Wood I-beams and Zig-Zag Decking from Roundwood

Harvests to control pine beetle infestations in the Intermountain West may increase the availability of material that could be used for innovative, locally manufactured new products. Two concepts with potential for use of this material are solid wood I-beams and “zigzag decking.” These structural products should be well suited for pedestrian and short span road bridges and other beam applications. Wood I-Beams are made from roundwood by flattening the top and bottom, sawing the resulting cant into 3-pieces, dapping the two rounded side (flange) pieces to accept the center rectangular (web) section, and assembling them into Wood I-Beams using glue similar to glulam beams. This utilizes up to 90% of the log and is almost 5-times stronger than the original round stock. Wood I-Beams vary in depth depending on size of roundwood stock. These compare in strength to similar depth glulam beams. “Zigzag Decking” (and beams or planks) may be made from small diameter roundwood by sawing and machining each round piece into two identical trapezoidal sections, similar to a hexagon cut in half. By alternating the orientation of the trapezoidal sections, these components can be assembled into a continuous “zigzag deck” or assembled into rectangular sections by cutting one of the pieces in half and using each piece at opposite sides of the section.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AFF10 General Structures
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Miller, Brad
  • Gorman, Tom
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 91st Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2012-1-22 to 2012-1-26
• Date: 2012

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Photos; References;
• Pagination: 13p
• Monograph Title: TRB 91st Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers DVD

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridges; Footbridges; I beams; Sustainable development; Wood
• Uncontrolled Terms: Short span bridges
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01368040
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 12-3372
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Apr 19 2012 11:24AM