GLUED LAMINATED TIMBER
WHY GLULAM?
Glued laminated wood (Glulam) is a structural building material that is highly durable and moisture resistant, capable of generating large pieces and unique shapes, is dimensionally stable and performs well structurally and under fire conditions. More than a hundred years of usage has proved its lasting value of load-bearing capacity and natural aesthetics.
BENEFITS OF
GLUED LAMINATED TIMBER
Strength
Compared with other construction materials glulam is one of the strongest materials in relation to its own weight. It is for this reason that glulam is sometimes called the new steel, mainly for its flexibility and high strength.
Flexibilty
Structures made of glued laminated timber allow to obtain many different sizes with predictable load bearing capacity. Using hybrid construction methods with the right application, the use of glulam is unlimited.
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.
Flame retardancy
Glulam structures 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.
WHAT INDUSTRY
OPINION LEADERS SAY
Forbes Magazine, a leading source for reliable business news and financial information
Mass timber should continue to get a boost as people look more and more toward reducing CO2 emissions. “We need to change people’s attitudes about forest management. It’s okay to cut a tree. If you don’t use our forests, you’re choosing oil. There’s still a stigma there from our history before sustainable forest management, and from what’s going on in other parts of the world today, that we have to overcome” said Mark Rudnicki, Ph.D., Professor of Practice for Forest Biomaterials at Michigan Technological University.