IMPROVING ON NATURE
Engineered Wood Products (EWP), includes a range of wood products which are manufactured by binding the strands, particles, fibers, or veneers of wood, together with adhesives, to form composite materials. These products are engineered to precise design specifications which are tested to meet national or international standards. Engineered wood products are used in a variety of applications, from home construction to commercial buildings to industrial products.
Plywood is sometimes called the original engineered wood product.
Oriented Strand Board (OSB) is a wood structural panel manufactured from rectangular-shaped strands of wood that are oriented lengthwise and then arranged in layers, laid up into mats, and bonded together with moisture-resistant, heat-cured adhesives. The individual layers are cross-oriented to provide strength and stiffness to the panel. Produced in huge, continuous mats, OSB is a solid panel product of consistent quality with no laps, gaps or voids.
Glued laminated timber (glulam) is composed of several layers of dimensional timber glued together with moisture-resistant adhesives, creating a large, strong, structural member that can be used as vertical columns or horizontal beams, as well as curved, arched shapes. Glulam is the only engineered wood product that can be produced in curved shapes, offering extensive design flexibility.
Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) is produced by bonding thin wood veneers together in a large billet. The grain of all veneers in the LVL billet is parallel to the long direction. The resulting product features enhanced mechanical properties and dimensional stability that offer a broader range in product width, depth and length than conventional lumber.
I-joists are “I”-shaped structural members designed for use in floor and roof construction. An I-joist consists of top and bottom flanges of various widths united with webs of various depths. I-joists are designed to carry heavy loads over long distances while using less lumber than a dimensional solid wood joist of a size necessary to do the same task. As of 2005, approximately half of all wood light framed floors were framed using I-joists.
Engineered wood products are used in a variety of ways, often in applications similar to solid wood products. Engineered wood products may be preferred over solid wood in some applications due to certain comparative advantages:
Because engineered wood is man-made, it can be designed to meet application-specific performance requirements.
- EWP are versatile and available in a wide variety of thicknesses, sizes, grades, and exposure durability classifications.
- EWP are designed and manufactured to maximize the natural strength and stiffness characteristics of wood. The products are very stable and some offer greater structural strength than typical wood building materials.
- EWP are easy to work with using ordinary tools and basic skills. They can be cut, drilled, routed, jointed, glued, and fastened.
- EWP provides the natural warmth and beauty of wood and many can be easily and beautifully finished with paints, stains, and varnishes.
- Engineered wood products make more efficient use of wood. They can be made from small pieces of wood, wood that has defects or underutilized species.
IKAIKA
“Ikaika,” Hawaiian for ‘strong,’ is a fitting name for HPM’s exclusive series of EWP products. Manufactured exclusively for HPM by one of the industry leading producers, Pacific Woodtech Corp, Ikaika has been Certified to meet or exceed all requirements fo the APA Engineered Wood Products Association. Contact us for assistance in engineering EWP for your project or to get access to EWP design software.
((mabe we can do links to download specific pages of the EWP product guide?))
Ikaika I-Joist
- Easy to Install – Because I-joists typically weigh less than half that of comparable conventional framing lumber, they can be installed quickly and efficiently. And, because they are available in long lengths, they can be installed over intermediate bearings without the necessity of costly splicing.
- Cost Effective - Since I-joists can typically be used at greater joist spacings compared to lumber, fewer pieces must be cut and handled on the job site, making installation less costly and less wasteful.
- Higher Customer Satisfaction – Because they are dry and dimensionally stable, I-joists will not warp, twist or shrink. Their dependable structural values, combined with straightness and uniformity, provide stiffer, more uniform floors with fewer squeaks.
- Stocked in seven series in depths of 9-1/2”, 11-7/8” and 14” but available in up to 24” deep, cut to custom lengths up to 48’.
- Surpasses the most stringent formaldehyde emission standards including JAS F««««, APA E-720 G5 and is exempt from CARB testing.
Ikaika LVL Headers & Beams – A stronger alternative than traditional sawn lumber, available in 1-3/4” and 3-1/2” widths.
Ikaika Rim Board – Available in 1-1/4” widths.
ROSEBORO BIG BEAM
– The strongest EWP beam on the market boasting 3000fb design properties is High Performance Certified by the APA.
