the timber network

With the growing interest in the use of renewable resources, the demand for wood as a structural material was increasing. Engineered wood products (EWPs) such as glulam were also being used in structures, according to Dr. Jegatheswaran Ratnasingam in an FDM Asia article. Glulam is an engineered stress-rated product created by adhesively bonding together individual pieces of lumber with thickness of 50mm or less. It can be shaped into forms ranging from straight beams to complex curved members. Glulam is used typically for headers, girders, purlins, beams, and arches and less frequently in outdoor applications such as bridges, marinas and transmission structures.

Global glulam consumption registers healthy growth

In 2005, Europe was the largest market for glulam at 1.87 million m3, followed by the Asia-Pacific region with 1.49 million m3 and North America with 0.9 million m3. In North America there is greater acceptance for laminated veneer lumber (LVL), another EWP.

Glulam demand in Asia-Pacific is driven by Japan and China. Japan is both the largest consumer and producer of EWPs in the region, with glulam accounting for almost 48% of the consumption. Nearly one-third is imported from Indonesia, New Zealand, Malaysia and China. Since 2002, Japan’s glulam imports have risen almost 65%, with new supplies arriving from Russia. The wood-frame construction sector accounts for almost 60% of the new housing starts in Japan. The Japanese wood-frame sector has three sub-sectors: traditional post and beam construction, light-frame construction and pre-fabricated structures. Post and beam housing dominates the woodframe sector with a share of over 80%.

The post and beam sub-sector in the Japanese residential construction sector was estimated to absorb around 86% of the imported glulam. The demand for glulam in China was estimated to be in the range of 150,000 m3 and was expected to surpass the 500,000 m3 level within the next few years.

Rosy prospects for glulam in coming years

Dr. Ratnasingam expected the demand growth for glulam to escalate as the supply of solid wood products declines. Many engineered wood products, such as glulam, are made from young, small diameter trees, making their production expandable. Moreover, some of the EWPs provide a market for lower quality fiber (both species and diameter). Against this backdrop, he added, the future outlook for glulam demand appeared promising.