Popular Timber Types Used in Glulam Construction
Glulam (glued laminated timber) is composed of smaller pieces of stress-graded and seasoned lumber known as laminates that have been joined together with weatherproof structural adhesives to form larger dimensions or curves.
Spruce wood is commonly utilized in glulam construction, although other coniferous softwoods may also be allowed. Each species imparts different visual qualities to these remarkable structural components.
Spruce
Spruce timber is one of the most frequently used species for glulam construction. With its light color and straight, fine grain pattern, spruce is easily machined, strong load bearing capacity and light color makes spruce an excellent choice when creating large rectangular components of glulam elements.
Glulam is created by bonding multiple laminations of structural wood with adhesives to form a solid yet lightweight structure that can be used for anything from beams to walls. Due to its adaptability, glulam can be found anywhere from homes and office buildings to bridges and towers – whether you’re building a small cottage or a massive church glulam is the ideal material for your next project!
Investigation was carried out on the effects of Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst. L) lamellas for use in producing glued laminated timber (glulam), specifically with regard to moduli of rupture and elasticity in bending. Results show that aging of spruce lamellas has an impact on glulam’s structural performance; this influence depends more on design considerations and environmental conditions than on method and location of lamella aging within its composition.
In addition to its physical-mechanical properties, glulam offers many environmental advantages due to its manufacturing process producing minimal waste. Any leftover ash produced during manufacturing can either be recycled into energy production or returned back into nature where it originated – making glulam an integral component of sustainable ecocycle societies as a great alternative solution to concrete and steel structures.
Glulam was specifically engineered and manufactured to be environmentally-friendly, making it the ideal material for building projects in various climates. Its natural insulating qualities help lower heating and cooling costs while the wide selection of species makes glulam an attractive and sustainable solution.
Glulam is an innovative timber product gaining global attention for its combination of strength, beauty and durability. First introduced to the world by Otto Karl Freidrich Hetzer of Weimar Germany in 1901 as an entirely novel construction method, Hetzer’s patent explored creating straight beams from multiple laminations glued together using glue; however it was expanded upon in 1906 to also include curved sections. Although relatively new technology, glulam has already been utilized on numerous North American and European projects like Keystone Wye bridge; da Vinci Bridge Norway; Kingsway pedestrian bridge in Burnaby BC among many others.
Douglas Fir
Douglas Fir, as one of the most frequently used timber types used for glulam construction, offers beauty, strength, and durability in equal measures. Engineered to withstand large amounts of stress and strain, its trusses are capable of supporting loads ranging from interior floors to roofs; with excellent dimensional stability and moisture regulation properties making it suitable for long span structural applications.
Douglas Fir trusses are an efficient and cost-effective solution that are perfect for both residential and commercial projects. These versatile structures come in various lengths to give architects maximum versatility and flexibility; plus their distinctive bark hue that darkens to reddish-brown as it matures lends an aesthetic quality that many glulam structures don’t boast.
As with Spruce, this timber is lightweight and easy to work with, resisting denting, scratches and stains well. Furthermore, its natural insulating properties help prevent thermal bridging while increasing energy efficiency in building envelope assemblies.
Douglas Fir is a dense timber species grown best in closed forest conditions, making it a popular choice in Pacific Northwest construction projects due to its abundance and consistent quality. Additionally, this variety’s resistance to decay makes it ideal for long-lasting outdoor projects that need durability.
Other softwood species used for glulam production include Norway spruce, silver fir and pine; Hemlock and European Larch may also be permitted; these varieties tend to be reserved for service class 2/3 applications. Due to their long delivery times and specific wood species needs, it is imperative to contact your glulam manufacturer early so as to guarantee availability and timely completion of your project. If non-spruce timber is required for fabrication, it must first be ordered and approved by your national technical approval body before fabrication can begin. In order to avoid delays and provide all relevant documentation prior to submitting an application for special permits. It’s wise to contact a glulam manufacturer early so they can assist in providing all required documents before filing their application with NTAB.
Hemlock
Hemlock wood is an ideal material for use in glulam construction due to its dense structure. Hemlock glulam’s strength and beauty enable architects to craft innovative architecture in both residential and commercial properties – it can even be shaped into curvilinear structures for seamless integration into hybrid assemblies or building systems! Not only is hemlock glulam versatile, it is also eco-friendly and sustainable!
Glulam is an engineered wood product comprised of laminates of stress graded and seasoned timber that are glued together into longer lengths for enhanced dimensional stability and less moisture related movement. When compared with sawn lumber, glulam provides greater dimensional stability due to less moisture related movement – meeting stringent quality requirements with the production using various species such as spruce (Picea sp), firs (Abies lasiocarpa, Abies grandis, Abies amabilis and Abies procera), larches (Larix occidentalis).
Mass timber’s popularity in the US is being propelled by an ever-increasing desire for sustainable building practices, prefabrication and biophilic design. Although relatively new to American construction sites, mass timber buildings already feature 18-story tall glulam and cross-laminated timber structures.
One reason for its exponential growth is glulam’s durability, cost-effectiveness and environmental friendliness – plus being easily manufactured off-site to increase efficiency and decrease waste – making it one of the fastest-growing building materials today. Furthermore, its structural advantages have propelled its adoption across commercial building sectors worldwide.
British Columbia (BC) is set to become a leader in the global mass timber and glulam markets, with an estimated 40% of global engineered wood demand anticipated in 2035 coming from engineered wood products made of hem-fir and western hemlock glulam – representing over $400 billion worth of engineered wood products globally. BC stands to capitalize on this global demand and become a worldwide leader of innovative wood products and building systems.
European Larch
Glulam is a mass timber product produced by joining small sections of structural wood together using weatherproof adhesives to form one continuous product, producing stronger and more homogenous products than solid wood of similar species and size. As such, glulam makes an ideal material for long span structures as well as custom curvilinear shapes, hybrid assemblies and building systems.
European Larch is native to the Alps mountain range in central Europe and thrives here in Minnesota as ornamental landscape trees around farmsteads or historic landscaping, fencing material and even bonsai species. Additionally, European Larch trees can easily reforest disturbed land due to its rapid growth rate and easy establishment process.
European Larch shares similar qualities with spruce and hemlock in that its strong cell structure provides it with structural integrity – making it an excellent glulam material. More dense and durable than spruce, its pinky-brown hue adds beauty to projects using it.
The Glulam Institute of North America (GIANA) lists European larch as one of the primary commercial species used for manufacturing glulam due to its high strength-to-weight ratio. Furthermore, this versatile material works well when making both straight and curved glulam products, and even serves well in creating curved roof structures due to its superior tensile strength.
European larch is widely appreciated as a structural glulam material due to its ability to withstand harsh environmental conditions, including high winds and seismic forces. Due to its exceptional durability, this material makes for a smart choice in environments such as animal hide curing complexes, fellmongerys and fertilizer storage facilities. Durability is further increased by its superior dimensional stability, which prevents swelling or shrinkage due to changing moisture contents. Maintaining its shape and resisting rot and insect infestation more effectively than other structural wood species like spruce and hemlock is made possible due to this wood’s inherent stability, making it an attractive alternative to metal framing for applications requiring long-term corrosion resistance.