Investigation of using Acacia Mangium glulam
as an alternative to reinforced concrete for
beams in building construction projects
Halivier C. Legaspina 1
hclegaspina@up.edu.ph
Abstract
All materials used in building construction are gathered from
different natural resources, such as logging and mining,
depending on the material applied. In any way, it creates impacts
upon the environment as well as the economy. The sustainability
of the materials is defined by how it is gathered and processed. In
addition, it is defined as well in how great is its impact to the
economy and the environment.
In the construction of structural elements, such as columns and
beams, the most common materials integrated are timber,
concrete, and steel, although the most common and widely used
material is reinforced concrete. Although timber was widely used
in the early period of construction, it alone has its disadvantages
and cannot overcome the strength of reinforced concrete.
However, innovations have been made and the production of
glulam have been discovered over the years in order to increase
the capacity of timber and be a competitive material to the
conventional ones in terms of strength and physical capabilities.
Concrete and steel are both gathered from mining, where the
resources for the raw materials are not naturally renewable.
Timber, on the other hand, is harvested by logging of trees from
forests, in which timber is the only building material used in
major construction that is organic and can be grown.
This paper will focus on the comparison of reinforced concrete and
glulam beams. The purpose of focusing on beams rather than
columns is the behavior of forces acting within. Column element
is mainly subjected to compression, while beams are subjected to
both shear and bending, which composes of the combination of the
two axial forces, tension and compression, separated by the
neutral axis.
This paper is an investigation of the sustainability of glulam in
its integration to beams of various construction projects in the
Philippines. The timber specie to be focused on for the glulam
material will be Acacia mangium Willd., as it is a fast-growing
tree and has a good quality to be used in construction. This study
will involve validation through building simulation, different
quantitative methods, and comparative analyses between Acacia
mangium glulam and reinforced concrete. It is expected to justify
the capability of Acacia mangium glulam in its integration to
beams of structures, as well as its sustainability in construction.
Keywords: Glulam, Acacia mangium Willd., Reinforced
concrete, beams, timber
1
1st Year graduate student, Master of Architecture, College of
Architecture, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City,
Philippines 1101, 2nd Semester, S.Y. 2018-2019
MUHON: A Journa l of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and the Designe d Environment
University of the Philippines College of Architecture
I. Introduction
A. Rationale
This paper will discuss about the economic and
environmental impacts of the integration of glue-laminated
timber in structures in the Philippines using local fast-
growing, low-cost softwood timber species, particularly the
Acacia Mangium specie; how sustainable will it be? This
paper is a feasibility study of the integration of glue-
laminated timber in the Philippines as well as an in-depth
analysis in its economic and environmental impacts. This is
also a comparative analysis between glue-laminated timber
and concrete. Several building materials are used in the
construction of major structural elements, such as beams
and columns. The most commonly known material
categories of materials are concrete, steel, and timber. The
applicability of the uses of these materials depends on the
type of building, loadings, and location.
Reinforced concrete is widely used in major construction
projects all across the world. It is known for its durability
and strength, in which it can withstand different forces and
carry different loads in a building. However, raw materials
that are contained in reinforced concrete used in major
structural elements are all gathered through mining, and
the resources for these materials are not renewable, unlike
indigenous materials, such as timber and bamboo that can
be grown and reproduced over time. Once the raw
materials are gathered for producing reinforced concrete,
they cannot be replaced. After several years, there might be
a scarcity of the resources for this particular building
material. Also, the major component of reinforced concrete,
which is the cement, cannot be recycled into its original
state, unlike steel. Hence, an alternative material, which can
be reproduced, may be recommended.
Timber is one of the building materials that is used in major
construction projects. It can also be applied in construction
of major structural elements such as post and lintel
elements (Ramage, Burridge, Busse-Wicher, Fereday,
Reynolds, Shah, Wu, Yu, Fleming, Densley-Tingley,
Allwood, Dupree, Linden, & Scherman, 2017). This material
can also be used in large bridges (Malo, 2016), proving that
it can carry dynamic loads. Among the building materials
used in the construction of major structural elements,
timber is the only material that is grown (Ramage, et. al,
2017) and reproduced quickly. However, the reproduction
cycles might take too long, depending on the species of
trees used for this material, especially hardwood products.
Therefore, many studies indicate that many fast-growing
timber species may be used for timber production, which
will take a shorter time to regrow.
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Investigation of using Acacia Mangium glulam as an alternative to reinforced concrete for beams in
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One of the main issues in using timber in construction is its
environmental impacts, which is the inevitable
deforestation or decline in the forestry. Although the trees,
which are the sources of this building material, are grown,
but it would take decades to for them to regrow and reach
the age, where each tree reaches its peak of maturity in
order to be used for major construction. This is the most
usual cases especially in hardwood tree species.
