The depth of the beam along with its width, combined with common construction variables such as building width, loads, number of stories, joist spacing, etc., determine its span. Formwork LVL beams can be cut to length and notched or drilled at the building site, and double, triple, or quadruple ply is used for strength, the same as dimensional lumber, making it a versatile choice. The length often depends on the manufacturer, with 80’ being available but 60’ or less are more common due to transportation restraints. Most building suppliers will carry 8’, 12’, and 16’ lengths and order in longer lengths as required. Plus, special orders between up to 60’ or 80’ are available – depending on the manufacturer. The lengths commonly range from 4’ to 48’, usually available in 4’ increments. Laminated veneer lumber typically comes in 1-3/4”, 3-1/2”, 5-1/4”, and 7” widths or thicknesses, and depths of 5-1/2” to 24”, including standard and nonstandard depths. The distance an LVL beam can span depends on its width and depth. How Far Can an LVL Beam Span Without Support? In finished appearance, LVL resembles plywood or lumber on the wide face. However, when it is desired to use LVL in applications where appearance is important, common wood finishing techniques can be used to accent grain and to protect the wood surface. Finished or architectural grade appearance is available from some manufacturers, usually at an additional cost. LVL is mainly used as a structural element, most often in concealed spaces where appearance is not important. Manufacturer’s catalogues and evaluation reports are the primary sources of information for design, typical installation details and performance characteristics. LVL is a wood-based product with similar fire performance to a comparably sized solid sawn lumber or glued-laminated beam. Timber beam LVL can easily be cut to length at the jobsite.Īll special cutting, notching or drilling should be done in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendations. LVL is available in lengths up to 24.4 m (80 ft), while more common lengths are 14.6 m (48 ft), 17 m (56 ft), 18.3 m (60 ft) and 20.1 m (66 ft). Other widths and depths might also be available from specific manufacturers. LVL can also be manufactured in thicknesses from 19 mm (3/4 in) to 178 mm (7 in). The most common thickness of LVL is 45 mm (1-3/4 in), from which wider beams can be easily constructed by fastening multiple LVL plies together on site. LVL is a solid, highly predictable, uniform lumber product due to the fact that natural defects such as knots, slope of grain and splits have been dispersed throughout the material or have been removed altogether during the manufacturing process.

This type of lamination is called parallel-lamination and produces a material with greater uniformity and predictability than engineered wood products fabricated using cross-lamination, such as plywood. The grain of each layer of veneer runs in the same (long) direction with the result that LVL is able to be loaded on its short edge (strong axis) as a beam or on its wide face (weak axis) as a plank. The LVL billet is then sawn to desired dimensions depending on the end use application. LVL slat is made of dried and graded wood veneer which is coated with a waterproof phenol-formaldehyde resin adhesive, assembled in an arranged pattern, and formed into billets by curing in a heated press. LVL can also been used in roadway sign posts and as truck bed decking. Common applications of LVL in construction include headers and LVL beams, hip and valley rafters, scaffold planking, and the flange material for prefabricated wood I-joists. LVL is used primarily as structural framing for residential and commercial construction. LVL is commonly fabricated using wood species such as Douglas fir, Larch, Southern yellow pine and Poplar.

The manufacturing process of LVL enables large members to be made from relatively small trees, providing efficient utilization of forest resources. LVL is the most widely used structural composite lumber (SCL) product and provides attributes such as high strength, high stiffness and dimensional stability. First used during World War II to make airplane propellers, laminated veneer lumber (LVL) has been available as a construction product since the mid-1970s.

56 lvl ridge beam span table