These presentations were created during the 2016–2021 B.Arch programme. Rishabh Jain is the only creator of the material. Please refer to the references column at the end of each presentation for the information within.

1. GLULAM TIMBER
(Glued laminated timber)
RISHABH JAIN
B.ARCH(XITH SEM)

2. WHAT IS IT ?
 A glulam is made with multiple layers of solid
wood lumber(TIMBER) bonded together with
high-strength adhesive to form a single
structural unit.
 Glulam members are sold in several standard
widths and lengths and can be custom-
fabricated to meet almost any design
specifications.

3. HOW IS IT ?
 Pound-for-pound it is stronger than steel.
 Connections for glulam beams are typically made
with bolts or steel dowels and steel plates.
STEEL PLATES

4. Why Use Glulam?
 Glulams are not only strong, cost-effective, and highly customizable; they're also
resource-efficient because they are made with relatively small pieces of lumber
to create a sizable wood member that would otherwise require large, old-growth
timber. Glulams offer many benefits to designers and builders:
 Versatile use as roof and floor beams, columns, bracing, decking, and other
structural components
 Eco-friendly material with very low formaldehyde levels
 Easy installation and surface repair

5.  Customizable to fit special needs
 Standard sizes available immediately
 Produced in well-managed forests and certified to PEFC (The Programme for the
Endorsement of Forest Certification )standards
 Good fire resistance; can outlast steel beams under the same fire conditions
 Manufactured to precise dimensions
 extensive span lengths whilst maintaining an attractive aesthetic
 maintenance free

6. APPLICATIONS
TRUSSES
CURVED BEAMS
Columns, including round, square,
and complex sections
TIED ARCHES

9. • Sports structures

10. • Wood bridge

11. TELUS stadium

13. Tower at
Lake Mjøsa
2019
18-storey mixed-
use building

14. • ADVANTAG AND DIS

15. DISSADVANTAGES
Acoustics
Timber frame structures may not achieve
the same level of sound insulation as
concrete or masonry as they are not as
dense. Performance can be improved by
filled with a sound absorbent material
such as mineral wool.
Price
When we talk about the price, the
price of glulam timber is always
higher than that of normal timber.
Because the cost of production of
this timber is associated with the
price.
Quality
The second disadvantage of glulam timber
is its quality. Glulam Timber is made by
joining several timber pieces. If a bad
timber is used in the middle of the timber
block during production, this
malfunctioning timber can cause the entire
timber block to deteriorate. So that after a
few years, slowly spoil Timber completely.

16. WHY TO CHOOSE OVER STEEL AND CONCRETE ?

17. Appearance
• Glulam is often chosen over
steel or concrete for its
appearance, and is often
credited with creating a
warm and comfortable feel
to a building.
Excellent strength to
weight ratio
Timber has a good strength to weight
ratio in comparison with steel and
concrete. If you consider equivalent
beam sizes for the same load bearing
capacity in glulam and steel, glulam has
approximately 1.5 – 2 times the strength
to weight ratio of steel.
Another advantage is that smaller
foundations are needed for a reduced
structure weight.
Durability
The durability of glulam will
depend on its specification. Species
of timber, type of glue and
preservative type and application
are all factors in the durability of
glulam.
One instance where glulam is
chosen for its durability is in
swimming pool structures – this is
a particularly corrosive
environment with high humidity
and chlorine levels and glulam
provides a durable low
maintenance solution. Glulam is
designed to last for decades with a
minimum of maintenance.
Fire
Large section timber elements
actually perform very well in
fires,does not deform like steel.
Additional fire protective
finishes can be used to further
increase the fire performance.
Environmental performance
Glulam beams are very
efficient to produce. The
energy required to produce a
glue-laminated beam from
the log is only a fraction of
the energy required to
produce steel or concrete.
Glulam has superior
earthquake resilience and
greater resistance to fire than
any other structural
construction material.

18. Environmental performance
• Glulam beams are very efficient to produce. The energy required to
produce a glue-laminated beam from the log is only a fraction of the
energy required to produce steel or concrete.
• Glulam has superior earthquake resilience and greater resistance to
fire than any other structural construction material.

19. EARTHQUAE PRONE AREA
• Glulam has an excellent strength to weight ratio in comparison to steel and concrete. When considering
equivalent beam sizes for the same load-bearing capacity in glulam and steel, glulam has approximately 1.5
– 2 times the strength to weight ratio of steel.
• This means there is a benefit in the buildability of glulam structures as well as the advantage of much
smaller foundations needed, enabling reduced overall structure weight, ideal in earthquake-prone areas.
• In recent years there has been a lot of research and scientific effort into increasing the use of structural
laminated timber in commercial construction. Significant investment has been made in research and
development by the timber industry in partnership with government agencies.
• There has been a noticeable shift of late with developers moving toward using structural timber for low to
mid-rise multi-story offices as well as large-scale single level buildings such as warehouses, arenas, and
community buildings.

21. CASE STUDY

22. Princeton Bridge ,Princeton, Canada
• FIRM StructureCraft
• TYPE Transport + Infrastructure › Bridge
• YEAR 2010
• Located on the Trans-Canada Trail, this footbridge spans the Tulameen River at Princeton. The two
new 105 ft timber bridge spans were set down onto the existing piers of the Old Kettle Valley
Railway Bridge. The wood bridge deck is suspended by steel rods from twinned Glulam arches and
is covered by an undulating steel roof deck on sawn timber purlins.

31. Gammel Hellerup Gymnasium Multi-Purpose Hall
by BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group, Hellerup, Denmark

33. • Wellington International Airport, structural connection.

34. TYPES OF TIMBER

36. LAMINATED VENRER LUMBER
• Laminated veneer lumber (LVL) is an engineered wood product that
uses multiple layers of thin wood assembled with adhesives.
• Made in a factory under controlled specifications, it is stronger,
straighter, and more uniform.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehzy
hkLmLoo&t=19s

37. Glulam to LVL Comparison
• LVL refers to a manufactured timber product made from thin veneers
(often 3mm) glued together to form large structural members, often
known as Hyspan or similiar. Glulam is made from thicker sections of
timber, generally 15-45mm thick, glued together to form a large
variety of products

38. laminated strand lumber (lsl)
• Laminated Strand Lumber (LSL) is a type of engineered wood. Manufacturers
press together strips of wood that once would have been considered too weak,
small, or misshapen to use.
• This process transforms the scrap wood into solid joists and studs. As the wood
strands are encapsulated in adhesive and due to the homogenous structure of
the composite, LSL is weather-resistant under most conditions (exposure to
direct weathering should be avoided). Two
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=Dt9owR_CY4I

40. parallel strand lumber
• Parallel-strand lumber (PSL) is a form of engineered wood made from
parallel wood strands bonded together with adhesive.
• It is used for beams, headers, columns, and posts, among others uses.

41. cross laminated timber
• The material consists of planks (or lamellas) of sawn, glued, and
layered wood, where each layer is oriented perpendicular to the
previous. By joining layers of wood at perpendicular angles, structural
rigidity for the panel is obtained in both directions, similar to plywood
but with thicker components. In this way, the panel has great tensile
and compressive strength.