Glulam lintels

[SuperPav]

I am (bizarrely) really struggling to find much about this on google, maybe it's just not a very clever idea.

 

Is there any reason not to use a (suitably sized) glulam beam as a lintel above a door opening in a masonry construction? Inner leaf thinjoint celcon, outer leaf 140mm stone, the lintel would only be used for the inner leaf.

 

We've got a few openings (up to 2.4m max) which need to be in the ceiling, with posijoists at right angles to them so I can't just use a box section lintel and sit the posijoists on top as I don't want the lintels dropping down below ceiling level.. The alternative we're currently planning on is to use a 254mm steel with timber bearers in the web and face fix hangers to it, but if the cost is similar, I'm just thinking why glulam wouldn't work, for either the thinjoint leaf, the stone leaf or both? 

 

Older houses obviously all used timber lintels with stone, but is that movement just considered excessive for modern construction? 

 

[nod]

I’m not a fan of glue lam

A steel with timber bolted in is ideal for hanging joists from

[Olf]

I'm in search of Catnic alternatives (as parent Tata Steel haven't been able to make sheets to roll it for the last 10 weeks) and think it is catch 22 situation: there are few glulam suppliers, so you can't pick up single beams easily like with steel merchants. That leaves them focusing on whole building projects (especially when fancy shapes are involved), those driven directly by architects studios - so self builder with few sticks is not really a partner. I kind of understand that: with £100k frame it makes sense to educate an architect with technicalities of glulam, to do that with self builder trying to mate with blockwork on a £1k project (so few hundreds in profit) may not seem sensible - though nothing is in the way to just publish that, rather than keep that secret. Or simply speaking imho glulam folks are cosy enough in the niche they cater for and don't see the need to reach out for extra business.

[Russell griffiths]

Just use the steel it’s such an easy thing to do. 

Bolt the timber in while on the ground and just lift it up and build it in. 

 

[Conor]

Engineers here aren't used to working with glulam. Our bifold supplier wanted to use a glulam head as its what they are used to (Dutch). By the time I would have paid my engineer to recalculate and spec for a glulam beam, I would have been able to buy a steel beam for the same cost, before we even think about the cost of the beam.

[SimonD]

I've got a few glulam lintels but my construction is hybrid masonry and timber so not entirely encased in masonry, just sitting on it. I designed the lintels to be visible. There are a few places that will sell you beams cut to length. With the company I used I just sent them details of the openings together with drawings and asked them for equivalent glulam, it was no problem design wise. However, they were more expensive that steel lintels and a lot more expensive than concrete ones. Span wise mine are about 2.5m.

Edited July 30, 2021 by SimonD

[SuperPav]

Thanks all, the beam wouldn't be encased in masonry, but would just be used instead of a lintel/steel. #

 

I've already got glulam going up as the ridge beams so supplying them isn't an issue, they can just make up a section cut to size, it just struck me as odd that more people don't use it given it's quite easy, particularly where directly attaching other timber members (e.g. floor joists).

 

Will probably end up just using an  RSJ with a timber in the web as above, more to not confuse the builders than anything else!