GLULAM

“GLUE LAMINATED TIMBER”

THE TERM GLULAM IS AN ABBREVIATED TERM THAT STANDS FOR GLUED –LAMINATED
TIMBER. A GLULAM IS MADE WITH MULTIPLE LAYERS OF SOLID WOOD LUMBER BONDED
TOGETHER WITH HIGH-STRENGTH ADHESIVE TO FORM A SINGLE STRUCTURAL UNIT.
GLUED LAMINATED WOOD IS A STRUCTURAL MATERIAL MANUFACTURED THROUGH THE
UNION OF INDIVIDUAL WOOD SEGMENTS. WHEN GLUED WITH INDUSTRIAL ADHESIVES
(USUALLY MELAMINE OR POLYURETHANE RESIN ADHESIVES), THIS TYPE OF WOOD IS
HIGHLY DURABLE AND MOISTURE RESISTANT, CAPABLE OF GENERATING LARGE PIECES
AND UNIQUE SHAPES
ADVANTAGES
•UNIQUE DIMENSIONS: THANKS TO ITS HIGH LOAD CAPACITY AND LOW WEIGHT, GLULAM ALLOWS YOU TO COVER
LARGE AREAS WITH SMALL COMPONENTS. IT CAN COVER SECTIONS OF UP TO 100 METERS WITHOUT INTERMEDIATE
SUPPORT.
•RESISTANCE: SUCCESSFULLY RESISTS VARIOUS CHEMICALS. IT ALSO RESISTS TRANSFORMATIONS CAUSED BY
MOISTURE, SUCH AS DEFORMATIONS AND/OR TORSIONS.
•FLEXIBILITY: CURVED, ARCHED, AND FOLDED SHAPES ARE REPRODUCED QUITE EASILY. PIECES ALSO DON'T
NECESSARILY NEED TO FOLLOW THE GEOMETRY OF THE TREE TRUNK.
•HIGH FIRE RESISTANCE: STRUCTURES MADE OF GLUED LAMINATED WOOD ARE SAFER THAN UNPROTECTED
STEEL IN FIRE. THIS IS BECAUSE A CARBONIZED LAYER FORMS AROUND THE GLULAM'S CORE, DECREASING
OXYGEN CONSUMPTION AND RETARDING COMBUSTION.
•Dimensional stability: Glulam has a humidity of 12%, which corresponds to an equilibrium humidity of 20°C and 65% relative humidity.
Contraction and swelling behavior is therefore minimized.
•Less need for connections: These structures may require a smaller number of joints when covering large openings without intermediate
supports.
•Lightness: This feature eases maintenance and assembly/disassembly. Studies show that a Glulam beam has the same strength as a
concrete beam of the same volume, yet the weight of the piece of wood is approximately five times less.
•Sustainability: Serious suppliers operate primarily with reforestation wood. We recommend reviewing this information by looking into
the specific type of wood in your projects. A useful tip is to look for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification seal.
Freemen’s School Swimming Pool / Hawkins\Brown. Image ©
Jack HobhouseFreemen’s School Swimming Pool /
Hawkins\Brown. Image © Jack Hobhouse
About the manufacturing process
The manufacture of Glulam brings together two very old
techniques: 1) the gluing technique and 2) the lamination
technique. Therefore, when talking about "glued laminated
wood", we talk about a wood composed of pieces glued and
bonded together with parallel fibers,
To generate efficient structural elements, the pieces must be
joined with adhesives of such high resistance that they can
replace the joints usually made by steel elements and screws.

Glued Laminated Wood is manufactured with an optimum

degree of humidity, minimizing contraction and swelling
behavior and guaranteeing the dimensional stability of the
material
used?
Glulam wood is recommended for any type of construction
from residential projects to industrial buildings. It can even be
applied to buildings located in areas with specific climatic
demands, provided that a moisture protection treatment is
applied.
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Before designing structures with this type of wood, it's

important to review local regulations and pay special attention
to the conditions surrounding the project
Glue laminated timber has almost the same load bearing
capacity as steel, but a far lower weight and excellent fire
resistance due to its charring characteristics. When used in
heavy timber construction, Glulam ensures high earthquake
resistance and excellent resistance to aggressive substances.
Many different 'lay-ups' are possible, arranging higher strength
2x laminations near the top and bottom of beams where the
stresses are highest to increase the beams capacity.

