Back to school

f, is for Apple. B is for Beam-CLBeam School that is.

Today's world of engineered wood products can get pretty complicated. In the old days, you didn't feel like you needed an engineering degree to figure out how to drill a hole into a 4x 10. And even though glulam has been around for years, you shouldn't feel embarrassed if you've gotten your cantilever confused with your camber, your live load has died, or the triangular load you thought you were calculating has just become unbalanced.

To help educate and eliminate confusion among their wholesale buyers, sellers and end-users, Rosboro has created a glulam training session called the Beam School.

"Other manufacturers hold classes focusing on I-joists, but we're the only ones doing glulamspecific classes," says course instructor Don Kassa, Rosboro technical services director and creator of the class.

The Beam School is offered four times a year at the Rosboro office in Springfield, Or., and on other dates and locations on the West Coast. Industry professionals who want to expand their knowledge of glulam products, and more specifically, Rosboro glulam products are welcome at these hands-on sessions.

The advantage of attending a class at the Rosboro plant is that the afternoon is devoted to a guided tour of the entire mill facility, which includes lumber cutting, plywood manufacturing, veneer peeling, and, of course, glulam manufacturing. Seeing the manufacturing process up close gives the attendees a new understanding and respect for the wood products they are selling or building with.

"For those who have not seen it," said Wynn Vu, Hampton Distribution, after touring the Rosboro plant, "witnessing the manufacturing process is very important."

Seeing the manufacturing process is not only interesting, but for Scott Shields, an engineer with Brooks Manufacturing, watching the manufacturing process "gave me a better perspective on what (Rosboro) can accomplish and where they are going. I was very impressed with the BigBeam and RMT line and think that they will have good success with those products."

For those not willing or ready to travel, Kassa will also bring the Beam School to your town. "It takes about three and a half hours to cover the class material," says Kassa. "When a wholesaler contacts me and guarantees that they'll have l0 or more attendees, then we'll set it up at their location." Those attending the classes often include sales personnel, yard people, builders and contractors.

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"We start with an introduction and overview about Rosboro, its many products, and then a little history lesson," Kassa says. "Then we dive right into the anatomy of the glulam, why it works, how it works, and why it's made the way it is. We talk about the various combinations of wood used to make these lay-ups (the term describing the composition of a beam) and how these reflect the different strengths. I teach the attendees how we can vary the strengths of a beam based on different woods and the combinations of the wood we use."

Understanding glulam terminology is critical. "We talk about what the words and codes mean including the various combinations of numbers and words particular only to glulams," says Kassa. "We discuss the different kind of loads that can be applied to a glulam, why they are named as they are, how they're used, and how they're relevant to the glulam itself."

An often-confusing terminology is glulam appearance classificationwhat does it really mean? Kassa walks the students through the different APA classifications (Framing, Industrial, Architectural and Premium) and gives tips on which product should be used for a variety of applications.

Then it's time to figure the load. "Once the attendees have a full grasp on glulam terminology," says Kassa, "they learn about the load types, including uniform, concentrated and triangular. I spend considerable time with this concept and we talk about how to size a beam given a specific loading situation. My goal is teach them how to use design tables, which I think is fairly important. When we are finished with the Beam School, they should be able to size a glulam for a typical residential application by using either Rosboro or APA literature."

Some other questions are frequently asked (and answered) at the Beam School: How much camber does a stock beam have? Can it be painted? Will it meet code? Where can it be drilled or notched? How does it compare to (and is it interchangeable with) a competitors' product? Is it economical to use?

Normally, the class ends in a crash course in software. "I spend as much time as the group wants introducing them to the Rosboro-APA WOODCAD beam-sizing software," Kassa says. "My goal is to help them become comfortable using the software so they aren't afraid to rely on it once they get back in their office. Again, I let them know that I am available for questions anytime. And finally, I show the group and of course explain what else they can find on the Rosboro CD."

Kassa doesn't forget to teach the benefits of selling and building with glulam. "We focus on the qualities that make glulam superior to solid sawn lumber, and to other engineered wood products," says Kassa. "Price is always an issue, as is the stability of the product and its availability."

"Salespeople and users alike want to have confidence that the product won't warp, twist, or delaminate," Kassa continues. "Some competitors' products tend to twist, warp or cup rather badly. We talk about that. Other engineered products tend to grow and come apart if they are exposed to moisture. Glulam has been around a while, and it's still a great product. Builders want to know that problems like these will not happen with Rosboro's products. I feel strongly that the attendees of the Beam School leave with a better understanding of the benefits of building with glulam and will teach this to their customers."

On the price issue, Kassa reminds the attendees ofthe savings that can be realized by not returning to a job site to repair damage caused by a beam

(Please turn to next page) faster growing trees cut from second and third generation forests.

Class isn't over at the end of the day. For many attendees, the Beam School is just the beginning. Because Kassa is almost always available via Rosboro's technical support hotline, many attendees continue to learn from him well after the class is over.

Rosboro Beam School

"should be able to answer questions from their customers about checking and cracking, drilling holes and so on. When I say answer questions, I mean that they should be able to know how to get the information. Not that they're going to leave my class knowing or remembering all the details. But they will have more background on how a glulam is made, how it works and why it works. I'd like to think they can speak with more authority to their customers."

C ontinue d from prev ious p a ge ) that has warped or twisted inside a wall. He also reminds them of the environmental benefits of using glulam timbers. As logging practices continue to be scrutinized and old growth forests become more and more protected, glulams are an excellent alternative. Because they are a laminate, glulam can be made from smaller,

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"Sometimes I'll get a customer on the phone who wants to know if they have ruined their beam with the hole they just drilled," says Kassa. "Drilling and notching are always a big item. They'll drill a beam or notch it and want to know if it's still all right."

"Since attending the Beam School, I speak with Don at least once a week, asking technical questions," says engineer Terry Coon, PrimeSource.

Graduates of the class, savs Kassa, knowledge and commitment to consistently exceed customer expectations are All-Coast Forest Products. As a value-added reseller, distributor and and building materials, we provide scheduled, on-time delivery service industrial customers only. Our company-owned-and-operated truck fleet states from five distribution centers. You'll find:

Lately Kassa has found himself in front of building inspectors explaining the benefits of glulams and teaching them proper selection. "That's something I want to expand on, reaching more building officials. Hopefully, now that we are finishing the new Rosboro Technical Guide (due out in July or August), we'll start reaching the design professionals, the architects and engineers, with a slightly different version of the Beam School."

The best compliment a teacher can receive is the appreciation of a former student. Asked if he would recommend the class to others, Chris Swaja, BMC West, Sherwood, Or., said, "Definitely. Especially to those who aren't familiar with glulam products."

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