Advantages of Prefabricated Glulam Components
Glue-laminated timber (glulam), allows designers to create structures with long, clear spans and majestic arches without compromising strength and durability. Furthermore, lighter structures are possible without compromising strength.
Precision manufacturing of glulam reduces on-site fabrication time and delays while accurate sizing helps protect against moisture intrusion on construction sites.
Versatility
Glulam, an engineered wood system utilizing laminated wood laminations (lams) joined together with moisture-resistant adhesives, comes in various shapes, sizes and curves. Thanks to glulam’s ability to form curves without needing to form or cut them on site – saving installation time — its wide availability has created numerous architectural design options. Plus its strength-to-weight ratio matches concrete or steel, yet offers the beauty of exposed wood for greater aesthetic appeal in buildings.
Gulam provides flexibility in design and substantial cost savings compared to other construction materials, with its fabrication process providing substantial cost savings compared to others. Accurately manufactured glulam reduces on-site fabrication needs and can easily adapt to changes in design or site conditions, eliminating waste and simplifying construction. Using kiln-dried timbers reduces twisting or warping during service for an installation with minimum maintenance required.
Glulam can be used for an array of applications, from floors, roofs, walls and arched elements for interior and exterior use – even creating beautiful structures with both function and visual appeal!
Glulam’s versatility enables architects to design spaces free of columns or supports that could obstruct views or limit space use, creating more open and spacious buildings without compromising structural integrity. Furthermore, as it’s fire-resistant and does not require chemicals like gypsum or drywall for installation purposes, saving on installation costs as a bonus feature of using glulam is also reduced considerably.
Gulam (glued laminated lumber) has long been the material of choice in projects that must withstand significant loads and weather extremes, from roof beams to bridges and beyond. One example is the Kingsway Pedestrian Bridge in British Columbia which utilizes structural steel and glulam welded together as an arch, supporting pedestrians, vehicles and cars simultaneously. Due to its natural durability glulam is also suitable for waterfront applications as its resistance against salt used to de-ice roads makes it suitable.
Efficiency
Glulam components are prefabricated in factories, significantly cutting construction time and costs. Employing advanced technology like computer-aided design and cutting equipment, manufacturers can cut precise dimensions for each structural member that will fit seamlessly on the jobsite. Furthermore, prefabrication reduces assembly and installation times on-site as well as weatherization issues that might arise with other traditional building materials. Lastly, its laminated structure resists shrinkage during weatherization processes that might otherwise compromise its integrity over time.
Glulam differs from concrete and steel in that its production requires significantly fewer resources, including timber materials. Furthermore, its manufacturing and fabrication process makes better use of timber materials compared with its counterparts; according to Forestry Commission research glulam uses only 3-3% as much timber material than concrete/steel structures of similar volume/weight and produces significantly less greenhouse gases – making it an excellent eco-friendly choice.
Gulam beams come in an assortment of shapes and sizes that can add character to any building, adding beauty and functionality. Examples of glulam components can be seen on buildings like Seville’s Metropol Parasol and Surrey, Canada’s Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre; both showcase these components to add an ideal combination of beauty and functionality. Furthermore, multiple wood species may be employed to add textures that highlight each project’s distinct aesthetic.
Gulam is also an ideal material to incorporate into hybrid systems that incorporate elements from other building materials, like bridges constructed using both wood and steel glulam beams – something becoming more and more popular as demand for eco-friendly building solutions grows.
Glulam’s rising popularity demonstrates the trend toward more environmentally sustainable building practices. Unlike steel and concrete construction which pose serious environmental threats, glulam is made of renewable lumber from reclaimed sources with no emissions during manufacturing or transportation processes; in fact, buildings constructed using glulam act as carbon sinks to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by acting as carbon storage units.
Safety
Glulam beams are constructed using wood laminations that have been adhered together with high-strength adhesives to form strong structural members. Due to their durability and versatility, glulam beams have become increasingly popular in construction due to their unique strength. Their lightweight nature can save both foundation costs and labor expenses while still offering plenty of support.
With an extensive variety of shapes and sizes to choose from, glulam is capable of meeting virtually every design need. For instance, it can be bent into curved shapes by bending laminations before bonding, clamping and curing occurs – opening up endless design opportunities in architecture from arches to support systems.
Prefabricated glulam components can be delivered to a job site already cut, drilled and routed for electrical and mechanical lines – significantly decreasing both time and effort required to erect the structure as well as decreasing crew requirements to complete it. Furthermore, using prefabricated glulam can lead to significant savings on overall construction costs.
One of the great advantages of glulam construction is its versatility in handling various loads and stresses. Glulam connections are designed to withstand vertical forces from above, lateral pressures from sides, torsional stresses at corners and other sources of tension – thus helping ensure long-term safety and strength. Industry professionals have also designed numerous connection assemblies which have been tested against International Building Code requirements (IBC).
Wood’s eco-friendliness and renewable nature is another advantage of using glulam. This can be accomplished through responsible forestry practices that ensure trees are harvested and utilized in ways that maintain biodiversity and ecosystem health. Furthermore, its use as building material has an immediate positive environmental impact as carbon sinking throughout its lifetime in buildings constructed using this material.
When combined with a thermal envelope, glulam can provide an energy-efficient and comfortable building. This is possible thanks to wood’s insulation properties which help lower energy costs while its protective charred layer helps shield it against heat or fire damage.
Flexibility
A glulam structure can be designed in any size or shape and offers an expansive variety of aesthetic choices. From graceful curves of modern art museums to intricate trusses in traditional churches, glulam’s flexibility enables architects to realize their vision without compromising strength and integrity; furthermore, its natural wood appearance brings warmth and beauty into buildings that connect occupants to nature.
Glulam is an advanced construction material composed of laminated wood laminations (or „lams”) joined together with durable structural adhesives. Unlike solid lumber, which is cut at the mill and stored until needed for assembly into larger structures, glulam lams are harvested from trees directly and individually kiln-dried prior to being assembled into larger members – eliminating knots and defects which negatively impact mechanical strength and dimensional stability as well as costly repairs in service.
Glulam manufacturing allows for the use of numerous wood species, including Douglas fir, Spruce-Pine-Fir (SPF), larch and Western Hemlock. Lams can be manufactured to achieve any shape and size necessary for projects – for instance curved members are great for creating roofs with unique pitches or apses while I-joists provide long span floors.
Insulating properties of glulam can save building owners on energy costs by keeping structures warm during winter and cool during summer. Wood is also capable of sequestering carbon dioxide through its lifecycle, further contributing to LEED certification projects.
Due to their accuracy, glulam components can often be installed faster than concrete and steel materials due to reduced on-site fabrication costs and quicker construction times. Also, construction crews can begin work immediately as materials arrive dry for use on-site.
Prefabricated glulam structures can easily adapt to changes during construction, which reduces waste and labor costs for contractors. Furthermore, quality-controlled prefab glulam structures tend to provide safer working environments. PLIB’s Quality Control Program gives architects, engineers, contractors and building inspectors peace of mind when selecting AITC/PLIB certified glued laminated timber products as part of their projects. PLIB’s nationwide team of qualified inspectors conduct unannounced audits and inspections of laminator’s in-plant quality control systems, procedures, production lines and production. PLIB licenses only those laminators whose facilities, personnel and procedures comply with current editions of ANSI A190.1 and AITC Quality Control System Manual.