Can glulam be used to meet the requirements of Heavy Timber Construction?
Heavy Timber Construction is a specific type of construction recognized in the building codes for its excellent fire performance. To achieve the required performance, minimum sizes of all structural timber members are prescribed and concealed spaces (such as attics and crawl spaces) are prohibited. The minimum prescribed sizes in the building code are typically expressed in nominal dimensions for sawn timbers. A table with equivalent minimum sizes for structural glued laminated timber is provided by the International Building Code. When properly sized according to this table and all loading requirements, glulam meets the requirements of Heavy Timber Construction.
