LVL Span Chart

Look up beam depth, span, floor-load limits and required bearing for two-ply 2.0E Microllam® LVL.

Look up your span and beam depth

Two-ply 3½ × 11⅞ in 2.0E Microllam® LVL at a 12 ft bearing-center span: floor-table limits are 979 lb/ft total and 758 lb/ft live. Other products, loads and supports require their own span checks.

Worked lookup: at 12 ft, a two-ply 3½ × 11⅞ in beam is listed at 979 lb/ft total and 758 lb/ft live. A 600 lb/ft total, 480 lb/ft live example is below both limits; use the bearing and detailing checks below before selecting the beam.

Two-ply LVL span and load chart

Product: Weyerhaeuser 2.0E Microllam® LVL, two 1¾ in plies, 3½ in total width, beam orientation. Selected values from TJ-9000, July 2026, pages 8–9. Filter by depth to read down the spans. Both total and live loads must satisfy their respective limits.

54 reference rows

On a narrow screen, swipe the table horizontally to see every column. The first column stays visible.

2.0E Microllam LVL floor table · two-ply 3½ in width · span measured center to center · line-load limits in lb/ft

8 ft · 9½ in depth	8	9½	1,462	1,257	2.2 / 5.6
8 ft · 11⅞ in depth	8	11⅞	1,956	1,956*	3 / 7.5
8 ft · 14 in depth	8	14	2,414	2,414*	3.7 / 9.3
8 ft · 16 in depth	8	16	2,885	2,885*	4.4 / 11.1
8 ft · 18 in depth	8	18	2,934	2,934*	4.5 / 11.3
8 ft · 20 in depth	8	20	2,934	2,934*	4.5 / 11.3
10 ft · 9½ in depth	10	9½	932	675	1.8 / 4.5
10 ft · 11⅞ in depth	10	11⅞	1,415	1,257	2.7 / 6.8
10 ft · 14 in depth	10	14	1,817	1,817*	3.5 / 8.7
10 ft · 16 in depth	10	16	2,147	2,147*	4.1 / 10.3
10 ft · 18 in depth	10	18	2,344	2,344*	4.5 / 11.3
10 ft · 20 in depth	10	20	2,344	2,344*	4.5 / 11.3
12 ft · 9½ in depth	12	9½	593	401	1.5 / 3.5
12 ft · 11⅞ in depth	12	11⅞	979	758	2.3 / 5.7
12 ft · 14 in depth	12	14	1,333	1,198	3.1 / 7.7
12 ft · 16 in depth	12	16	1,709	1,709*	3.9 / 9.9
12 ft · 18 in depth	12	18	1,950	1,950*	4.5 / 11.3
12 ft · 20 in depth	12	20	1,950	1,950*	4.5 / 11.3
14 ft · 9½ in depth	14	9½	376	257	1.5 / 3.5
14 ft · 11⅞ in depth	14	11⅞	716	489	1.9 / 4.9
14 ft · 14 in depth	14	14	975	780	2.6 / 6.6
14 ft · 16 in depth	14	16	1,253	1,132	3.4 / 8.5
14 ft · 18 in depth	14	18	1,563	1,561	4.2 / 10.5
14 ft · 20 in depth	14	20	1,669	1,669*	4.5 / 11.3
16½ ft · 9½ in depth	16½	9½	229	159	1.5 / 3.5
16½ ft · 11⅞ in depth	16½	11⅞	445	305	1.5 / 3.6
16½ ft · 14 in depth	16½	14	698	490	2.2 / 5.6
16½ ft · 16 in depth	16½	16	897	716	2.9 / 7.2
16½ ft · 18 in depth	16½	18	1,120	995	3.6 / 8.9
16½ ft · 20 in depth	16½	20	1,365	1,330	4.4 / 10.9
18½ ft · 9½ in depth	18½	9½	161	113	1.5 / 3.5
18½ ft · 11⅞ in depth	18½	11⅞	316	218	1.5 / 3.5
18½ ft · 14 in depth	18½	14	515	352	1.9 / 4.7
18½ ft · 16 in depth	18½	16	710	517	2.6 / 6.4
18½ ft · 18 in depth	18½	18	887	722	3.2 / 8
18½ ft · 20 in depth	18½	20	1,081	970	3.9 / 9.7
20 ft · 9½ in depth	20	9½	125	90	1.5 / 3.5
20 ft · 11⅞ in depth	20	11⅞	249	174	1.5 / 3.5
20 ft · 14 in depth	20	14	408	281	1.6 / 4
20 ft · 16 in depth	20	16	604	414	2.4 / 5.9
20 ft · 18 in depth	20	18	756	579	3 / 7.4
20 ft · 20 in depth	20	20	922	780	3.6 / 9
22 ft · 9½ in depth	22	9½	92	68	1.5 / 3.5
22 ft · 11⅞ in depth	22	11⅞	185	131	1.5 / 3.5
22 ft · 14 in depth	22	14	305	213	1.5 / 3.5
22 ft · 16 in depth	22	16	455	314	2 / 4.9
22 ft · 18 in depth	22	18	622	441	2.7 / 6.7
22 ft · 20 in depth	22	20	759	596	3.3 / 8.2
24 ft · 9½ in depth	24	9½	69	52	1.5 / 3.5
24 ft · 11⅞ in depth	24	11⅞	140	102	1.5 / 3.5
24 ft · 14 in depth	24	14	234	165	1.5 / 3.5
24 ft · 16 in depth	24	16	350	244	1.7 / 4.2
24 ft · 18 in depth	24	18	497	343	2.4 / 5.9
24 ft · 20 in depth	24	20	634	465	3 / 7.5

