Glulam

• Introduction
• Uses
• Manufacture
• Strength/Appearance
• Sizes
• Quality Control
• Moisture Control
• Treatment & Finishing
• Fire Safety
• Other Information

Introduction

Glulam (glued-laminated timber) is a structural timber product manufactured by gluing

together individual pieces of dimension lumber under controlled conditions. The attributes of
this wood product account for its frequent use as an attractive architectural and structural
building material.

In the manufacture of glulam, the wood pieces are end jointed and arranged in horizontal
layers or laminations.

Laminating is an effective way of using high strength lumber of limited dimension to

manufacture large structural members in many shapes and sizes. Glulam is used for columns
and for beams and frequently for curved members loaded in combined bending and
compression.

Vertically laminated beams, which are made by nailing or gluing together dimension lumber so
that the narrow faces of the laminations are oriented perpendicular to the load sharing
systems (built-up beams) and are not to be confused with glulam as shown in Figure 1 below.

Glulam is manufactured at certified plants where standards governing lumber grading end
joining, gluing and finishing are used to control quality. Qualified manufacturers can supply a
certificate of conformance for their products upon request.

The lumber used for the manufacture of glulam is a special grade (lamstock) which is
purchased directly from lumber mills. It is dried to a maximum moisture content of 15 percent
and it is planed to a closer tolerance than that required for dimension lumber.

Canadian glulam is manufactured in three species combinations: Douglas Fir-Larch, Hem-Fir

and Spruce-Pine as shown in Table 1.
Figure 1: Comparing Glulam to Nail-Laminated Beam
 TABLE 1: Canadian Glulam - Commercial Species
Commercial
Species Group Wood
Designation Species in Combination Characteristics
Douglas Fir-Larch Douglas fir, western larch Woods similar in
(D.Fir-L) strength and
weight. High
degree of
hardness and
good resistance
to decay. Good
nail holding,
gluing and
painting
qualities. Colour
ranges from
reddish-brown
to yellowish-
white.
Hem-Fir Western hemlock, amabilis fir, Douglas Lightwoods that
fir work easily,
take paint well
and hold nails
well. Good
gluing
characteristics.
Colour range is
yellow-brown to
white.
Spruce-Pine Spruce (all species except coast sitka Woods of similar
spruce), lodgepole pine, jack pine characteristics,
they work
easily, take
paint easily and
hold nails well.
Generally white
to pale yellow in
colour.

All Canadian glulam is manufactured using waterproof adhesives for end jointing and for face
bonding and is therefore suitable for both exterior and interior applications. However, the
specified strengths used in design will depend upon whether the service condition is wet or
dry.
Uses

Glulam is a structural product used for headers, beams, girders, columns, and for heavy trusses.
It is often used where the structure of a building is left exposed as an architectural feature.

Glulam can be manufactured to an almost limitless variety of straight and curved configurations
(see Figure 2 below). It offers the architect artistic freedom without sacrificing structural
requirements.
Figure 2: Common Glulam Shapes for Large Buildings
Manufacture

The special grade of lumber used for glulam, lamstock, is received and stored at the
laminating plant under controlled conditions (see Figure 3 below).

Figure 3: Manufacture of Glulam

Prior to glulam fabrication, all lumber is visually graded for strength properties and
mechanically evaluated to determine the modulus of elasticity (E). These two assessments of
strength and stiffness are used to determine where a given piece will be situated in a beam or
column.

For example, high strength pieces are placed in the outermost laminations of a beam where
the bending stresses are the greatest. This blending of strength characteristics is known as
grade combination and ensures consistent performance of the finished product.

Once graded, the individual pieces of lamstock are end joined into full length laminations of
constant grade and each endjoint is proof tested. Then, the laminated lengths are arranged
according to the required grade combination for the product being manufactured.

Each lamination then moves through a glue applicator and the pieces are reassembled into the
desired configuration at the clamping area. Hydraulic or manually activated clamps are placed
around the member, and are brought into contact with steel jigs which have been pre-
anchored to the floor to provide the desired curvature or pattern.

As pressure is applied, the laminations are adjusted for proper alignment in a level plane to
minimize the amount of stock which will be lost when the member is surface planed to a
smooth finish. Once full clamping pressure is reached, the member is stored at a controlled
temperature until the glue is fully cured.
When glue curing is complete, the members are moved to the finishing area where basic
surface planing, patching, and end trimming is done. Depending on what the client has
ordered, drilling and notching for connections, sanding, and staining and varnishing may also
be done. Because of specialized equipment and mass production, these functions can usually
be performed in the shop cheaper than at the building site.

