Design of reinforcement around holes in Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) beams

Many practical situations require holes in timber beams. When the hole is large relative to the depth, the failure of thebeam is governed by crack initiation and propagation around the hole. Cracking of a timber beam decreases the capacityof the beam considerably. This paper presents a method for designing the reinforcement around holes in LaminatedVeneer Lumber (LVL) beams so as to recover their full flexural capacity. The design procedure is complemented by twoworked examples where all verifications are discussed in detail.