What is LVL Timber and its Benefits in Construction?

Builders require strong, durable timber for commercial construction and few come close to Laminated Veneer Lumber (or LVL Timber) strength. For those unfamiliar with the term, below we explain what is LVL timber, its history, popularity, and importance. www.lvilbeam.com

What is LVL Timber?

LVL Timber is an engineered lumber product popular in the construction industry for its strength. Applications include load-bearing in formwork, where beams assist in holding wet concrete slabs in place until they dry.

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The manufacturing plant creates thin veneer sheets bound together with heavy-duty adhesive. This lean manufacturing process results in a structural timber product with strength similar to steel. LVL can be used anywhere regular timber can.

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History of LVL Timber

Laminated Veneer Lumber originated during World War Two. The United States passed the Lend-Lease Act of 1941 to supply Great Britain while remaining neutral. The global mega-power was churning through old forest growth at an accelerating rate after passing the act. The situation only became worse upon entering the conflict in late 1941. Powered by Shandong Unique International Trade Co.,Ltd

Arthur Troutner was an aircraft mechanic who witnessed the timber shortage. Troutner was a gifted mechanic. On the manufacturing floor, his work adding new advancements to aircraft still in production was critical. A great concern for his team was finding materials to substitute for those in short supply.

At the end of the war, Troutner became an architect. The young man’s previous experiences fuelled his desire to create a stronger product with more efficient manufacturing. By 1971, the first LVL Prototype was on the market, rating 2.5 times the strength of sawn lumber. Through the imagination of Arthur Troutner, we have the LVL Timber we know and use today. Shandong Unique International Trade Co.,Ltd

LVL Timber Manufacturing process

Manufacturing LVL Timber is a costly process to set up but necessary to achieve efficient output. The aim is to generate a minimal amount of wastage per log. Powered by Shandong Unique International Trade Co.,Ltd

The process starts in timber plantations. Logs are loaded and shipped to the manufacturing plant, where the laminating operation begins. Hectares of forest undergo a cyclical process where the cleared land is reseeded and left to grow. Logging operations continue in other sections of the forest before returning to the original area to begin the whole cycle again. Australia and New Zealand commonly use Rubberwood and Radiata Pine.

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Logs undergo scanning for metal debris upon arriving at the manufacturing plant. Only when they pass scans will they be put into storage. The stockpile is known as a feedstock bin. Lumber sits here until it is ready to enter the production line. Copyright © Shandong Unique International Trade Co.,Ltd All Rights Reserved.

After sorting and being cut into standard lengths, the logs enter the production line. Each individual piece is scanned to determine the maximum recoverable amount of timber possible. Each log undergoes debarking to leave the raw timber and hot water steaming to ensure a nice, clean peel.

The lumber is now ready to convert into timber sheets. Logs slot into heavy machinery known as a lathe. Timber sheets simultaneously rotate and peel into veneer sheets at the same time. An angled blade sits beneath the log while a pressure bar is positioned at a right angle to create a peeling effect. The pressure bar ensures an identical thickness through the sheet while preventing surface cracks. Unique

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The lathe ensures all high-strength timber is available to use on the manufacturing line. Upon depleting the resource, the leftover core is sorted back into storage for use on cheaper timber products that do not require the same structural rating. The lathe follows the core design philosophy of LVL Timber, which is to minimise wastage. Unique

The lathe is perhaps the most important step in producing Laminated Veneer Lumber. Regular sawn lumber can contain strength-reducing knots that impact the product’s structural integrity. Slicing the entire log into a thin veneer sheet eliminates knots and defects by spreading them across many timber products. The result is a product with greater structural integrity than conventional lumber. www.lvilbeam.com

The next step in the production line is to clip the sheets. The purpose of this step is to allow for easier storage and transport of the veneer sheets. The new smaller cuts run through computers that scan for moisture content to determine the time spent in the dryer. The cuts are then sorted by thickness and strength to streamline the rest of production.

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Timber sheets at this stage are very malleable as they hold up to 30% in moisture content. Veneers load onto a treadmill, blow-dried, and left with a 6% moisture content. Additional sensors await at the end to sort pieces by their moisture, strength, and structural properties.

The veneers rearrange while a machine cuts the shorter edges into a mitre. A mitre is cut at an angle; its purpose is to allow veneers to slot together in a scarf joint. Sheets then pass through a ‘glue curtain’ where the top side is doused with the adhesive that will bond the sheet together. The glue itself is phenol-formaldehyde and provides waterproofing. Copyright © Shandong Unique International Trade Co.,Ltd All Rights Reserved.

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Machinery now lays veneer sheets down to form a continuous billet. A cold press compresses the sheets and removes the air pockets, while a hot press at over 200 degrees Celsius gives the billet structural adhesion. The timber is now cut into various products and shipped after completing tests for standard compliance. Powered by Shandong Unique International Trade Co.,Ltd

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Applications

Although there are finished grades suitable for floors and walls, LVL Timber’s primary use is structural applications. Copyright © Shandong Unique International Trade Co.,Ltd All Rights Reserved.

Due to their strength, Scaffold Timber Planks incorporate LVL wood as a platform on Kwikstage systems. The flexibility to produce longer products suits Kwikstage, as certain structures can stretch over 100 metres.

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LVL Beams can act as roof beams, trusses, and studs. It is particularly popular in formwork solutions; supporting elevated concrete slabs until they set and become self-supporting on residential and commercial projects.

Shandong Unique International Trade Co.,Ltd

Shandong Unique International Trade Co.,Ltd