Composite components made of glued laminated timber

Composite components are load-bearing components with a solid rectangular cross-section made of two or more glulam components bonded together with a joint-filling adhesive.

As in the manufacturing process of glulam, individual glulam beams are glued together to form composite cross-sections. These composite beams, which are also called block glued beams, require adhesives that are approved for glue joint thicknesses of two to even four millimetres. Since it is difficult to apply an even pressure over the usually large bonding surface, epoxy resins are sometimes used, which require a much lower pressure to create the form fit of the joint.

Block bonding between two single beams made of glulam can help to overcome the manufacturing-related limitation of the beam width. As a rule, beams with a component width of 28 cm or more are block-bonded from two individual cross-sections. However, large box cross-sections or PI panels can also be produced by means of block gluing. Composite cross-sections made of BS timber and X-LAM (cross laminated timber) from several individual cross-sections can have considerable dimensions. The requirements for production are regulated in DIN 1052-10:2012-05.

Composite components are currently being used more frequently in bridge structures, as they have a higher load-bearing capacity and thus enable larger spans. Composite components can also be used for structures with increased fire protection requirements, for example, for long-span hollow box girders designed without stiffening braces.