Glulam Roof Framing

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 roof framing.

The grain of the laminations runs parallel with the length of the member. A glulam is made with multiple layers of solid wood lumber bonded together with high strength adhesive to form a single structural unit. 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. Builders often refer collectively to all types of laminated beams or other laminated structural wood materials as glulams.

Glulam beams laid on their flat and used as floor or roof panels are known as glt panels see glue laminated timber panels. According to structurecraft and the structural timber association the length of glulam panels are only limited by fabrication and shipping constraints. Glulam beams are comprised of structural dimensional wood that is laminated together with structural adhesives. Because columns are available in long lengths the members do not have to be spliced together as is often necessary with sawn lumber.

They provide unmatched strength and are perfect for large spans and for home designs that require heavy timbers used for strength. Glulam columns are straight and dimensionally true making framing an easy task. In large open spaces glulam beams can span more than 100 feet. Glulam is a stress rated engineered wood beam composed of wood laminations or lams that are bonded together with durable moisture resistant adhesives.

The term glulam is an abbreviated term that stands for glue laminated timber. Glulam allows a high degree of prefabrication and long structural spans where necessary but is equally effective for shorter spans. One of the greatest advantages of glulam is that it can be manufactured in a wide range of shapes sizes and configu rations. In some instances ware house and distribution centers with roof areas exceeding 1 million square feet have been constructed using glulam framing.

Its thermal properties help prevent cold bridging. 3 1 8 3 1 2 5 1 8 and 6 3 4 inches. The columns can be exposed to view as a unique architectural feature of the framing system. 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.

Glued laminated timber constitutes an ever increasing percentage of the framing materials used in residential construction. Glulam is versatile ranging from simple straight beams to complex curved members.