Popular Timber Types Used in Glulam Construction
Glulam beams are strong, resilient, and adaptable engineered wood products designed for construction projects of all kinds. Renowned for their thermal properties, glulam can be combined with insulation materials to prevent thermal bridging and enhance building efficiency.
Glulam is constructed by joining smaller pieces of stress graded, seasoned timber known as laminates together using structural resins. If designers wish to order glulam featuring Redwood or other naturally durable softwood species they must place a custom order.
Douglas Fir
Douglas Fir is one of the most commonly used timber species for glulam construction projects. With sustainable forests located throughout the Pacific Northwest as its source, Douglas Fir provides an attractive yet strong building material option that supports architecturally unique designs. It is a renewable resource and an excellent choice when seeking durable building material solutions.
Douglas Fir glulam beams provide robust design values and are the perfect addition to high-end commercial or residential structures, such as redwood or spruce. Their beauty and longevity make them a top choice among architects, engineers and general contractors looking for strong foundations for their project.
Although other wood species can be used to craft glulam panels, Douglas Fir remains the standard material due to its availability, superior durability and workability, strength characteristics and ability to withstand large fluctuations in temperature and humidity – qualities which help avoid warping or shrinkage that could compromise heavy timber construction over time.
Douglas Fir glulam laminates are not only beautiful and strong; they’re also highly adaptable. Engineers can customize it to meet specific dimensions and shapes, while the ANSI A190.1 standard specifies four appearance grades – Framing, Industrial, Premium and Architectural. Each grade carries different design, fabrication and delivery constraints that must be observed in order for it to meet any project aesthetic requirements.
Douglas Fir is a conifer that produces seeds in cones rather than flowers, meaning its seeds can be wind-dispersed up to 1/4 mile from its tree. These seeds serve as food sources for small mammals like chipmunks, mice, shrews and red squirrels as well as providing shelter and habitat for birds such as northern spotted owls that depend on old-growth forests of Douglas Fir.
Douglas Fir trees can live for hundreds of years depending on the variety, but the most commonly seen variety used for glulam is Coast Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), found along California’s coastal areas all the way through Oregon, Washington and British Columbia up into Canada. Rocky Mountain and Mexican Douglas Fir varieties also exist that grow well at higher elevations despite having similar features to Coast varieties.
Yellow Pine
Glulam timber (short for glue laminated timber) is an innovative engineered wood product that has revolutionized architectural possibilities in building with wood. Composed of layers of lumber bonded together using moisture-resistant adhesives, its grain runs perpendicular to each adjacent layer to provide strength and structural integrity to its finished form.
Glulam structures differ from concrete and steel buildings in that they’re constructed using renewable resources that are harvested, processed and manufactured with relatively lower carbon emissions. Furthermore, their materials arrive prefabricated on-site as dry units which expedites construction time significantly.
As sustainable building practices become more and more sought-after, glulam offers an attractive option for those seeking to reduce their environmental footprint while remaining cost-competitive on price and design flexibility. Furthermore, its exceptional strength and stability make glulam an excellent choice for long-span roofs or walls projects.
Glulam construction often uses softwoods such as Norway spruce, silver fir, Douglas fir, and hemlock; however, these species of trees require longer delivery times when designing projects.
Southern Yellow Pine (SYP) is another highly sought-after timber material for use in glulam construction, especially to support modern architectural trends. This low maintenance wood is often chosen for outdoor projects such as walkways and pavilions that reconnect people to nature while adding aesthetic value and functionality to urban spaces.
SYP is an ideal material for glulam projects as its exceptional resistance to foot traffic and weather extremes enables it to remain strong, durable and visually appealing despite its heavy exposure. This quality makes SYP an important choice as more urban spaces incorporate natural elements into their designs to foster more livable, sustainable, engaging communities.
Redwood
Building materials don’t get more resilient than wood, especially when it comes to construction. Gulam (glued laminated lumber) construction combines various wood species into one rigid and solid structure that can be used in beams, arches or even residential structures – while looking different than its heavy timber predecessor, this method still gives off an inviting atmosphere.
Glulam is an extremely versatile material, capable of being used to build structures of various shapes and sizes. From simple beams to massive arches, glulam provides the ideal material to complete the job – ideal for applications ranging from schools to hospitals and houses alike. Plus, unlike conventional steel and concrete construction methods, its production emits far fewer carbon emissions while its lifecycle ends, as well as being capable of sequestering carbon dioxide for sequestration by sequestering it afterwards.
Gulam is an ideal material for building bridges. Not only can its use help reduce overall costs and meet any unique specifications needed by any project, but glulam also can lower concrete requirements which saves both money and speed up completion times.
Softwood species are most frequently utilized when manufacturing glulam, such as Douglas Fir and Southern Pine; other popular choices are Spruce/Pine/Fir and Hem-Fir. Redwood can also be used, although its costs tend to be higher; nonetheless it can make for an excellent option when seeking high performance lumber or unique aesthetic.
Glulam is an innovative construction material that has grown increasingly popular, largely because it offers superior strength and stiffness compared to comparable-sized dimensional lumber. Furthermore, its acoustic performance stands out and can even be enhanced using sound-absorbing insulation.
Mixed Species
Glulam is an engineered wood product created by adhering layers of lumber together in order to form one larger piece, yielding a stronger and stiffer material than traditional sawn lumber. As a result, glulam provides stronger support beams, headers, trusses and domed roofs, pedestrian bridges, domed roof bridges and bridges (pedestrian/highway). Furthermore, its use makes Glulam highly resilient for use in challenging weather conditions such as waterfronts or mountainous regions while acting as an excellent weight/durability solution for bridge applications such as pedestrian/highway bridges or pedestrian/highway bridges where durability/weight concerns exist.
Dependent upon your project and location, there are various considerations when selecting wood species for glulam structures. Timber grown locally will reduce transportation costs and shorten installation times; using local timber may also help create the look you’re after without breaking the bank.
Considerations should also include whether the building will be exposed to sunlight and moisture; selecting species that can endure such environments will help prevent deterioration and extend its lifespan, while those resistant to salt used to de-ice roadways will extend longevity while decreasing corrosion risk.
Softwoods tend to be preferred over hardwoods for use in glulam projects. Hardwoods can be more challenging and time-consuming to work with; therefore they often cost more. Their use is usually restricted for decorative elements of a building such as flooring or accent walls. Most projects opt for softwoods such as Douglas Fir or Yellow Pine instead.
Redwood or other naturally-durable softwoods may be chosen for projects focusing on durability or appearance; this will require custom ordering; in such instances, designers should consult the National Design Specification for Wood Construction to see if modifications may be possible.
Glulam is often combined with heavy timber framing to produce architecturally significant structures. It can be formed into complex forms that would be difficult to construct with traditional sawn timber, while its high strength-to-weight ratio allows it to provide large open spaces free of columns and supports that might obstruct views.