ITT A TOOK at how glulams are manufactured

OHEMIA Inc., headquartered in Eugene, Or., has manufactured the structural glue laminated products called glulams for over 20 years. For at least a decade they have been largest among the world's glulam producers. The company also produces and sells on a worldwide basis lumber, plywood, particleboard and medium-density fiberboard.

Number one in glulam manufacturing totals in 1988, the company invested millions of dollars in opening two efficient and highly automated glulam plants in Vaughn, just west of Eugene. These state-of-theart facilities complement the original plant in Saginaw, south of Eugene.

Combined daily production capacity of the three plants equals 600,000 board feet. Every day all year long they produce enough glulam beams and headers to form a 2" x 6" ribbon nearly 140 miles long. When this is extended to an annual basis, Bohemia manufactures enough glulams from second growth Douglas fir to stretch around the world two times.

In the past few years, there has been a near explosion in the use of glulams by architects and builders as framing members, door, window and garage door headers, floor beams, roof joists and basement beams as well as cathedral beams. Consequently, glulams constitute the fastest-growing segment in the entire wood products industry.

In the past several years, building designers, builders, contractors, architects and retail dealers have realized that long, strong engineered glulams are typically much less expensive than other engineered wood products. Glulams have replaced laminated veneer lumber (LVL) and parallel strand lumber (PSL) as headers for doors, windows and garage doors. The single-piece, longspanning, glulams allow double garage doors without center posts, spacious bay windows, and imposing entry doors.

Surprising to many, glulams are often as much as a third cheaper than LVL to buy. Equally important, glulams are much easier to install in most applications. Typically, several LVL pieces must be nailed together to achieve structural integrity, while glulams come as a single member.

Story at a Glance

Oregon manufacturer pioneers glulam manufacturing, leads in world production threeplants make products to AITC specs superior strength, load bearing qualities make glulams popular.

All Bohemia glulam products are made to the rigorous criteria established by the American Institute of Timber Construction. They bear the AITC certification stamp. Neither LVL nor PSL products have such certification.

In all three of Bohemia's modern glulam manufacturing facilities, the company takes pride in its exhaustive Quality Assurance system. Not only must Bohemia beams and headers meet and exceed AITC criteria in on-site testing labs prior to shipment, they mustalso pass numerous rigorous inspections and tests conducted by the company's QA personnel. As a result, their reputation for glulam quality circles the globe.

Bohemia was the first U.S. glulam manufacturer to earn JAS certification for importation to Japan. Likewise, Bohemia manufactures beams bearing the CSA approval stamp for shipments to Canada, and their glulams have earned the DIN certification for GermanY. A thriving offshore market for Bohemia beams and headers is Australia. Bohemia's worldwide marketing map encompasses all of Europe, the Far East, Near East, South America and Africa. lJohemia's structural glue laminated beams and headers enjoY unPrecedented popularity across the nationand the worldnot onlY because of their superior strength and loadbearing capacities, but because glulams are economically priced as well.

Before shipment, Bohemia glulam beams and headers are wraPPed in a special paper that is designed to stay on the beam, regardless of climatic conditions. The comPanY prefers this to plastic which can sweat, tear or blow off in gustY or rainy weather.

Since glulams are manufactured with only a l2% moisture content bY Bohemia, their dry and sanded surfaces take stains beautifully. Plus, glulams will not twist, shrink, nor split like today's hard-to-get and expensive solid-sawn lumber. Checking is virtually unknown. Glulams can absorb large impact loads or temporary overloads, including a roof full of snow. They also stand up ruggedly in the face of wind, rain, and even earthquakes.

The company maintains a dailY inventory of stock beams and headers equalling millions of board feet. They sell through wholesalers.