Laminated veneer lumber (LVL) Ultralam™

Laminated veneer timber (LVL timber) Ultralam™ is a high–strength composite structural material. It is an innovative product of deep wood processing, obtained by gluing sheets of unidirectional peeled veneer of coniferous species. LVL Ultralam™ timber is manufactured at the Terra plant located in Torzhok, Tver region.

LVL products were invented in the USA in the 1930s. This material was used to produce airplane propellers and other high-strength aircraft components during World War II. In the 1970s, the founders of Trust House International began using parallel glued veneer layers to form building I-beams, floor beams, and trusses.

Today, LVL timber is widely used in the countries of North America and Western Europe in the construction of large-span structures, frame house construction, etc. Experts value LVL timber for its structural and mounting properties, calling it a “supertree”.

LVL laminated timber production technology allows to reduce the negative impact of natural defects of wood, significantly increases the levels of its strength indicators. More information about Ultralam™ LVL timber production technology can be found from this video.

The shipment of LVL Ultralam™ timber is carried out from the finished product warehouse on the territory of the Terra plant, equipped with overhead cranes with a lifting capacity of 15 tons and forklifts.

Advantages

High strength. According to the inspection tests conducted by TSNIISK im. Kucherenko, the strength of LVL is 1.5-3 times higher than that of glued beams or conventional lumber.
Homogeneous structure. LVL timber is a completely homogeneous material with constant physical and mechanical characteristics along its entire length. The material does not deform under changing temperature and humidity conditions, does not crack, is not susceptible to rot, and has minimal natural shrinkage.
It can be produced with a length of 20.5 meters or more, which allows you to save both on the material itself, as well as on fasteners, delivery and installation speed.
Unlike metal and reinforced concrete, LVL timber is characterized by increased resistance to aggressive environments.
Higher fire resistance compared to conventional timber due to higher layering and lower porosity. The phenol-formaldehyde resin used in the production is neutral to oxidation and does not contribute to ignition.
No maintenance costs. When using metal, it is necessary to update the painting of structures every 3-4 years to prevent corrosion.
The opportunity to create large-span ceilings and get spacious rooms with a free layout, with a minimum of partitions and beams. It is impossible to perform such a task with the help of an array, because the beams will bend and vibrate.
Retains precise geometric dimensions regardless of seasonal factors, environmental changes and climatic conditions.

Types of LVL

LVL Ultralam™ timber is made from 9 or more veneer layers with a thickness of about 3 mm, which are laid in the longitudinal direction of the product and glued together parallel to the fibers of adjacent layers. Depending on the direction of the fibers and the grade of veneer layers, the following types of LVL Ultralam™ timber are distinguished:

Ultralam	Description	Application
RS / E15	All veneers are located parallel to grain, G1–G2 grades (primary G1)	Load-bearing structures
R / E14 / 2.0psi	All veneers are located parallel to grain, G1–G2 grades (primary G2)	Load-bearing structures
X	There are some crossplies, G2–G3 grades structures	Load-bearing structures
I / E13, E12	Both parallel and crossply veneers are possible, G3– G4 grades are possible, G3–G4 grades	Filler structures and parts for doors and furniture manufacturing

Parameters

Technical parameters LVL Ultralam™

Condition	Relative to the Grain	Rb	Rs	R	X	I
bending	edgewise along the grain	39	27	26,5	19,5	23,5
bending	flatwise along the grain	45	35,5	27,5	24	22,5
compression	edgewise along the grain	30	25,5	23,5	19,5	22
compression	across the grain	5	4,3	3,5	6,8	3,8
compression	perpendicular to the plane of veneer sheets	5	1,9	1,7	1,9	1,7
tension	edgewise along the grain	25	26,5	22,5	17,5	16,5
tension	across the grain	-	-	0,7	-	-
shear along the glue line	edgewise along the grain	2,6	2,6	2,6	2,6	2,6
shear along the glue line	across the grain	1,1	1,1	1,1	1,1	1,1

Note: when manufacturing special batches of Ultralam™ with the selection of high-quality veneer layers (reflected in the technological regulations), the calculated resistance values can be increased by 15-20%.

MOE Е, MPa. Strain along the grain

Rb	Rs	R	X	I
16 000	15 600	14 000	11 000	12 700

Product line

Ultralam™ R
Thickness, mm	27, 30, 33, 36, 39, 45, 51, 63, 75, 90
Width (height), mm	64, 89, 100, 120, 150, 160, 200, 220, 240, 250, 260, 300, 360, 400, 420, 450, 500, 600, 1250
Length, mm	От 2 500 до 20 500 с градацией 500 мм

Ultralam™ X и IX
Thickness, mm	27, 30, 33, 36, 39, 45, 51
Width (height), mm	64, 89, 100, 120, 150, 160, 200, 220, 240, 250, 260, 300, 360, 400, 420, 450, 500, 600, 1250
Length, mm	From 2 500 to 20 500 (gradation - 500 mm)

Ultralam™ I
Thickness, mm	27, 30, 33, 36, 39, 45, 51, 63, 75
Width (height), mm	64, 89, 100, 120, 150, 160, 200, 220, 240, 250, 260, 300, 360, 400, 420, 450, 500, 600, 1250
Length, mm	От 2 500 до 20 500 с градацией 500 мм

Ultralam™ practical use

Due to its advantages, high physical and technical characteristics and a unique manufacturing process that allows the production of beams with a standard length of 13.5 m or more, LVL timber applications cover a wide range of tasks:

Load-bearing structures (trusses, frames) of large-span buildings and structures: sports facilities, cultural, entertainment and commercial facilities, buildings for agricultural and industrial purposes.
Low-rise frame housing (individual houses, cottages, baths, greenhouses).
Transport infrastructure structures (bridges, piers, pontoons).
Manufacture of doors, furniture, stairs, facade glazing.
Elements of buildings and structures (rafter structures, ceilings, attics, domes, etc.).
Small architectural forms (verandas, canopies, patios, gazebos).

Certificates*

Declaration of
Performance
Japanese Emission
class certificate
JAS
certificate

Australian
certificate
Warranty
certificate
US
Certificate
Scaffold Plank
US Certificate
CE
Certificate
Declaration of Performance
Ultralam Rbirch
Declaration Of Performance (German)
Ultralam R, Rs, I
Declaration Of Performance (German)
Ultralam X
Certificate of Registration
of Preservative Treatment
ISO 9001

Ultralam™ 2.0E/2900 PSI receives approval in the U.S.

DrJ Engineering has certified Ultralam™ LVL 2.0E/2900psi for usage in structural applications in the United States. Recently, a full series of ASTM D5456 testing were performed using SBCA´s certified test facility, the SBC Research Institute (SBCRI). The third party QC inspections by PFS Corporation, have found the MLT LTD Taleon-Terra production to be consistently in compliance with ISO 9000 and ISO 17020 procedures.
The DrJ Engineering Evaluation Report TER 1203-02 can be found here.
Sealed Report for each State (except CA, NV, and HI) can be found here.

MLT LTD becomes the first Russian member of U.S. structural building components association

MLT LTD joins the U.S. Structural Building Components Association (SBCA) and becomes the first and only Russian company to do so. This move conicides with the company’s entry into the U.S. and marks the first introduction of its’ Ultralam(tm) 2.0E/2900psi LVL to the American market.

*all submitted certificates are current at the time of 01.04.2022, the status- active/suspended/passing a regular audit – is specified on a separate request, e-mail: sales@ultralam.com

LVL