QUALITY OF LAMINATED VENEER LUMBER (LVL) PRODUCED FROM TWO HARDWOODS AS AFFECTED BY VENEER THICKNESS AND NUMBER OF PLIES

Abstract

This work was initiated to study the quality of laminated veneer lumber

,.Jf• (LVL) produced from veneer of two hardwoods, namely, casuarina (Casuarina glauca) and poplar (Populus sp.) and their mixture, as affected by number of plies, veneer thickness and combination of different veneer thickness.

Veneer of three thickness 1,2 and 3 mm were prepared from each species. These veneer were used for producing LVL panels from one thickness, from mixture of two thickness (1 and 2 mm or 1 and 3 mm) and from the three thickness together. Commercial urea-formaldehyde (U.F) was used as adhesive by applying hot pressure of 12 kg/cm2 at 1 00°C for 20 minutes.

Three combinations were made from veneer of homogenous thickness (1 or 2 or 3 mm veneer thickness). Three arrangements were made from mixing I and 2 mm and four arrangements from mixing 1 and 3 mm. Meanwhile, four arrangements were made from mixing 1,2 and 3 mm and one arrangement from mixing 2 and 3 mm veneer.

For this study, five panels were produced for each arrangement from each species and from their mixtures. The nominal dimensions of produced panels were 18 mm in thick by 300 mm for both width and length.