STRENGTH PROPERTIY OF CURVED LAMINATED VENEER LUMBER

Abstract

 Laminated veneer lumber (LVL) can be bent to a smaller radius of curvature than glued laminated timber (glulam) owing to its thin veneers. This property makes curved LVL suitable for various applications, including timber columns, beams, walls, and wooden bridges. To assess the strength properties of curved LVL, we conducted destructive experiments under end-thrust loading. The results revealed that the reduction in strength performance due to curvature averaged only 6.4% for specimens with a radius of curvature of 420 mm. Notably, the reduced strength of curved LVL was significantly less than that of curved glulam. Furthermore, there was no observed reduction in the modulus of elasticity of curved LVL with a decrease in the radius of curvature. To further understand the strength properties of this material, particularly in splitting failure, it is necessary to conduct destructive experiments under end-pull loading.