Glulam Roof Framing

Glulam beams are comprised of structural dimensional wood that is laminated together with structural adhesives.

Glulam roof framing.

The columns can be exposed to view as a unique architectural feature of the framing system. In large open spaces glulam beams can span more than 100 feet. Glulam allows a high degree of prefabrication and long structural spans where necessary but is equally effective for shorter spans. Theoretically glulam panels can span any imaginable length and to date roof areas exceeding 100 000 square meters have been constructed using glulam framing.

Glulam beams laid on their flat and used as floor or roof panels are known as glt panels see glue laminated timber panels. A glulam is made with multiple layers of solid wood lumber bonded together with high strength adhesive to form a single structural unit. The term glulam is an abbreviated term that stands for glue laminated timber. According to structurecraft and the structural timber association the length of glulam panels are only limited by fabrication and shipping constraints.

Glulam columns are straight and dimensionally true making framing an easy task. Its thermal properties help prevent cold bridging. Introduction proper connection details are important to the structural performance and serviceability of any timber framed struc ture. In some instances ware house and distribution centers with roof areas exceeding 1 million square feet have been constructed using glulam framing.

Glue laminated timber glulam is a structural engineered wood product commonly used for beams and columns in residential and commercial applications. While this is true for solid sawn as well as glued laminated glulam timbers the larger sizes and longer spans made possible with glulam components make the proper detailing of connections even more critical. They provide unmatched strength and are perfect for large spans and for home designs that require heavy timbers used for strength. Glulam is a stress rated engineered wood beam composed of wood laminations or lams that are bonded together with durable moisture resistant adhesives.

It is a highly visible form of mass timber in contemporary projects with long spans framing signature designs left exposed to take advantage of wood s natural aesthetic. Glulam is versatile ranging from simple straight beams to complex curved members. The grain of the laminations runs parallel with the length of the member. One of the greatest advantages of glulam is that it can be manufactured in a wide range of shapes sizes and configu rations.

Much of this growth is attributed to the fact that glulam beams are available from building material dealers and distributors in stock sizes typical widths. Because columns are available in long lengths the members do not have to be spliced together as is often necessary with sawn lumber.