* Total controls: the manufacturer marks this live-load cell with an asterisk; the effective live-load ceiling is the total-load limit shown. Bearing is minimum end / interior length in inches at the published table load. Conditions: uniform load; beam self-weight included in the table; more restrictive of simple or continuous span; L/240 total and L/360 live deflection; 100% load duration. Read all assumptions and connection details. No interpolation is supplied.

LVL Span Chart — all 54 reference rows. Read the stated conditions and sources.

On this page

How to read an LVL span chart

Start with the manufacturer and grade printed on the member. “LVL,” “double LVL,” or “2.0E” alone is not a complete specification. APA identifies LVL as one type of structural composite lumber, and its product identification guidance explains why the qualified grade and product report matter.

Find the actual span measured between the centers of the bearing areas, then the full beam width and depth. Read total load and live load separately. Total load includes the live load; it is not an additional allowance. A 979 lb/ft total limit with a 758 lb/ft live limit does not allow 1,737 lb/ft.

The table uses feet for span, inches for section dimensions and pounds per linear foot for load. A floor pressure in pounds per square foot cannot be compared directly with these line loads. The lookup identifies the source row; it does not add checks for your walls, footings, posts or connectors.

Worked example: a 12 ft floor beam

Assume a uniformly loaded floor contributes 40 lb/ft² live load and 10 lb/ft² dead load over a 12 ft tributary width. These are example inputs, not universal code loads. The live line load is 40 × 12 = 480 lb/ft; the dead line load is 10 × 12 = 120 lb/ft; total is 600 lb/ft.

For a 12 ft span, the two-ply 11⅞ in row lists 979 lb/ft total and 758 lb/ft live, so the example is below both published limits. The adjacent 9½ in row lists only 593 lb/ft total and 401 lb/ft live and is insufficient for these inputs. This illustrates why selecting depth from span alone fails.

The 11⅞ in row lists 2.3 in end and 5.7 in interior bearing at its table load. Confirm the bearing conditions and the supported material, then design the ply connection and supports. A wall, masonry load, post or roof load added to the beam changes the problem. A point load cannot be converted to a uniform load just by dividing it by the span.

Convert floor area load to beam line load

For a simple uniform floor layout, line load equals floor pressure multiplied by tributary width. If joists frame to the beam from both sides, count the supported portion on both sides. For uniformly loaded, simply supported joists, each end takes half of that joist span’s load. Unequal joist spans therefore create unequal contributions.

For example, joists spanning 10 ft on one side and 14 ft on the other give a 5 + 7 = 12 ft tributary width under those assumptions. Continuous joists, cantilevers and concentrated loads can change the reactions. Use their actual support reactions instead of applying the half-span shortcut.

Keep dead and live loads separate throughout the calculation. The manufacturer’s floor table already considers the beam’s own weight, so follow its input convention and avoid counting that weight twice. Roof snow, storage, partitions and heavy finishes require the appropriate project loads and checks.

What changes the usable span?

