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Component Manufacturing dverti$ dverti $ er
Don’t Forget! You Saw it in the
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August 2024 #16301 Page #76
Design Connections
Geordie Secord, Senior Recruiter TheJobLine.com – Canada
Making the Most of Mass Timber
ndoubtedly you’ve seen many articles talking about mass timber, but you may not be very familiar with what products are included and some of their applications. In speaking with some light-frame component manufacturers over recent years, I have heard many of them mention that they are, or have considered, pursuing entry into the mass timber market, or that they have been approached to provide mass timber components to their existing clients.
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First, it might be worthwhile to discuss what products are included within the mass timber world: •
Glulam, the granddaddy of mass timber products, has been in widespread use for approximately 100 years. Glulam beams and columns are made by stacking and gluing laminations of 2x_ lumber to produce member sections up to 7’ deep, and in excess of 130’ long. They have been commonly used in concealed, purely structural applications as well as more frequently exposed to show off the beauty of the wood. Exposed uses continue to be one of the most attractive (no pun intended) reasons for the use of all mass timber products, but there are compelling reasons for using mass timber as a purely structural product.
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Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) is relatively new, first being used in Europe in the early 1990s, and in North America in the early 2000s. CLT is made by stacking layers of lumber, generally 2x4, in alternating directions to create panels from 4 ½” to 12” thick, with widths of around 10’ and lengths up to 50’ or more. These panels can be used for walls, floors, or roofs. It might be easiest to think of them as being the wood version of tilt-up concrete or core slab.
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Nail Laminated Timber (NLT) and Dowel Laminated Timber (DLT) are similar products made up of dimensional lumber stacked side by side on edge and fastened with either nails or hardwood dowels. Either can be used for walls or roofs.
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