Glulam: Visible Beauty, Hidden Strength

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Glulam beams have been re-engineered to work better than ever in a host of residential and commercial construction applications. Increased design values and improved product performance make this cost competitive material the natural choice for every project from garage door headers to floor beams.

New PRG-305 Standard Brings Simplified Approach to Glulam

PRG-305, Performance Standard for APA EWS Stock Glulam Beams provides design properties for APA EWS performance-rated stock glulam beams used in residential or commercial floor and roof construction. The standard was developed by APA and its member glulam manufacturers in response to customer requests for a simplified product offering and reduced SKUs by distributors.

What Is Glulam?

Glued Laminated Timber (Glulam) is a stress-rated engineered wood product comprised of wood laminations, or "lams," that are bonded together with strong, waterproof adhesives. Glulam components can be a variety of species, and individual "lams" are typically two inches or less in thickness.

Featured Project: Great Wolf Lodge

An expansive wood roof canopy, supported by glulam trusses, offers a grand entry to Washington state's largest indoor water park resort and conference center. Located in Grand Mound, Washington, between Seattle and Portland, the Great Wolf Lodge sits on 39 acres and includes 399 guest rooms, a youth arcade, a children’s play area, six restaurants, and a 51,000-square-foot water park with six pools and four rides. A 40,000-square-foot conference center is also being built onsite.

Exposed APA EWS glulam, measuring 60 feet long, 4.5 feet deep and 8-3/4 inches wide, was used in the resort’s concourse, lobby, and conference center. Sixty-five-foot-long glulam beams were used in the water park.

"The glulam was pretty essential in the [design of the] concourse, the main lobby and the conference center," said the project’s architect, George Stromquist, AIA, LEED AP, with GSPS Architects. "The exposed glulam trusses in these areas and the exposed tongue-and-groove wood deck were crucial in maintaining the lodge feel," he added.

While the glulam was used primarily for aesthetics in the resort, it provided additional benefits to the architect. "In the water park, the glulam solved the corrosion issue," Stromquist said. Glulam timbers are naturally resistant to corrosive environments, such as in humid natatoriums.

Go to the Publication Library to download additional information on this project: APA Case Study: Great Wolf Lodge.

CAD Information

For glulam details in a CAD format, go to the Glulam Beams section at www.apacad.org. Details for glulam floor beams, garage door headers and roof beams are available in four different formats – .DWG, .DWF, .DXF and .PDF, and can be quickly downloaded and inserted into your building plans.

Use Glulam With Narrow Wall Bracing

An integral part of APA’s Narrow Wall Bracing Method is extending headers to the corner framing. When glulam is used, the extended headers provide a good nailing surface for the sheathing and enhance the lateral strength of the wall. Glulam beams work well in tandem with the APA Narrow Wall Bracing Method to offer a strong, stable, and easy to construct solution for narrow wall segments. Learn more about glulam’s role in narrow wall bracing by visiting the Headers section.

Make The Switch

Using glue laminated floor beams in your next commercial or residential project will bring added benefits beyond the structural considerations. Click Floor Beams under the Builder Guides on the left to read why you should make the switch to glulam today.

The APA-EWS Mark of Quality

APA EWS trademarks appear only on products manufactured by APA EWS member mills. The mark signifies that panel quality is subject to verification through APA EWS audit– a procedure designed to assure manufacture in conformance with APA performance standards or the standard shown in the mark.

Glulam and Formaldehyde Emissions

Because formaldehyde levels associated with glulam are so low, glulam products easily meet or have been exempted from the world’s most stringent formaldehyde emissions standards and regulations. View the Facts on Formaldehyde Emissions And Glued Laminated Timbers PDF for more information.