Has anyone tried using glulams?

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has anyone used the aluminum beam yet instead of wood?

Peterson Boat Trailers - Saltwater Boat Trailers, Australian Compliant Boat Trailers












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My pole barn is built with " 6inch x 6inch " glulam poles, which are 3, 2x6s, laminated together. I feel as though their strength is a vertical strength, not horizontal, as they are not solid boards throughout. They are shorter lengths that are infused with finger joints. Fine in construction supported every 16", but not for a boat with a long span for bunk support.

We use glulams Specifically for long spans and pound for pound are stronger than steel. We can use an 8” Glulam where 12” lumber use to be needed. I’ve put in over a hundred glulams over the years in long spans where the smaller size of a steel beam wasn’t required but lumber wouldn’t do.

Paralams will delaminate and swell if you just sneeze on them, but I’m just curious if anyone tried them on a trailer with short immersion times. I honestly don’t know the answer other than when it rains on a home frame the glulams show less swelling than the dimensional lumber.

Cool thread...never had see those aluminum beams that noli showed.
On post #9, I am struggling to understand what is shown. Is the space between the brackets 2" or 4"? The 'carpet-wood-carpet-wood' construction is what I don't get...?

LVLs are designed for loads along their vertical axis. I wouldn't make any guarantees with lateral loads that they'd be experiencing on a trailer bunk. Go lumber IMO, pick out 4 good ones from the yard, when screwing them together have the cup oppose each other.

My apologizes I started to make a reply and realized I was totally wrong, so this is an edit to cancel a really bad reply -- cheers

baja -- the space between the brackets with the old wood is ~3.5", the wood is a nominal 4"x12". I was having a hard time finding wood that size and 14+ feet long. I ended up laminating two 2x12s with PL adhesive and heavy screws. Just waiting for the work schedule to free up to go spend a day in the parking lot at the ramp now