Products / Glulam – Jackhammer

Glulam

Glulam, or glued laminated timber, is a versatile and sustainable building material that has gained widespread recognition globally. Comprising multiple layers of timber laminations bonded together using structural grade adhesive.
Glulam offers exceptional strength, stability, and aesthetic appeal. Its unique characteristics have made it a preferred choice for architects, engineers, and builders working on high-profile commercial and residential projects worldwide. From iconic skyscrapers to luxurious homes, glulam has been successfully integrated into various structures, showcasing its potential to revolutionize the construction industry with its durability, sustainability, and design flexibility.

Glulam Beams

Glulam is extensively used as beams and columns in modern construction, offering a unique combination of strength, stability, and visual appeal. As beams, glulam provides long-span capabilities. As columns, glulam offers a slender, yet robust profile, enabling architects to create bright, airy spaces while maintaining structural integrity.

Glulam Panel

Glulam is also increasingly being used as a premium material for floors and ceilings, offering a unique blend of functionality, sustainability, and visual appeal. As flooring, glulam provides a durable, stable, and warm surface that can be finished in a variety of ways to suit different design aesthetics. As ceilings, glulam adds a touch of natural elegance, creating a sense of warmth and coziness while also providing excellent acoustic properties

Rooftop Solution

Our company specializes in innovative rooftop solutions that elevate structures using timber, a remarkably lightweight yet robust material. By harnessing the potential of timber, we create additional living or recreational spaces that not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of buildings but also provide a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to other construction methods.

How is GLT made?

GLT is made from a wide variety of species like Douglas-fir, spruce-pine-fir (SPF) and western hemlock. Beams and columns of virtually any size and shape are fabricated by laminating three or more kiln-dried, stress-tested, and finger-jointed lumber together to form continuous laminations.

These laminations are pressed together using a mechanized, hydraulic press, bonded with weather-resistant adhesives. Pressure treatment is used for exterior applications. GLT can be customized as straight, curved, arched and tapered members.

What is glulam used for?

As one of the oldest and widely used mass timber products, glulam use is broad and includes virtually all building types. Beyond buildings, it serves as the primary material for major load-bearing structures such as bridges, canopies and pavilions. It can be used as columns, straight or curved beams and affixed side-by-side to form panels. It is particularly well suited to long-spanning structures, custom curvilinear shapes and combines well with hybrid assemblies and building systems.

Glulam is well-suited to long span designs

Glulam is the primary structure for a growing number of bridges and elevated pedestrian walkways in B.C. from a pedestrian walkway stretching 44 metres across one of the City of Burnaby’s main thoroughfares to an undulating pedestrian bridge in Princeton, a small town in the Similkameen region of southern B.C.

Performance of glulam

Will glulam burn in a fire?

Widely used in Canada for more than half a century, glulam’s fire safety is well-established through its extensive use and testing. Glulam is permitted and is safe to be exposed, as its large mass provides inherent resistance to fire. Like other mass timber products, glulam naturally resists fire because it chars. In the event of a fire, this char on the outside forms a protective layer while retaining strength. This slows combustion significantly, allowing time to evacuate the building safely.
Research on the fire resistance of glulam (external link) continues, with a focus on tall wood construction using glulam products.
Surrey Memorial Hospital Emergency Department and Critical Care Tower | Photo credit: Ed White Photographics, courtesy of CEI Architecture and Parkin Architects.

Brentwood Town Centre Station | Photo credit: Tae Ik Hwang

Will glulam rot or mould?

Glulam has been widely used in both interior and exterior applications for decades, standing the test of time. It will not rot or acquire mould when installed and maintained correctly (external link). Weather protection during installation is important and exposure to water should be avoided. To ensure long-term durability, steps should be taken to keep glulam dry during transport, construction and assembly. Building design and maintenance can go a long way to protecting mass timber such as glulam from moisture and decay. For added protection, glulam can be treated (external link) with preservatives and pressurized treatments, each varying based on a project’s climate and design requirements. Glulam’s resilience is well-demonstrated by its continued and long-service life in historic structures that endure to this day.

How does glulam compare to other building materials?

At less than 10 per cent the weight of steel and one-fifth the weight of concrete, using glulam offers increased efficiencies in transportation, smaller carbon footprint and a lighter-weight structure with comparable strength. Compared to concrete, glulam structures can be installed in a shorter time, all-year-round taking advantage of prefabrication. Glulam can be used in place of structural steel, offering two times the strength to weight ratio.

Brock Commons Tallwood House | Photo credit: Tim Herron

A long history of proven performance

From pools and supermarkets to schools and high-rises, glulam has been used in a wide variety of B.C. buildings for decades, continuing to endure, perform and look great. From long-spanning to tall and towering structures, explore the growing number of projects in B.C. using this strong, light wood product that has stood the test of time.

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