Plywood webbed beams

Box and C-section beams built with timber flanges and plywood webs are stable, lightweight and cost effective, particularly as lintel beams, rafters or purlins. These fabricated beams are viable alternatives to large section timber, which is becoming difficult to obtain in suitable quality and length.

Plywood webbed lintel, strutting and combined strutting and hanging beams can be fabricated using a nailed only connection between the timber or LVL flanges and plywood webs. Span tables for nailed beams are included in the Plywood Association of Australia's "Plywood Webbed Structural Beams for Domestic Housing - Design Manual".

Lintel beams can be fabricated as part of the timber frame by connecting a normal framing sized timber head to the top plate with nailed plywood webs.

Reference: Plywood Association of Australia brochure: "Design Guide for Plywood Webbed Beams"

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Timber Research Unit
Department of Architecture
University of Tasmania