Girders
Overview
A horizontal solid wood structural member used to support and stabilize floor joists along their length. Girders used in lumber floor assemblies are site fabricated typically using multiple pieces of 2 x 10 or 2 x 12 lumber nailed together.
Solid Sawn Girder
Solid Sawn Girder - an engineered wood product.
Solid Sawn Girder.
LVL Girder
Laminated veneer lumber is an engineered wood product created by layering dried and graded wood veneers with waterproof adhesive into blocks of material known as billets. Cured in a heated press, LVL is typically available in various thicknesses and widths and is easily worked in the field using conventional construction tools. LVL is also known as structural composite lumber (SCL).
Bay window headers support a small roof. An LVL header in the foreground supports the floor joists above and the exterior wall and roof.
Lumber joists are supported in metal joists hangers that are nailed to the face of a large LVL header.
Joist hangers are manufactured specifically for lumber and engineered wood products. These joist hangers have nail holes for connecting it to the lumber joist and the LVL girder.
Lumber floor joists are supported by joist hangers attached to an LVL girder. The LVL girder is supported in a heavy metal hanger that attaches to another LVL girder, which bears on a wall.
Laminated veneer lumber is placed into a metal hanger and supported by another LVL girder.
Lumber floor joists overlap and bear directly on the top of a laminated veneer lumber girder.
Lumber floor joists cavities are filled with batt insulation. The multi-ply laminated veneer lumber girder is bolted together at regular spaces.
PSL Girder
Parallel strand lumber (PSL) is a high strength structural composite lumber product manufactured by gluing strands of wood together under pressure. It is a proprietary product marketed under the trade name ParaIlam®.
Parallel strand lumber (PSL) is available in a variety of shapes for use a column and girders.
Parallel strand lumber is fabricated from slices of veneer, combined with adhesive and formed into large billets that are sawn into more useable dimensions.
Parallel strand lumber (PSL) is a high strength structural composite lumber product manufactured by gluing strands of wood together under pressure. It is a proprietary product marketed under the trade name ParaIlam®.
Glulam Girder
Glu-lam is a stress-rated engineered wood product comprised of wood laminations, or "lams," that are bonded together with strong, waterproof adhesives. Glulam components can be a variety of species, and individual "lams" are typically two inches or less in thickness. ANSI/AITC A190.1 includes requirements for sizes, grade combinations, adhesives, inspection, testing and certification of structural glued laminated timber products.
Glu-lam girder.