Glued laminated timber: Reliability and high performance

Glued laminated timber is discussed as a structural material which must more and more fulfill two main characteristics: the reliability of its mechanical properties, according to the limited state design of Eurocodes and the high mechanical performances, allowing to optimize the structural material part, and then making timber structures more competitive in comparison to other structural materials. Elastic reliability (MoE) is directly obtained by a better plank timber grading, using NDT methods like the ultrasonic one. Strength reliability (MoR) needs also high performance graded timber but for high performance GLT, the finger joint stochastic effect has to be reduced. Then, the advantages of the multi-glue laminated timber MGLT, will be discussed.