ASD/LRFD Manual - American Wood Council

54 M8: STRUCTURAL COMPOSITE LUMBER
M8.1 General
Product Information
Structural composite lumber (SCL) products are well
known throughout the construction industry. The advantages
of SCL include environmental benefits from better
wood fiber utilization along with higher strength, stiffness,
and consistency from fiber orientation and manufacturing
process control.
SCL is manufactured from strips or full sheets of
veneer. The process typically includes alignment of stress
graded fiber, application of adhesive, and pressing the
material together under heat and pressure. By redistributing
natural defects and through state of the art quality
control procedures, the resulting material is extremely
consistent and maximizes the strength and stiffness of
the wood fiber.
The material is typically produced in a long length
continuous or fixed press in a billet form. This is then
resawn into required dimensions for use. Material is currently
available in a variety of depths from 4-3/8" to 24"
and thicknesses from 3/4" to 7".
SCL is available in a wide range of sizes and grades.
When specifying SCL products, a customer may specify
on the basis of size, stress (strength), or appearance.
SCL products are proprietary and are covered by
code acceptance reports by one or all of the model building
codes. Such reports should be consulted for current
design information while manufacturer’s literature can
be consulted for design information, sizing tables, and
installation recommendations.
Common Uses
SCL is widely used as a framing material for housing.
SCL is made in different grades and with various processes
and can be utilized in numerous applications. Proper design
is required to optimize performance and economics.
In addition to use in housing, SCL finds increasing
use in commercial and industrial construction. Its high
strength, stiffness, universal availability, and cost saving
attributes make it a viable alternative in most low-rise
construction projects.
SCL is used as beams, headers, joists, rafters, studs,
and plates in conventional construction. In addition, SCL is
used to fabricate structural glued laminated beams, trusses,
and prefabricated wood I-joists.
Availability
SCL is regarded as a premium construction material
and is widely available. To efficiently specify SCL for
individual projects, the customer should be aware of the
species and strength availability. Sizes vary with each
individual product. The best source of this information
is your local lumber supplier, distribution center, or SCL
manufacturer. Proper design is facilitated through the use
of manufacturer’s literature, code reports, and software
available from SCL manufacturers.
American Wood Council