Depth and width: a deeper beam usually gains stiffness faster than an equally sized increase in width, but the governing limit can change between bending, shear, deflection and bearing. Adding a ply also requires a connection that distributes the load to that ply; simply placing boards side by side does not prove that they share load correctly.

Deflection: L/360 is a limit on movement under live load, while L/240 in this floor table applies to total load. Brittle finishes or sensitive supported components may need a stiffer design. A member that meets a strength limit can still deflect too much.

Support pattern: these tabulated values use the more restrictive simple or continuous case under the manufacturer’s conditions. Continuous spans can create higher interior reactions, uplift or unequal loading effects. Their permitted short-to-long span relationship and bearing details must also be checked.

Bearing, bracing and fastening checks

A beam transfers its reactions into posts, studs, hangers or another beam. Check that entire load path through the foundations. The bearing length column describes the beam’s table requirement; it does not certify that the supporting material can carry the reaction.

TJ-9000’s general assumptions require lateral restraint at bearing and at intervals along the beam. Follow its actual restraint and multi-ply connection details, including the side on which loads enter the assembly. The guide calls for multiple plies for 1¾ in members 16 in deep and deeper unless specifically designed using the manufacturer’s software.

Do not copy I-joist hole rules onto an LVL. Holes, notches, taper cuts, moisture exposure and end conditions each have product-specific restrictions. A cut that is convenient for services may remove a critical part of the beam. Check the exact permitted detail before making it.

Other brands, roof beams and three-ply beams

This chart deliberately identifies one product and two-ply width. It does not provide capacities for Versa-Lam®, LP® SolidStart®, other LVL grades, roof loads or a three-ply assembly. An equal depth and an equal E value do not guarantee equal allowable bending, shear or bearing properties.

For another product, obtain that manufacturer’s regional design guide and the evaluation report that corresponds to its stamp. For a roof beam, use the appropriate snow or non-snow loading case and project load duration. For three plies, use the actual three-ply table and the required connection schedule rather than scaling an unrelated row.

Use Weyerhaeuser’s ForteWEB or a project-specific structural design for intermediate spans, concentrated loads, cantilevers, complex continuity, unusual exposure or conditions beyond the guide. The published source contains more depths and spans than this convenient selected reference.

LVL Span Chart FAQs

How far can a double 11⅞ inch LVL span?

It depends on its exact product and loads. For the two-ply 2.0E Microllam floor case here, the limits are 979 lb/ft total and 758 lb/ft live at 12 ft, but 716 total and 489 live at 14 ft. These are load capacities at specific spans, not an unconditional maximum span.

What size LVL do I need for a 20 foot span?

The 20 ft rows allow a comparison once loads are known. In this product and width, the 18 in depth row lists 756 lb/ft total and 579 live; the 20 in row lists 922 total and 780 live. Use the depth that meets all loading, deflection, bearing and connection requirements; a span alone cannot determine it.

Does a double LVL mean 3½ inches wide?

Two 1¾ in plies produce a 3½ in total width, as used here. Verify the actual ply thickness, grade and connection. Other products or widths need their own data.

Can I double a single-ply load rating?

Use the published multiple-ply rating and fastening detail. Rounding, load introduction, bearing and connection design can affect the assembly, and equal load sharing cannot be assumed without the required connection.

Is the span the clear opening or bearing-center distance?

This source table uses center-to-center of bearing. A clear opening is shorter than that distance when the beam has bearing at each end. Measure the span using the convention specified by the particular source table.

Can this LVL span chart be used for a garage door header or roof?

Only if the actual application matches the table’s product, floor loading and all conditions. Roof headers, mixed loads, snow, wall loads or point reactions generally need the corresponding manufacturer tables or a complete design. Do not use the floor row as a generic roof rating.

Sources and Data Basis

Reference basis reviewed October 25, 2026. Follow the scope and conditions given with each table and lookup result.

Weyerhaeuser TJ-9000 — July 2026Printed pages 8–9: 2.0E Microllam LVL floor line-load tables; page 5 assumptions; pages 26 and 28–30 for bearing and ply connections. Selected numeric reference values; not the entire guide.
APA — Structural Composite LumberLVL definition, product qualification and identification.
Weyerhaeuser — ForteWEB sizing softwareManufacturer tool for product-specific member sizing and applications beyond a simple table.