Structural Members

Although Build It Green Structural Insulated Panels form the structural envelope and have considerable integral strength there is often a requirement for additional Structural Members as a consequence of the bespoke design.

Structural Members typically fall into 2 main types:

• Steel Beam/Columns
• Glu-lam Beams/Columns

Steel Beam/Columns

Structural steel members are either supplied as hot or cold rolled steel sections fabricated to suit the structural engineer's specification and finished with primed red oxide paint. Should the steel be exposed out of the building envelope there is typically a requirement to protect the steel with a galvanized or stainless finish. Steel is often used to achieve greater spans, open plan spaces or large glazed areas.

Glu-lam Beams/Columns

Glu-lam consists of a number of timber laminations glued together. This gives it considerably greater structural strength than normal timber, to such an extent that it can form the main structural members in a building.

On average Glu-lam is approximately two-thirds the weight of steel, and has a structural strength graded between GL 24 to GL 28. This enables the glu-lam manufacturer to create large structural beams with known structural properties.

Choice of Structural Members

The Structural Members are determined by our structural engineers at the early design stages of the project.

Steel has the properties of being stronger, heavier and more expensive than the equivalent glu-lam section. It is therefore often chosen as the main hidden structural support when required.

Glu-lams are less expensive and more aesthetically pleasing to the eye in a SIP building and can be used as exposed roof beam supports for a SIP or cut roof.

SIP Building System

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