Importance

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Abstract

A reinforcing panel and process for making the same for use in reinforcing wood structural members including laminated beams, wood I-beams, and trusses. The reinforcing panel is comprised of a plurality of synthetic fibers that are arranged parallel to one another and aligned with the longitudinal direction of the panel, and accordingly the wood structure. The panel has substantially no transverse fibers. The fibers are maintained in position by a resin encasement that completely encloses the fibers with the exception of some fibers that are closest to the surface. The surface of the reinforcing panel is treated so that those fibers closest to the surface of the panel are caused to 'hair up' so that the reinforcing panel may be used with non-epoxy adhesives which are commonly used in the laminated beam industry, such as resorcinol. The reinforcing panel of the present invention is fabricated by an improved protrusion process which uses no mandrels, or woven mats and which provides for a selectable back pressure so that the fibers of the reinforcement panel are maintained in a state of tension during the resin cure, thereby: maintaining the parallel arrangement of the fibers, maintaining the longitudinal alignment of the fibers, and setting the initial strain of the fibers to decrease the initial deflection of a wood structure that is reinforced with the reinforcing panel of the present invention.

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First Claim