Structural Composite Lumber: Laminated Veneer Lumber
Laminated veneer lumber (LVL) is produced from veneer and intended for structural framing, where high strength and stiffness are required. Softwoods, such as Douglas-fir and southern pines, are typically used. Some hardwoods are also acceptable. As it is a structural product, only high-quality veneer with high strength and stiffness is acceptable. Unlike plywood, all of the veneer in an LVL billet is aligned in one direction to maximize strength and stiffness in that direction. An advantage of LVL over solid sawn lumber is the dispersion of defects, such as knots and pitch pockets, which greatly reduces the variability of the product. LVL is also more dimensionally stable than solid sawn lumber and it may be produced in large dimensions from small logs.
LVL is used for structural beams and headers in building construction, as well as scaffold planks. Most of today’s production is used as flange stock in wood composite I-beams . Some LVL is produced specifically for furniture and architectural woodwork, for which some hardwood species are used. LVL is produced in dimensions ranging from 38 to 90 mm thick, up to 1.2 m wide, and 24 m long. The billets are sawn into standard sizes that are compatible with dimension lumber.
