What is versa Lam LVL beam?
Versa Lam LVL Beam 1.75-in x 1.75-in x 20-ft 1 Eliminates twisting, shrinking and splitting, and delivers flatter, quieter floors and structures 2 Because they have no camber and strength is consistent throughout, versa-lam® LVL products have no top or bottom side 3 Dimensional stability reduces inspection time and rejects
Why versa-Lam ® LVL?
VERSA-LAM ® laminated veneer lumber (LVL) beams and headers eliminate twisting, shrinking and splitting, and deliver flatter, quieter floors and structures. Our VERSA-LAM ® LVL is manufactured in either Alexandria (Lena), Louisiana in Eastern United States, or in White City, Oregon for the Western United States.
Can the versa Lam column be used with a concrete floor?
The Versa Lam Column is an untreated wood product and should not be in contact with a concrete floor. Concrete is porous and moisture will degrade the wood over time unless it is pressure treated. A steel lally column or steel post is what should be used for direct contact with concrete to support the steel I-Beam.
How many sizes does versa-Lam® come in?
Sized to match our BCI® and AJS® Joists and other elements of the SIMPLE FRAMING SYSTEM®, VERSA-LAM® offers quick assembly and is precision cut into more than 18 standard sizes. Because they have no camber and strength is consistent throughout, VERSA-LAM® LVL products have no top or bottom side.
Can versa lam beams be used outdoors?
Painting the members and leaving them exposed to weather is not allowed. Wrapping the members in a waterproof material that allows moisture to build up on the members either through leakage or condensation is not allowed.
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 difference between a Microlam and LVL?
Microllam is a brand name for Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) Beams manufactured by Weyerhaeuser. LVL beams are one of several different types of engineered lumber products on the market today.
Is PSL stronger than LVL?
Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) Its shear strength is superior to LSL but doesn't quite match PSL's ability to withstand bending stress.
What are the disadvantages of LVL?
Disadvantage of LVL Due to its production from many layers of the veneer, the LVL can have some defects such as warping, delamination, so it requires high production technology and good workmanship to have a stable quality LVL.
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 does a Microlam beam look like?
A microlam beam usually looks a lot like plywood. It generally has a smooth face with identifiable straight layers running in parallel. These layers are usually seen on two sides of the beam, although they can be hidden. Microlam beams come in a variety of sizes for different purposes.
Which is stronger LVL or glulam?
The laminated beam is stronger but more expensive and used when bigger cross-sections are required. Generally made from hardwood, rather than the lvl softwood.
How much does a lam beam cost?
The average cost of an engineered beam is $3 to $34 per foot, depending on the size and type of composite structural lumber....Engineered Beam Cost.TypeCost Per Linear FootLVL$3 – $12Glulam$6 – $34
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.
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 is the strongest engineered wood beam?
Power Beam® is the strongest engineered wood product (EWP) on the market with design values of 3000Fb - 2.1E - 300Fv. Power Beam® is manufactured with superior strength southern yellow pine MSR Lumber.
What is stronger LVL or I-joist?
The LVL keeps the I-joists in place and gives additional support for the floor. Like the I-joists, the LVL will not bow, crown, or split. The composition of the wood is much stronger than traditional lumber, and therefore can be relied on more.
Is laminated wood stronger than solid wood?
The solid wood beam carried the least weight at 3.54kg which was 48% less than that carried by the 8-layer laminate. My conclusion is that a laminate wood beam is stronger than a solid one and that increasing the number of layers in a laminate made it stronger.
How strong is an LVL?
Although, you may be wondering how far an LVL beam can span. Due to its strength, the LVL beam can span up to 60 feet and is much stronger than conventional lumber. Generally, you can find laminated beams in 4-foot increments starting at 24 feet and going up to 44 feet long, with special orders up to 60 feet.
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.
ENGINEERED WOOD PRODUCTS (EWP) LVL SPAN AND SIZE CHARTS
VERSA-LAM ® laminated veneer lumber (LVL) beams and headers eliminate twisting, shrinking and splitting, and deliver flatter, quieter floors and structures. Our VERSA-LAM ® LVL is manufactured in either Alexandria (Lena), Louisiana in Eastern United States, or in White City, Oregon for the Western United States.
US East
To download our VERSA-LAM ® span and size chart PDFs, click on the links below.
US West
To download our VERSA-LAM ® span and size chart PDFs, click on the links below.
BC Calc
BC Calc ® performs engineering analysis to help our customers size beams, joists, columns, studs and tall walls for their building projects. It is simple to use, yet flexible enough to analyze a variety of common applications. The user enters the member geometry, adds loads, holes and other relevant data and then selects a product for analysis.
Product Overview
These days, the trend is toward large open rooms in homes, with a reduced number of columns. Therefore, the remaining columns must bear greater loads and traditional wood is often inadequate. An attractive alternative to steel columns is to use Versa-Lam engineered wood columns.
Info & Guides
You will need Adobe® Acrobat® Reader to view PDF documents. Download a free copy from the Adobe Web site.
What is LVL cladding?
LVL is another common timber wall cladding option for modern buildings. Also known as microlam, LVL makes from peeled or sliced thin veneers laid in a parallel arrangement and bonded together under heat and pressure. The standard sizes of LVL include widths of 3 ½, 5 ¼, and 7 inches, and depths from 9 ½ to 24 inches deep.
Why use LVL beams?
The biggest reason why builders so commonly use LVL is that it’s cheap. A unique advantage of this beam type is that you can fabricate it to match narrower beam widths. Not only this, you can also get a larger beam made by simply nail-laminating several plies together.
Where is glulam used?
Glulam is most commonly uses in the construction of large buildings, including universities, airports, hotels, and museums. On the other hand, you’ll only find LVL buried in the walls, usually over windows and doors.
Can LVL be laid flat?
If proper care does not take, damage to the edges and exposed corners is inevitable. When on-site, LVL beams should be laid flat off the ground. It’s important to note that they should be dry before they install.
What is LVL in building?
Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) LVL is the typical timber wall bonding option for most modern buildings . Commonly referred to as Microlam, LVL is made of thinly sliced veneers laid in a parallel fashion and bonded together through heat and significant pressure.
What is glulam used for?
Consisting of several layers of wood lumber, bonded together with high strength adhesives, Glulam is a revolutionary, versatile laminated beam used in all kinds of construction, whether it be residential or commercial. A unit looks like a stack of large lumber strongly bonded by glue.
What is laminated strand lumber?
Laminated Strand Lumber (LSL) LSL is manufactured from flaked wood strands that can resemble an oriented strand board (OSB), the strands are arranged in a parallel fashion to the longitudinal axis of the member.
Is LVL beam cheap?
The biggest appeal among builders for using LVL is its cost, it’s very cheap. A particular advantage to this beam type is you can custom fabricate it to match narrower beams. In addition, you can create a larger beam merely by nailing several plies together.
Is LSL or PSL stronger?
LSL is often the least expensive option when compared to other manufactured wood beams. Because of its shear strength, LSL beams have a larger capacity for penetrations than that of other engineered wood beams. The LSL is not quite as strong as LVL or PSL beams but is generally cheaper and better for shorter periods.