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Heard a foreman say glue-lams are stronger than solid beams - that math doesn't check out
I was on a job site last Tuesday in Springfield and this foreman told the new kid glue-laminated beams have more load capacity than a solid 6x12 of the same species. I checked the span tables that evening and found a 6x12 Douglas fir rated for 50% more live load than the comparable glulam. Has anyone else run into old-timers passing along bad structural advice like this?
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seana142d ago
And he said that with a straight face? A solid 6x12 has way more wood fiber in one continuous piece, and glue lines are a potential weak point no matter how good the laminating process is. I'd trust the span tables on that one every time.
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lucas1652d ago
Ngl, you nailed it. I had a similar experience with a 4x6 beam that sagged way more than a properly built glulam would've in the same spot, and the span tables don't lie.
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