LVL Questions

now I got to go find the books to try to remember which way the loads, etc... went as regards to stiffness & strength --- one was 2x & the other 4x (of course this was also when the 2 2x's basically equaled a 4x in width
Shoot anyone got a shop teachers number handy?

For the sake of argument, we'll agree that (2) 2x6 dimensionally equal (one) 4x6

Lamenating beams/ledgers for decking, the BI allowed/advised me 80% load of if it was solid...... I had nailed (and clinched) and PL'd it.

He was not an engineer, but he was a good and conscientious BI....

I screwed two LVLs making a bunch of beams for a roof cantilever not too long ago. Go to Weyerhaeuser.com and find the fastener specs for joining LVLs, you'll find different specs depending on what kind of load is applied, you'll have either a side load or overhead load. If you call Weyerhaeuser you can talk to their engineers and they can help you as far as what kind of fastener to use and how many. But they can't help you with the design, you need permits for that, or hire your own engineer.

Another thing to point out, gluing them doesn't make any difference in the strength, so I've been told by the Weyerhaeuser engineers.

Wonder if that's an LVL issuepecularity....... Just a habit, but in solid sawn and a ply spacer, I've always glued...... maybe I've been wasteing LN/PL.

Probably not, because you are maxing out the strength with your fasteners. I think the theory is if you ever apply enough force to where the fasteners fail, then the glue will be useless, because at that point you'll have already far exceeded what the glue can handle. And your glue isn't giving your fasteners any more sheer strength than they already have.