INDUSTRY Trends Laminated Veneer Bamboo
Bamboo stalks engineered wood markets T
of Lamboo Inc., Springfield, Il., laminated veneer bamboo (LVB) can now be specified as a fiber material in engineered wood products covered by ASTM International standards. “Now, architects and engineers will be able to specify possibly the most ecologically friendly material to ever be integrated into the most respected international standard,” says president Luke Schuette, who has more than 32 years experience in the research and development of engineered wood products. “It has taken over three years of effort and multiple ballots to develop the necessary revisions to permit the evaluation of a bamboo species used in structural composite lumber (SCL) manufacture,” says Bruce Craig, product development director at Lamboo. “These revisions will permit an LVB product to be used as an alternative to other structural wood products.” LVB is a composite of bamboo strand elements, edge-bonded to form veneer sheets that are then face-bonded to form finished products. Schuette says that the product’s inclusion in ASTM International standards represents the first bio-based structural material addition in about 30 years. As he notes, “sustainability is becoming more and more of a focus in construction.” Lamboo’s partnership with The Forest Trust ensures that its raw material is sourced from sustainably managed plantations in Vietnam, China, Africa, Central and South America. The fiber is then processed in nearby manufacturing facilities and shipped HANKS TO THE EFFORTS
LAMBOO’S STRUCTURE brand products fabricated by Walsh Industries, Portland, Or., bring beauty, strength, and durability to a commercial project. All photos courtesy Lamboo Inc.
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The Merchant Magazine December 2012
Building-Products.com