Comparative study on physical and mechanical properties of laminated veneer lumber and plywood panels made of wood from fast-growing Gmelina arborea trees

Laminated products, such as laminated veneer lumber (LVL) or plywood (PW), have become important recently. The objective of this study was to determine and compare properties of panels fabricated with veneers of Gmelina arborea trees in a fast-growth plantation and glued with phenol formaldehyde resin. The results showed that LVL and PW physical and mechanical properties are comparable to those of solid wood with a specify gravity of 0. 60. Moreover, these panels can be cataloged into group 2 of PS 1-95 of the Voluntary Products Standard of the United States. The difference in physical properties was not statistically significant between LVL and PW panels, except for water absorption. Some mechanical properties, such as hardness and glue-line shear, modulus of rupture in perpendicular flexure, nail and screw withdrawal parallel, and perpendicular strength, were statistically different between LVL and PW. However, no differences were established for the modulus of elasticity, tensile strength parallel to the surface, or tensile strength perpendicular to the surface. The differences were attributed to the venners' orientation in the panels studied.