As a final step, glulam members are wrapped in readiness for shipping.

Strength and Appearance

In specifying Canadian glulam products, it is necessary to indicate both the stress grade and the
appearance grade required.

The specification of the appropriate stress grade depends on whether the intended end use of a
member is for a beam, a column, or a tension member as shown in Table 2 below.

For the bending grades of 20f-E, 20f-EX, 24f-E and 24f-EX, the numbers 20 and 24 indicate
allowable bending stress for bending in Imperial units (2000 and 2400 pounds per square inch).
The f refers to flexure and E indicates that most laminations must be tested for stiffness by
machine.

Stress grades with EX designation (20f-EX and 24f-EX) are specifically designed for cases where
bending members are subjected to stress reversals. In these members the lamination
requirements in the tension side are the mirror image of those in the compression side.

Similarly the descriptions for compression grades,16c-E and 12c-E, and tension grades,18t-E and
14t-E indicate the allowable compression and tension stresses.

Glulam is manufactured in three appearance grades: Industrial, Commercial, and Quality as

shown in Table 3 below.

Unlike visually graded sawn timbers where there is a correlation between appearance and
strength, there is no relationship between the stress grades and the appearance grades of glulam
since the exposed surface can be altered or repaired without affecting the strength
characteristics.

The appearance of glulam is determined by the degree of finish work done after laminating and
not by the appearance of the individual lamination pieces.
 Table 2: Canadian Glulam - Stress Grades
Stress Grade Species Description
20f-E D.Fir-L or Used for members stressed principally in bending (beams)
and Spruce Pine or in combined bending and axial load.
20f-EX
Bending
Grades 24f-E D.Fir-L or Specify EX when members are subject to positive and
and Hem-Fir negative moments or when members are subject to
24f-EX combined bending and axial load such as arches and truss
top chords.
Compression 16c-E D.Fir-L Used for members stressed principally in axial
Grades 12c-E Spruce Pine compression, such as columns.
Tension 18t-E D.Fir-L Used for members stressed principally in axial tension,
Grades 14t-E Spruce Pine such as bottom chords of trusses.
TABLE 3: Glulam Appearance Grades
Grade Description
Industrial Grade Intended for use where appearance is not primary concern such as in
industrial buildings; laminating stock may contain natural characteristics
allowed for specified stress grade; sides planed to specified dimensions but
occasional misses and rough spots allowed; may have broken knots, knot
holes, torn grain, checks, wane and other irregularities on surface.
Comercial Grade Intended for painted or flat-gloss varnished surfaces; laminating stock may
contain natural characteristics allowed for specified stress grade; sides
planed to specified dimensions and all squeezed-out glue removed from
surface; knot holes, loose knots, voids, wane or pitch pockets are not
replaced by wood inserts or filler on exposed surface.
Quality Grade Intended for high-gloss transparent or polished surfaces, displays natural
beauty of wood for best aesthetic appeal; laminating stock may contain
natural charact-eristics allowed for specified stress grade; sides planed to
specified dimensions and all squeezed-out glue removed from surface; may
have tight knots, firm heart stain and medium sap stain on sides; slightly
broken or split knots, slivers, torn grain or checks on surface filled; loose
knots, knot holes, wane and pitch pockets removed and replaced with non-
shrinking filler or with wood inserts matching wood grain and colour; face
laminations free of natural characteristics requiring replacement; faces and
sides sanded smooth.
Note:
Glulam Sizes

Standard sizes have been developed for Canadian glued-laminated timber to allow optimum
utilization of lumber which multiples of the dimensions of the lamstock used for glulam
manufacture. Suitable for most applications, standard sizes offer the designer economy and
fast delivery. Other non-standard dimensions may be specially ordered at additional cost
because of the extra trimming required to produce non-standard sizes.

Standard finished widths of glulam members and common widths of the laminating stock they
are made from are given in Table 4 below.

Size possibilities for glulam shapes are shown in Figure 4 below.

Figure 4: Typical Glulam Shapes and Sizes

Click photo to enlarge it.

Single widths of stock are used for the complete width dimension for members less than
275mm (10-7/8") wide. However, members wider than 175mm (6-7/8") may consist of two
boards laid side by side. All members wider than 275mm (10-7/8") are made from two pieces
of lumber placed side by side, with edge joints staggered within the depth of the member.

