Effect of Boric Acid Treatment on Mechanical Properties of Laminated Beech Veneer Lumber

In spite of many alternative materials like iron, plastic, and concrete, which can be used instead of solid wood in different areas, wood remains superior as a natural engineering material. Due to depletion of forest resources, forest products industries are faced with a crisis in obtaining suitable raw materials in suffi cient amount. Therefore, layered composite materials like vertically and horizontally glued, laminated wood and Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) may be used as a substitute for solid wood as they retain the structural properties of wood. Veneers from medium or small diameter logs are converted into glued parallel laminates or LVL, which is a competitive alternative for structural purposes, as its properties are superior to those of wooden planks (Kamala et al. 1999). As known, boron compounds have several great advantages for application as wood preservatives and fi re-retardants, including a broad spectrum of activity against insects and fungi, low mammalian toxicity, low volatility, and absence of color and odour (Yalınkılıç et al. 1999). Due to their hygroscopic character, they may affect the Effect of Boric Acid Treatment on Mechanical Properties of Laminated Beech Veneer Lumber