The manufacture of laminated members
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Whilst this publication can still be purchased some of the information in it has been superseded by more recent research and standards. The BRE Group does not accept any responsibility whatsoever for any loss or damage, including - without limitation - indirect or consequential loss or damage arising from use, or loss of use, of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this document.
When timber is required in greater lengths and cross-sections than can be obtained economically from available logs, larger sizes have to be fabricated by gluing together smaller pieces of timber with their grain directions parallel to each other - a process known as laminating. Laminating permits the manufacture of curved members and allows strength-reducing defects such as knots to be dispersed throughout the cross-section of them, thus in effect upgrading poor quality material. A further advantage is that a member to be used in an indoor environment can be made from laminations which have been kiln-dried before gluing and therefore may be designed using the higher working stresses appropriate to the lower moisture content.
Originally published June 1966; revised August 1968 and April 1971, reprinted 1974.