Popular Timber Types Used in Glulam Construction
Glulam beams have become the structural backbone for an increasing number of buildings in B.C., from walkways over city streets to schools and high-rises.
Gulam beams boast many structural benefits, such as superior dimensional stability and resistance to moisture; additionally, they’re less vulnerable to fire damage.
Spruce
Glulam is an engineered wood product produced by bonding multiple layers of dimension lumber together using moisture-resistant structural adhesives, creating a material more versatile than concrete and steel, featuring high load-bearing capacity as well as being manufactured into straight or curved forms. Furthermore, its lighter weight reduces energy use embodied energy costs significantly while increasing carbon storage potential.
Glulam is an ideal material choice for residential and light commercial construction projects that involve long spans of open space. Unlike concrete which requires extensive forms to form long span structural elements, glulam can be cut, drilled and milled on-site to meet desired length and profile of structures; this enables designers to build larger structures using less pieces while still upholding integrity of structure integrity.
Gulam may be best known for its use in visible applications like vaulted ceilings, but its versatility has found numerous hidden uses like purlins, ridge beams, garage door headers and floor beams. Furthermore, glulam serves as the main structural component in curved walls and acoustic structures.
When selecting the species for your glulam project, it’s essential to take several factors into consideration, including appearance, strength, durability and cost. Spruce is one of the more popular softwood options; however other wood varieties are also available.
Douglas Fir is a popular glulam timber choice due to its resilience and durability. The wood is easy to work with and naturally resistant to rot and insects; plus its lightweight nature makes handling and transport simpler. In addition to practical considerations, its beauty adds warmth and elegance to any design project. Cedar also makes an ideal material choice for mass timber construction due to its natural resistance against rotting, insect infestation and fire; make Douglas Fir a fantastic addition.
Douglas Fir
Glulam (glued laminated timber) is an innovative construction product gaining global renown for its strength, beauty and longevity. Composed of multiple pieces of stress-graded and seasoned lumber joined together using weatherproof structural adhesives into larger beams with straight or curved profiles, its versatility allows architects to realize an array of architectural styles.
While spruce is one of the more widely-used species for glulam construction, other coniferous softwoods such as Coast Sitka spruce offer distinct visual qualities and load bearing capacities, making it an excellent choice for creating large rectangular components in glulam construction.
Hemlock and European Larch are also popular wood types for use in glulam applications, and have similar strength-to-weight ratios to spruce, making them suitable for straight and curved structures alike. Hemlock species is more dense than its counterpart spruce and boasts an eye-catching pinky-brown hue while European larch features its characteristic pale pink hue – both options can make stunning components in straight or curved glulam projects.
Southern Yellow Pine has become increasingly popular due to its ability to withstand both heavy foot traffic and harsh weather conditions, making it an excellent material choice for outdoor glulam applications such as walkways and pavilions that bring nature indoors while adding value and function to urban spaces.
Solid beams remain an attractive choice for timber framing projects, yet mass timber construction is increasingly gaining favor as an alternative choice to traditional concrete and steel structures. CLT, GLT and NLT provide greater strength, sustainability, shorter construction times, cost savings potential as well as natural wood beauty compared to these alternatives.
Larch
European Larch is an increasingly popular choice for structural glulam construction projects due to its similar strength-to-weight ratio compared to spruce and hemlock, yet more durable density makes it more resistant to environmental conditions such as high winds and seismic forces than its timber species counterparts. Furthermore, this combination of strength and beauty makes Larch an excellent material choice when building animal hide curing complexes or fellmongerys where longevity is an absolute must.
Larch timber’s pinky-brown hue adds beauty and durability to buildings that use this timber. Like spruce and hemlock, larch is great for both straight and curved glulam applications, making it suitable for creating unique architectural designs. Common applications for this timber include simple purlins, ridge beams, garage door headers and door headers; but more intricate applications include vaulted ceilings or arches for domed roofs.
Glulam and CLT (cross-laminated timber) are innovative building materials gaining prominence quickly across North America due to an increased interest in sustainable construction practices, prefabrication and biophilic design. Per pound, glulam is stronger than steel while possessing greater strength and stiffness than comparable-sized dimension lumber, making it suitable for heavy truss structures as well as long span structures.
Gulam offers more than impressive strength; it also boasts remarkable thermal properties that help lower energy costs by eliminating thermal bridging. Due to these impressive properties, glulam is frequently combined with insulation materials during fabrication or post-manufacture processes to ensure an efficient building envelope assembly process.
Structural glulam is an extremely versatile material used in both residential and commercial construction projects, often preferred to traditional solid-sawn wood for its superior appearance. Ballrooms and wedding chapels often use this timber due to its warm natural look that adds romance. Furthermore, its flexibility enables architects to design open spaces without blocking views.
Glulam construction offers architects an incredible amount of freedom when customizing projects with its wide array of timber types and visual grading available for construction. From sleek modern aesthetics to rustic charm, its versatility makes any project truly remarkable.
Oak
Oak is an iconic wood species known for both its beauty and strength, making it one of the most widely used materials for construction projects of all kinds. Thanks to its excellent dimensional stability, resistance to warping, and ability to bond well with adhesives, it makes an excellent glue-laminated timber material; plus its warm natural grain adds elegance to any design scheme.
In the past, glulam was typically constructed using softwoods such as spruce or fir; however, more builders are turning to other wood species for production of their structures. The results can often be stronger and more durable than conventional steel-framed buildings; it also makes an excellent choice for projects requiring long spans or curved sections – something impossible with traditional steel framing systems.
While spruce remains the predominant timber type used in glulam construction, builders are increasingly turning to alternative species such as European larch or Corsican larch for outdoor environments and their attractive pinky-brown hue that adds visual appeal to projects.
Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), is another popular material choice for glulam. Found commonly in North America’s Pacific Northwest region, this species provides superior bending and compression resistance as well as being impervious to decay and insect damage, making it the ideal material choice for structural members exposed to weather elements.
Oak is a dense hardwood, durable material. However, its low pore size limits penetration of adhesives which may result in weaker bonds or moisture-induced stresses resulting in weaker joints or moisture stresses. Therefore, when selecting a glulam manufacturer make sure they utilize high quality adhesives that ensure long-term durability.
Glulam is an engineered wood product composed of wooden laminations bonded together using durable, moisture-resistant adhesives. Available both custom and stock sizes with one of four appearance classifications including premium, architectural, industrial or framing features; typically manufactured by American Plywood Association members who carry their trademark indicating compliance to ANSI A190.1 standards.