Members wider than 365mm (14-1/4") are manufactured in 50mm (2") width increments, but
will be more expensive than standard widths. Manufacturers should be consulted for advice.

Standard depths for glulam members range from 114mm (4-1/2") to 2128mm (7') or more in
increments of 38mm (1-1/2") and l9mm (3/4").

A member made from 38mm (1-1/2") laminations costs significantly less than an equivalent
member made from 19mm (3/4") laminations. However, the 19mm (3/4") laminations allow
for a greater amount of curvature than do the 38mm (1-1/2") laminations as shown in Table
5.
Laminating stock may be end jointed into lengths of up to 40m (130') but the practical
limitation may depend on transportation clearance restrictions. Therefore shipping restrictions
for a given region should be determined before specifying length, width or shipping height.

For long straight members, glulam is usually manufactured with a built in camber to ensure
positive drainage by negating deflection. This ability to provide positive camber is a major
advantage of glulam. Recommended cambers are shown in Table 6 below.

Table 4: Standard Glulam Widths

Initial width of glulam stock Finished width of glulam stock
mm. in. mm. in.
89 3-1/2 80 3
140 5-1/2 130 5
184 7-1/4 175 6-7/8
9-1/4 (or
235 (or 89 + 140) 225 (or 215) 8-7/8 (or 8-1/2)
3-1/2 + 5-1/2)
11-1/4 (or
286 (or 89 + 184) 275 (or 265) 10-7/8 (or 10-1/4)
3-1/2 + 7-1/4)
140 + 184 5-1/2 + 7-1/4 315 12-1/4
140 + 235 5-1/2 + 9-1/4 365 14-1/4
Notes:

1. Members wider than 365mm (14-1/4") are available in 50mm (2")

increments but require a special order.
2. Members wider than 175mm (6-7/8") may consist of two boards laid
side by side with logitudinal joints staggered in adjacent laminations.

Table 5: Minimum Radius of Curvature for Laminations

Minimum Radius of Curvature
Lamination Thickness Tangent Ends Curved Ends
mm in. m ft.-in. m ft.-in.
38 1-1/2 Standard 8.4 27'-6" 10.8 35'-6"
19 3/4 Standard 2.8 9'-4" 3.8 12'-6"
Notes:

1. For economy, curved members should be designed using standard

lamination thicknesses. Members made from 38mm (1-1/2")
laminations cost less than an equivalent member made from 19mm
(3/4") laminations.
2. Non standard laminations less than 19mm (3/4") thick are made by
resurfacing 19mm (3/4") stock which results in more waste material.

Non-standard lamination sizes also exist, for more information, consult the manufacturer.
 Table 6: Camber recommendations for Glulam Roof Beams
Type of Structure Recommendation
Simple Glulam Roof Beams Camber equal to deflection due
to dead load plus have of live
load or 30mm per 10m (1" per
30') of span; where ponding
may occur, additional camber
is usually provided for roof
drainage.
Simple Glulam Floor Beams Camber equal to dead load plus
one quarter live load deflection
or no camber.
Bowstring and Pitched Trusses Only the bottom chord is
cambered.
For a continuous glulam
bottom chord; camber in
bottom chord equal to 20mm
per 10m (3/4" in 30') of span.
Flat Roof Trusses (Howe and Pratt Roof Trusses) Camber in top and bottom
glulam chords equal to 30mm
per 10m (1" in 30') of span.
Glulam Quality Control

Glulam is an engineered wood product requiring

exacting quality control at all stages of
manufacture.

Canadian manufacturers of glulam are required to

be qualified under CSA Standard 0177. This
standard sets mandatory guidelines for equipment,
manufacturing, testing and record keeping
procedures.

As a mandatory manufacturing procedure, tests

must be routinely performed on several critical
manufacturing steps, and recording of test results
must be done. For example, representative samples are tested for adequacy of glue bond and
all end joints are stress tested to ensure that each joint exceeds the design requirements.
Each member fabricated has a quality assurance record indicating glue bond test results,
lumber grading, end joint test and laminating conditions for each member fabricated, including
glue spread rate, assembly time, curing conditions and curing time.

In addition, mandatory quality audits are performed by independent certification agencies to

ensure that in-plant procedures meet the requirements of the manufacturing standard.

A certificate of conformance to manufacturing standards for a given glulam order is available

upon request.