Glulam allows a high degree of prefabrication, and long

structural spans where necessary - but is equally effective for
shorter spans. Its thermal properties help prevent cold bridging.

Glulam beams laid on their flat and used as floor or roof panels
are known as GLT panels - see Glue-Laminated Timber Panels
lulam Construction
A glue-laminated timber is an engineered wood product, meaning it is made from wood but is machined and assembled to precise
specifications to create a predictable, dimensionally stable building material. Other common engineered wood products include plywood,
oriented strandboard (OSB), and laminated veneer lumber (LVL). A glulam beam looks like a stack of 2 x 4s (or larger lumber) glued
together on their broadsides. This is in contrast to other engineered members, such as LVL (laminated veneer lumber) and Microlam
beams, which look like very thick plywood, with very thin layers of wood glued together to form a thicker mass.

Glulam members are sold in several standard widths and lengths and can be custom-fabricated to meet almost any design specifications.
They are commonly used for large curved or arching members to build vaulted roofs, domes, and even bridges. Glulam construction offers
superior strength and stiffness over dimensional lumber, and pound-for-pound it is stronger than steel. Connections for glulam beams are
typically made with bolts or steel dowels and steel plates.

Common Uses for Glulam Timbers

Glulam members can be used in a wide variety of applications and for both indoor and outdoor projects. Common forms include:

Straight beams, including lintels, purlins, ridge beams, and floor beams
Columns, including round, square, and complex sections
Tied rafters
Trusses
Tied arches
Arched bridge supports
Curved beams
Strength Classification
Glulam members are classified by specific strength properties and are given a rating from a stress classification system.
The first part of the rating is the reference bending design value, or its flexural loading. For example, a classification of
24F signifies that the member has 2,400 pounds per square inch (psi) of flexural loading. The second part of the rating is
the corresponding modulus of elasticity value of the glulam member. For example, a label of 24F-1.8E indicates a
reference bending design value of 2,400 psi and a modulus of elasticity of 1.8 x 10^6 psi.

Glulam Grades
Glulam material comes in four different appearance grades, as listed in American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
A190.1 (2017s):

Framing. Framing appearance grade is the common choice for home-building and other areas where glulam is specified
and will be combined with dimension lumber. This grade is recommended only for use in concealed areas.
Industrial. Industrial-grade appearance for glulam material is recommended for areas where the aesthetics are not a major
concern. Under this appearance grade, the glulam is finished slightly better than with the framing grade, but it is not an
aesthetic product. It should be used in areas not visible to the general public. This appearance grade shows some wood
imperfection on its surfaces, such as knots and voids.
Architectural. When glulam is going to be used as a facade material or exposed element, architectural-grade appearance is
highly recommended. This grade offers a high-quality finished product, where wooden voids and imperfections are filled
or treated to provide a smoother, more attractive surface.
Premium. This grade of glulam is available only through special order and usually is reserved for special situations or
predetermined areas, where a high concentration of people is expected. Premium-grade glulam offers the smoothest
surfaces for the highest-quality finished product.
hy Use Glulam?

lulams are not only strong, cost-effective, and highly

customizable; they're also resource-efficient because they are
made with relatively small pieces of lumber to create a sizable
wood member that would otherwise require large, old-growth
timber. Glulams offer many benefits to designers and builders:

Versatile use as roof and floor beams, columns, bracing,

decking, and other structural components
Eco-friendly material with very low formaldehyde levels
Capable of creating unsupported spans of over 500 feet
Reduced transportation and handling costs
Easy installation and surface repair
Customizable to fit special needs
Standard sizes available immediately
Produced in well-managed forests and certified to PEFC
standards
Good fire resistance; can outlast steel beams under the same fire
conditions
Manufactured to precise dimensions