The CivilWeb LVL Beam Design Spreadsheet is designed to streamline the design of Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) timber beams while ensuring perfect compliance with BS EN 1995-1-1 or BS268-2 standards. Save hours of repetitive hand calculations with this design spreadsheet designed by engineers, for all types of designers.
The CivilWeb LVL Beam Design Spreadsheet can be purchased lower down this page for only £19.99. Or why not buy our best value bundle? Our Full Timber Design Spreadsheet Suite can be purchased at the bottom of this page for only £49.99. This suite includes all 11 of our timber design spreadsheets and represents an incredible saving of more than 75%.
LVL beam design has become increasingly important in modern construction. Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) beams combine strength, consistency, and versatility, making them a go-to solution for residential, commercial, and industrial projects.
What is an LVL Beam?
Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) is an engineered wood product made by bonding multiple thin layers of timber veneers together under heat and pressure. The result is a structural material that is:
- ✅ Stronger and stiffer than many solid-sawn timbers
- ✅ Available in long lengths and large sections
- ✅ Highly consistent, with fewer defects than natural wood
- ✅ Ideal for beams, joists, and lintels in load-bearing applications
Methods for LVL Beam Design
✔️ Manufacturer’s Tables
- Provide safe span/load combinations for standard LVL products.
- Quick but limited when dealing with custom spans or loads.
✔️ Manual Design Calculations
- Using formulas from BS EN 1995-1-1 or BS268-2 or other national standards.
- Accurate but time-intensive and prone to human error.
- Difficult to analyse multiple options or scenarios.
✔️ Design Spreadsheets & Software
- Automate bending, shear, deflection, compression and tension checks.
- Provide instant pass/fail results.
- Allow rapid adjustments for different spans, loads, and LVL grades.
- Includes unique optimisation tools to speed up design calculations.
Why Use an LVL Beam Design Spreadsheet?
A LVL Beam Design Spreadsheet makes the process quicker and more reliable by:
- Automatically checking bending, shear, deflection and compression/tension
- Allowing easy input of span, loading, and beam properties
- Saving hours compared to manual calculations
- Providing professional, clear outputs for reports or site use
- Helping compare multiple beam sizes quickly
This tool is perfect for:
- Structural engineers designing LVL beams in buildings
- Architects checking feasibility at early stages
- Builders & contractors verifying beam choices on site
- Students learning engineered timber design principles
How to use the LVL Beam Design Spreadsheet
- Loading Conditions
- Axial compression or tension loads from other structural members or actions
- Bending moments due to loads from floors, roofs and live loadings
- Shear forces.
- Material Properties
- The spreadsheet is pre-populated with design parameters supplied by top LVL timber suppliers such as Kerto, Stora Enso and Steico as well as from general design standards data. LVL manufacturers can supply characteristic strengths and other design parameters as required and the spreadsheet allows the user to enter any design parameters to suit any LVL timber types from any manufacturer.
- Beam Dimensions
- Finally the user can simply input the required LVL timber beam dimensions including beam breadth, depth and effective length. These can then easily be adjusted after the instant calculation results show clearly where improvements can be made.
The CivilWeb LVL Beam Design Spreadsheet instantly computes all the calculations required for design to the design standards BS EN 1995-1-1 or BS268-2. The results are presented in a clear and professional manner with full calculation readouts and simple green/red results shown in a simple optimisation score.
The spreadsheet also automatically completes the design calculations for other similar LVL timber beam sections and presents these in a graph which the designer can use to optimize the beam design at a glance, saving hours or iterative calculations.
Key Features
Why engineers choose this spreadsheet:
- 📐 Automatic Beam Sizing – Quickly calculate required LVL beam sizes.
- 📊 Load Capacity Checks – Covers bending, shear, and deflection limits as well as either compression or tension design checks.
- 📖 Code-Compliant – Based on BS EN 1995-1-1 or BS268-2.
- ✅ Clear Pass/Fail Output – See instantly if your beam works or where it needs to be adjusted.
- 🔄 Fully Customisable – Adjust loads, spans and LVL properties.
- 🖥️ User-Friendly Layout – Designed by engineers for practical, everyday use.
Who Is It For?
This tool is ideal for:
- Structural Engineers working with LVL beams
- Architects needing quick preliminary checks
- Builders & Contractors ensuring beam compliance on-site
- Students learning timber and LVL design
Why Use This Spreadsheet?
- Save hours compared to manual calculations
- Avoid expensive mistakes in LVL sizing
- Get professional-grade results without costly software
- Ideal for both preliminary sizing and final checks
LVL beam design is a critical step in ensuring safe and efficient timber structures. With their high strength, uniformity, and availability, LVL beams are one of the best choices for modern construction.
While traditional methods like span tables and manual calculations still work, a design spreadsheet saves time, improves accuracy, and streamlines your workflow.
👉 Ready to simplify your next project? Download our LVL Beam Design Spreadsheet today and cut calculation time dramatically.