Glulam Moisture Control

The checking of wood is due to differential shrinkage

of the wood flbres in the inner and outer portions of
a wood member. Glulam is manufactured from
lamstock having a moisture content of 7 to 15
percent. Because this range approximates the
moisture conditions for most end uses, checking is
minimal in glulam members.

Proper transit, storage and construction methods

help to avoid rapid changes in the moisture content of laminated members. Severe moisture
content changes can result from the sudden application of heat to buildings under construction
in cold weather, or from exposure of unprotected members to alternate wet and dry conditions
as might occur during transit and storage.

Canadian glulam routinely receives a coat of protective sealer before shipping and is wrapped
for protection during shipping and erection. The wrapping should be left in place as long as
possible and ideally until permanent protection from the weather is in place.

During on-site storage, glulam should be stored off the ground with spacer blocks placed
between members. If construction delays occur, the wrapping should be cut on the underside
to prevent the accumulation of condensation.
Glulam Preservative Treatment

Preservative treatment is not often required but

should be specified for any application where ground
contact is likely. Advice on suitable preservative
treatment should be sought from the manufacturer.

Untreated glulam can be used in humid

environments such as swimming pools, curling rinks
or in industrial buildings which use water in their
manufacturing process.

Where the ends of glulam members will be subject

to wetting, protective overhangs or flashings should
be provided.

In applications where direct water contact is not a factor, a factory applied sealer will prevent
large swings in moisture content.

Since wood is corrosion-resistant, glulam is used in many corrosive environments such as salt
storage domes and potash ware-housing.

Final Trimming and Finishing

With the large specialized equipment present in a glulam plant, it is possible to trim large
members to close tolerances which would be difficult to attain under field conditions.
Installation of connectors such as shear plates and split rings can be accomplished under
factory conditions leaving only minor adjustments for the field.

Sanding and filling in accordance with the appearance grade specified, and additional staining
and varnishing (when specified) can be done in the factory.

When properly designed, glulam members will be erected without the need for field trimming
or cutting. If field adjustments are necessary, they should be permitted only with the approval
of the designer.

Glulam Fire Safety

Because glued-laminated timber is readily manufactured in large sizes, it is often used in

Heavy Timber construction to meet minimum size and fire-resistance rating requirements of
North American building codes.

For more information, please refer to the Fire Safety Design in Buildings book which provides
basic information on the minimum sizes and arrangement of glulam members necessary to
meet code requirements for Heavy Timber construction. Information is also provided on the
means for calculating the fire resistance of glulam beams and columns.
Ordering

When designing large glued-laminated timber structures or members, it is advis-able to

consult a glulam manufacturer early in the design process. This will result in spacing and
configuration recommendations which allow the product to be used to its maximum efficiency
and ensure timely delivery. This is especially the case where unusual shapes or very large
sizes are required.

Advice on connection design and detailing which may have a substantial effect on overall
economy and in-service performance can also be obtained from the manufacturer.

Except for some common sizes held in stock, glulam is custom manufactured. Scheduling
should make allowance for shop drawing preparation and review, product manufacture, and
shipping.

Delivery should be co-ordinated by both contractor and manufacturer to ensure unloading

equipment is available at the job site.

General Guidelines

For the best economy and efficiency when ordering glulam members, specifiers should:

• Select the section with the smallest cross-sectional area or the least weight required
for the job.
• Use 38mm (1-1/2") laminations and standard depths whenever possible.
Use 38mm (1-1/2") laminations in straight members and in all curved members with
radius of curvature of 8400mm (27') or more.
• Limit the size of glulam members to those which can be shipped economically and
legally. This applies to both lengths and heights, since local overall shipping height
limitations, usually about 4 to 6m (14' to 20'), may restrict arch sizes.
• Use the proper appearance grade for the project by matching the appearance and thus
the cost premium to the requirements for appearance and visibility.
• In some instances, using larger than necessary members may simplify overall
economy by simplifying connection details. Consult the manufacturer.
• Shop applied sealer is intended as a temporary finish only. Depending on the
application, an appropriate paint or coating system is required to protect the glulam.
• Outline protection measures to be taken during erection to protect the members from
damage, including provision for temporary bracing.
• All nuts, bolts, and other hardware should be zinc electro-plated to prevent staining of
the wood.
• Steel connections should be painted to prevent rust from staining the wood. They
should be galvanized for high humidity service conditions.
Links

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