Making EWP more affordable

tem a more solid feel and making it less subject to the vibrations experienced with some narrow flange joist systems. Making the flanges less deep uses less wood fiber. driving costs out of the manufacturing process and allowing producers to price the products lower.

The trend began about two years ago with the introduction of GeorgiaPacific's GPI 40 and GPI 60 wide Wood I Beam joists and Boise Cascade's Advantage series.

G-P's joists feature 2-112"-wide LVL flanges, designed as an alternative to ordinary dimension lumber floor joists and narrow flange I-joists. The 2-1/2" wide flanges are up to 66Vo wider than narrower flanges offered in competing product lines, and are designed to provide excellent stability and consistent performance.

"Our primary goal is to maintain the level of quality and performance our customers have come to expect from Trus Joist, and to supply that quality at a competitive price into the 2lst century," says TJ president Tom Denig.

Single product lines for both TJI joists and Microllam LVL headers and beams are available throughout North America, eliminating past differences between products using eastern or western timber species. The same products therefore can be designed into building products regardless of the geographic location of the lumberyard, architect's office or jobsite.

TJI joists were renamed to reflect the change; in addition, the span and load capabilities for both thejoists and beam products have been slightly modified from previous versions.

our suppliers and their customers develoo a more cost-effective joist for shorter spans."

In addition to the SJ- 120, Willamette's existing 150 and 250 StrucJoist series will see similar flange feature changes to eliminate confusion with previous product lines. The new series will now be called the l50W and the 250W.

Similarly, Louisiana-Pacific has added several LVL flange I-joists and recently converted its plant in Red Bluff, Ca., to produce both solid sawn and LVL joists, according to Dennis D'Amato, western regional sales manager, Rocklin, Ca.

The new LPI 200 and 225 series joists have l-3/4" wide flanges and come in depths of 9-l/2,11-'7/8" and 14". LPI300 joists have 2-5116" wide flanges and depths of 9-l/2",ll-718", 14" and16".

Wider LVL flanges give builders broader nailing and gluing surfaces for subfloors while providing added support. The wide flange also adds mass to the new beams, giving the floor sys-

"Dealers that carry our full line of wide flange Wood I Beam joists will be better able to meet builder needs because of design and value properties that make them the appropriate choice for mainstream residential construction," said Gary Hughes, engineered lumber account manager for GeorgiaPacific.

Boise Cascade's BCI Advantage series joists feature a flange depth of l-5116" instead of the standard l-l/2". "We take a couple of veneers off the depth and use the material for the width," says product engineer Jeff Olson. "And since we're not using as much veneer, we can use a higher grade for flange stock. The allowable design values stay about the same."

The company has been producing the Advantage products at its White City, Or., facility and in May also began manufacturing them at its Alexandria, La., plant.

Trus Joist, meanwhile, has been streamlining its series of TJI joists and Microllam LVL beams and headers to make them easier for builders, architects and retailers to use and sell.

The adjustment was caused by the declining quality of wood veneer available from traditional timber resources used in the manufacture of Microllam LVL.

Roseburg Forest Products took a slightly different approach to the concept of producing affordable engineered products. They are focused on manufacturing efficiency as the key to producing a more cost efficient product for the builders. Bob Berch, EWP sales mgr., says, "Economics is the name of the game. Our new EWP facility was designed and built based on the concept that Roseburg would be the world's most efficient producer of affordable engineered wood products regardless of their size and shape." The new facility produces Iioists and LVL.