Which construction type uses glue-laminated beams that may fail due to heat-related adhesive degradation?

Which construction type uses glue-laminated beams that may fail due to heat-related adhesive degradation?

• A. Type I
• B. Type III
• C. Type IV
• D. Type V

Answer: (C)

Glue-laminated beams are an engineered wood member used in heavy timber construction. They are built by bonding layers of wood with adhesives to create long, strong girders. In a fire, those adhesives can lose strength or separate when exposed to high temperatures, even if the wood itself remains partially intact. That heat-related degradation undermines the beam’s ability to carry load, making failure more likely under fire conditions. Type IV construction centers on heavy timber members like glulam beams, so this failure mode is a key concern for that type. Other construction types rely more on noncombustible materials or different wood configurations that don’t depend on the same adhesive bonds, so the specific failure mechanism described isn’t as directly characteristic of them.

Glue-laminated beams are an engineered wood member used in heavy timber construction. They are built by bonding layers of wood with adhesives to create long, strong girders. In a fire, those adhesives can lose strength or separate when exposed to high temperatures, even if the wood itself remains partially intact. That heat-related degradation undermines the beam’s ability to carry load, making failure more likely under fire conditions. Type IV construction centers on heavy timber members like glulam beams, so this failure mode is a key concern for that type. Other construction types rely more on noncombustible materials or different wood configurations that don’t depend on the same adhesive bonds, so the specific failure mechanism described isn’t as directly characteristic of them.