Glulam – a leading building material

It’s predicted steel prices will rise by 66% this year due to the growing cost of iron ore and demand from the Far East. I believe this gives the timber industry a window of opportunity to demonstrate the value and benefits of glulam over steel to the wider construction industry.

The popularity of glulam has rapidly increased over the past few years, particularly within the commercial market place where it has been used in a wide range of applications, from schools and churches to supermarkets and commercial units. This increased popularity is partly due to its ability to be used structurally but also because it can be left exposed, creating a warm, dramatic focal point, something which is a fry cry from the coldness of steel and, importantly, top companies now recognise the use of timber will be an essential part of meeting their corporate social responsibility.

Made from layers of parallel timber laminates, usually European whitewood that is sourced from well-managed forests certified to PEFC, with FSC product available to order, glulam gives a better strength-to-weight ratio than steel – it is approximately two-thirds the weight of steel – making it easier to handle, transport and assemble.

It is more sustainable and has a significantly lower carbon footprint than steel, which takes a lot of energy to produce. And, because of the way glulam is produced, using thin layers of wood, there is minimal waste. It also offers better insulation properties than many other building materials, while its tensile characteristics are well suited to long span, load-bearing structures.

Another advantage of glulam is its predictable resistance to fire compared to steel. While a steel beam will melt, buckle and collapse under great heat, European whitewood timber chars at a rate of 40mm per hour. A glulam beam will behave as a single unit when exposed to fire due to the resistance of laminating adhesives to fire temperatures, making its performance ideal for both public and commercial buildings.

However, glulam’s versatility is one of its key benefits over steel. As Pasquill demonstrated at this year’s Ecobuild, this engineered timber has many design possibilities and the ability to create stunning, sustainable structures. Our Ecobuild attraction featured a form of hyperbolic paraboloid, with two curved glulam beams opposite each other, with one inverted, creating an undulating roof form.

The aim of the structure was to demonstrate the beauty and versatility glulam offers, and from the feedback we received it certainly did this, with many people taking the time to learn more or attend one of our seminar sessions. Almost without exception, people warm to the use of timber in construction.

Along with admiring its beauty and natural values, many people were amazed to learn of its strength and load-bearing capabilities. I believe that by increasing awareness about the lesser known qualities of glulam, our industry will be able to continue to build on its rise in popularity, helping to make it the leading building material for the 21st century.