In Russia, LVL timber appeared relatively recently, in contrast to the USA and Western Europe, where it has been actively used in construction for more than a decade. This structural material, consisting of veneer glued using a special technology, is not inferior in its practical and wear-resistant qualities, but in some ways surpasses analogs from solid wood.
Material application
The name of the material - LVL (LVL) - literally stands for “glued veneer lumber”. The source material is the coniferous wood massif: larch or pine.
The scope of the LVL bar is quite wide:
- construction of houses, summer cottages, household and technical buildings: storage facilities, sheds, garages;
- the construction of hangars, commercial, sports, other low-rise buildings;
- manufacture of furniture, window frames, stairs, doors, foundations for floors, interior partitions.
Glued beams are successfully used as elements of rafters and ceilings in building frames. Its advantages are: relatively light weight, ease of processing, homogeneous structure, long-lasting shape retention, resistance to moisture, high and low temperatures, rotting, a wide range that allows you to implement the most demanding architectural solutions.
Features and Benefits
A beam of this kind does not emit condensate, does not dry out, is able to withstand loads that are excessive for structures of solid beech, birch or pine. In terms of strength and impact on horizontal loads, glued material beats wood twice. And its elasticity index is on average higher than that of simple lumber by 30%. The necessary rigidity is provided by the veneer fastening feature: the fiber layers in it are arranged in parallel. In certain types intended for enclosing and roofing structures, adjacent layers are fixed with the perpendicular direction of the fibers.
Frame structures from this material are erected much faster than from a metal profile. Due to the lightness, the beam and the LVL beam have proven themselves during the construction in seismically hazardous areas.
Excellent performance, durability and beautiful appearance of the material can significantly save time and energy on preventive care and restoration of structures made of LVL timber.
The disadvantages of the material include low vapor permeability. Another disadvantage is the presence of toxic formaldehyde compounds in the adhesive base, which can be released into the surrounding air.
Production
The manufacturing process of LVL-timber is quite energy-intensive, costly, requires the use of sophisticated technological equipment:
- Raw materials coming to the plants are cleaned of bark and immersed in special pools for 1-2 days. Saturation with moisture facilitates further sawing and peeling of wood.
- After the primary and hydrothermal treatment of the logs is done, they are sawn and peeled, receiving veneer. The thickness of the sheets should be no more than 3 mm. From rejected specimens subsequently produce low quality material suitable for the construction of fences.
- Then the lumber is cut to the required size and dried. The finished veneer should contain about 5% moisture.
- After sorting, the selected sheets are glued and pressed into a single sheet from 9 to 24 pieces. The resulting conglomerate is cut in accordance with the required dimensions: in the form of plates, beams or beams.
- The finished product is checked for compliance with all parameters, packaged and labeled.
At the cut, the material resembles in structure a dense layer cake due to alternating thin strips of veneer and glue.
Manufacturers
In Europe and Russia there are not many enterprises producing LVL-timber. This is due to the complexity of production technologies, as well as low consumer awareness of the advantages of this material. Russian developers are just beginning to master it.
The cost of production is calculated taking into account the species and varieties of wood used, density, the number of layers of veneer. The price of 1 m³ of material is 25,000–36,000 rubles.
The table lists the largest manufacturers of LVL timber
Firm | Trademark | Location |
LVL-Ugra | UGRA (Ugra) | Tyumen, Russia |
Taleon terra | ULTRALAM (Ultralam) | Tver, Russia |
Finnforest | Kerto (Kerto) | Finland |
The range of Russian manufacturers includes the types of timber used for the construction of load-bearing, enclosing structures, floor slabs, roofing panels, floor elements. Domestic material managed to prove itself from the best side and showed that it is in no way inferior to foreign counterparts.