TimberEngineeringEurope Ltd
Leaders in Timber Frame Technology
Glulam beams are used to provide a load-bearing capacity and can span huge areas from wall to wall with no internal support is available or wanted. Spans of up to 40m are possible.
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Timber Engineering Europe Ltd.
Glulam Beams
Glulam stands for Glued Laminated Timber manufactured to BS EN 386 and BS EN 390 , with glued end joints to BS 5268 part 2 Clause 3.4 . This timber is mainly from Scandinavian sustainable forests. The tree is usually spruce, though can sometimes be redwood or Siberian larch. Glulam is an engineered component at the cutting edge of modern construction technology.
Glulam beams can be used instead of steel or concrete in a building structure, with the following distinct advantages:
- Glulam, like all timber possesses insulation qualities so when used within a building structure it helps to eliminate the thermal bridge between structure and sub structure.
- Glulam is recognised, as renewable, environmental friendly resource of material, and because of this, the embodied energy used to produce it is six times less than the same suitable strength steel.
- Glulam is two-thirds the weight of steel and only one sixth of the weight of concrete, Glulam provides equal performance and unmatched versatility.
- Glulam is pleasing to eye in its natural state and doesn’t need cladding like steel.
- Glulam application is diverse; it can be used as rafters, lintels, floor beam, columns or decking and manufacture easier than most other structural materials. The structural capabilities are endless and over the years since it was first patented it has been used for bridges, swimming pools, and large open planned office blocks and sports halls as the primary structure
- Glulam can create vast interior spaces with no internal supports, design single beams with up to a 40-metre span, although transportation considerations usually limit working lengths to approximately 24 metres. From straight beams to curved portals and complex pyramids, Glulam adds strength, structure and majesty to architecture. Rather than hiding away the building’s ‘skeleton’, Glulam allows you to celebrate the awesome vibrancy of nature’s finest creation.
- Glulam wood is naturally durable and robust. In Glulam form it offers excellent fire resistance, unlike other alternatives, and provides a known charring rate bringing safety and integrity to your structure. Glulam is chemically stable and suitable for aggressive and humid environments, expanding its scope of use across every market sector.
- Glulam products supplied by Timber Engineering Europe come from managed forests, where more trees are planted than harvested. It is important to note that only growing trees photosynthesise, so managed forests are probably more environmentally ‘productive’ than those left to their own devices. Whereas many materials used in construction are dubiously claimed to be re-cyclable, all Glulams produced are totally renewable.
