Question about that hotel renovation I saw last week in downtown Portland

I walked through the Marriott on 5th Ave last Tuesday and noticed they were using LVL beams for the lobby expansion instead of steel, has anyone else seen that approach hold up over a few years in a high-traffic commercial space?

3 comments

3 Comments

grant_hart1mo ago

Oh wow that's interesting! I heard from a buddy who works in commercial construction that LVL beams actually perform better than steel in some high-traffic areas because they handle vibration differently.

the_jana1mo ago

Three years back I had a crew working a condo lobby remodel and the engineer SPECIFICALLY called for LVLs over steel in the main corridor area because of that exact vibration issue. My buddy who runs a framing crew up in Portland has seen the same thing - those engineered beams definitely handle foot traffic bounce way better than a steel beam would in certain spots. It's one of those details that you wouldn't think about until you've actually dealt with the noise complaints from people living above a busy entryway.

kim_west17d ago

Honestly, I read somewhere that LVLs have a better strength-to-weight ratio than steel in certain residential settings, which is probably why that engineer went that route. @grant_hart I think your buddy is onto something about the vibration thing - steel can feel dead and hollow under foot traffic, but engineered wood dampens that bounce out naturally. It's wild how much the material choice can affect what people actually feel and hear in their own homes.