Lightweight for Safer, Easier Handing. ... Better Cost Control. ... Longer Lengths for Bigger Spans. ... Sustainably-Managed Timber is One of the Most Environmentally Friendly Materials Available.
Is LVL stronger than wood?
Laminated veneer lumber (LVL) studs can be two times stronger in compression and tension than standard framing lumber of the same dimension.
What is the primary use for LVL?
LVL is used primarily as structural framing for residential and commercial construction. Common applications of LVL in construction include headers and beams, hip and valley rafters, scaffold planking, and the flange material for prefabricated wood I-joists.
What is the difference between LVL and plywood?
In general, LVL production is similar to that of structural plywood; however, the main difference between the two products is the grain orientation of each veneer.
How much does an LVL cost?
LVL beams cost on average $3 to $12 per linear foot for the material or $50 to $200 per foot installed. LVL beams are more cost-effective and durable than regular wood beams. LVL beams are fire-resistant, shrink-proof, and easy to install, especially in long spans.
How far can an LVL span without support?
Some manufacturers limit their beams to 60' due to transportation issues, while others have the capability to manufacture beams up to 80' long. So, the longest unsupported span possible using LVL would be 80-feet. Typically, though, it is common for a continuous LVL span to be between 20' and 30'.
What can I use instead of LVL?
Long, straight, stable and cost efficient – the GLT alternative to LVL. With excellent nail holding capability, LGL is a breeze to work with. H3 treated as standard for protection outdoors, it can be used in conjunction with other termite and fungal resistant materials to provide total peace of mind.
Do LVL beams sag?
Your wood/LVL will sag much more. What you are describing is ultra typical when there is a point load above and they used LVL. I don't know why cities keep allowing the use of LVL for anything more than 10 feet. It will look great and then year 2-3 it starts sagging... year 4-5 you get cracks and notice it...
What size LVL Do I need to span 12 feet?
What size LVL header for 12 foot span:- as per general thumb rule, for a 12 foot span, size of LVL header or GLULAM should be 10 to 12 inches deep and 3.5 inches wide, thus you need something like 2- 1.75″×14″ GLULAM or LVL header to span upto 12 feet.
What size LVL Do I need to span 16 feet?
For span upto 16 feet, generally you need 3 × 7 1/4 standard size of LVL beam or 2×10 dimensional lumber at 16″ apart from centre on normal weight condition which providing great stability for your projects.
What size LVL Do I need to span 24 feet?
LVL beam size for a 24 foot span:- as per general thumb rule, for a 24 foot span, size of LVL beam or GLULAM should be 12-14 inches deep and 4 inches wide, thus you need something like a 12-14″ GLULAM or LVL to span upto 24 feet used for residential building or projects.
Overview
Laminated veneer lumber (LVL) is an engineered wood product that uses multiple layers of thin wood assembled with adhesives. It is typically used for headers, beams, rimboard, and edge-forming material. LVL offers several advantages over typical milled lumber: Made in a factory under controlled specifications, it is stronger, straighter, and more uniform. Due to its composite nature, it is much …
History
Structural composite lumber products, including LVL, are a relatively recent innovation. They are the result of new technology and economic pressure to make use of new species and smaller trees that cannot be used to make solid sawn lumber. While plywood became widespread by the early 20th century, the invention of LVL was not until the 1980s after the invention of oriented strand board. The American Wood Council's National Design Specification for Wood Constructio…
Qualities
Laminated veneer lumber is similar in appearance to plywood, although in plywood the veneers switch direction while stacking and in LVL the veneers all stack in the same direction. In LVL, the direction of the wood grain is always parallel to the length of the billet. The stacking of these veneers into a complete board, called a billet, creates a single piece of LVL sharing a common direction of wood grain. LVL is typically rated by the manufacturer for elastic modulus and allow…
Manufacturing
LVL is commonly manufactured in North America by companies that also manufacture I-joists. LVL is manufactured to sizes compatible with the depth of I-joist framing members for use as beams and headers. Additionally, some manufacturers further cut LVL into sizes for use as chord-members on I-joists. In 2012, North American LVL manufacturers produced more than 1.2 million cubic metres (43.4 million cubic feet) of LVL in 18 different facilities, and in 2013 the productio…
Use
Because it is specifically sized to be compatible with I-joist floor framing, residential builders and building designers like the combination of I-joist and LVL floor and roof assemblies. LVL is considered to be a highly reliable building material that provides many of the same attributes associated with large sized timbers. LVL can also be used in combination with gluelam as an outer gluelam tension lam to increase the strength of the gluelam beam. However, due to the fa…
Structural composite lumber
LVL belongs to the category of engineered wood called structural composite lumber. Other members of this category are parallel strand lumber (PSL) and laminated strand lumber (LSL). All members of this category are strong and predictable, and are thus interchangeable for some applications. PSL is made from veneers that are cut up into long strands and oriented parallel to its length before being compressed into its final shape. LSL is also made from strands rather th…
See also
• Cross-laminated timber
• Homasote
• Papercrete
• Parallel strand lumber
External links
• "Deck Collapse Conclusions"