Design, Fabrication, Testing, and Installation of a Press-Lam Bridge.
Abstract
Parallel laminated veneer (PLV) products are manufactured by adhesive bonding of rotary-peeled veneer. It has been estimated that a production line PLV process could convert green logs into a finished structural laminate in less than an hour. Press-Lam, a PLV product under investigation at the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory, has exhibited decreases in variability of mechanical properties and increases in chemical preservative penetration and retention when compared to solid-sawn lumber. A prototype highway bridge constructed entirely of Press-Lam has been erected by the Virginia Department of Highways and Transportation. This bridge was field tested to its AASHTO HS-20 design load. Preliminary allowable stresses were determined by data obtained from destructive laboratory tests on 18 full-scale stringers and 6 sections of decking made from Douglas-fir Press-Lam. In the face of dwindling supplies of large structural timbers, PLV products are attractive alternatives for exposed structural applications. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1979
- Accession Number
- ADA080871
Entities
People
- D. S. Gromala
- J. A. Youngquist
- J. L. Tschernitz
- R. C. Moody
- R. W. Jokerst
Organizations
- Forest Products Laboratory