Nevertheless, there are also trees that take a shorter time to
grow and reach its maturity age – these are the softwood
species. One example of softwood species is the Acacia
Mangium, also known as the forest mangroves and
mangium as its common names, which will be focused in
this study. Acacia mangium is a fast-growing specie of tree
that can be recommended in integrating in building
construction, as it takes a short amount of time to mature
and germinates a high amount of seeds (Hedge,
Palanisamy, & Yi, 2013). Based on the provisions of the
National Structural Code of the Philippines 2015, the Acacia
mangium timber is classified within the moderate strength
category of timber (Association of Structural Engineers of
the Philippines, 2016).
Timber also has properties and capabilities that are similar
to reinforced concrete in terms of its behavior of resisting
different loads. Although timber has many weakness, and
it alone cannot be as sturdy as reinforced concrete,
innovations has been conducted in engineering this
material to produce various timber technologies that has
improved material properties, such as glue-laminated
timber and many other engineered timber.
Glue-laminated timber, also known as glulam, is the
commonly used engineered timber for major structural
elements in building construction projects among the other
engineered timber products, such as cross-laminated
timber. It is composed of several timber planks or pieces
laminated together with the use of adhesive material to
create a larger structural member (Ong, 2015). Glulam, like
concrete, is classified into different categories of strength.
Depending on the specie of timber and adhesive used in its
production, it can achieve a various amount of strength as
categorized in the table shown in BS EN 1194 (1999), one of
the British standards in glulam.
Segundinho, França, Neto, Gonçalves, & Oliveira (2015)
investigated the material properties of glulam beams using
Acacia mangium species and different adhesives for
lamination. Their investigation led them to a result that
proves that the strength of Acacia mangium glulam can be
competitive with the strength of reinforced concrete for
beam structures. Based on their study, the strength of
Acacia mangium glulam may reach maximum strength
under C-30 category, which are shown in the tabulation of
strength categories provided in BS EN 1194 (1999) and
Hassachler Norica Timber (n.d.).
This research is a deeper investigation of the properties of
the Acacia mangium timber and its properties as a glulam
structural member. It aims to prove the sustainability of
integrating this particular material as an alternative
material to reinforced concrete for beams in various
building construction projects in Metro Manila. Although,
this study does not intend to discourage or omit the use of
reinforced concrete, but to provide a future long-term
solution for promoting a sustainable construction design.
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MUHON: A Journa l of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and the Designe d Environment
University of the Philippines College of Architecture
B. Statement of the Problem
Research Problem
Although the cost for integrating Acacia mangium glulam
would be higher than using concrete for beams in building
construction, there are other advantages in glulam in terms
of its performance and sustainability in many aspects, in
which it would be more beneficial in the long-term run.
How will it justify that Acacia mangium glulam can be
sustainably used as an alternative to concrete beams in
building construction projects in the Philippines?
The main goal of this paper is to justify the possibility of
locally integrating glulam for beams in different
construction projects in the Philippines, particularly within
Metro Manila in a feasible way in terms of construction,
economy, and environment. However, it is necessary to
determine whether it is really feasible and more sustainable
to integrate glue-laminated timber in the Philippines. Some
factors to consider in this study is the availability or
material sources, applicability, strength, economy, and
environment; these factors can be considered
interchangeably, with no particular order, as they all affect
each other. Hypothetically, consideration of these five
major factors may lead to a sustainable outcome.
The main problem of the research is subdivided into
smaller key research questions. These questions will
somewhat lead to the formulation of answers to the main
problem, resulting to the achievement of the main research
goal. The significances of each following questions are
shown through the research objectives.
Key Research Questions and Objectives
What do current studies and discoveries tell about Acacia
mangium and the possibility of using Acacia mangium
glulam for beams? The current studies and discoveries of
the focus of this study aims to understand the capability of
glulam timber, in which it can be integrated in major
structural elements in building construction projects,
particularly beams for this study. Also, it may be a way to
identify different means of enhancing the capabilities and
strength of Acacia mangium.
What are the characteristics of Acacia mangium glulam in
terms of its physical, mechanical, chemical, and
construction properties? The properties and characteristics
of Acacia mangium glulam should be well understood in
order to identify its composition. This problem aims to
identify the materials contained in its production, as well as
the resources of these materials, and their availability.
What are the various methods that Acacia mangium can be
tested for its sustainability and capability as a structural
beam, and what would be the results? These various testing
methods for mangium will determine the different
standards in its production in order to indicate its safety
measures. In addition, these safety measures refer to the
construction of glulam beams with the use of Acacia
mangium timber, which are defined through its size, its
span, and layout. This way, the possible structural failures
caused by different casualties and natural phenomena may
be addressed.
Based on the findings drawn from this study and
experiment, how does Acacia mangium perform and show
its sustainability as a structural beam that can withstand
different loads? The performance and sustainability of the
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 Investigation of using Acacia Mangium glulam as an alternative to reinforced concrete for beams in
beams produced by Acacia mangium timber aims to further
analyze and compare the different characteristics and
properties between this material and the conventional
reinforced concrete. This way, the advantages of both
materials in different aspects will be determined. In
addition, the comparison of these materials will determine
and prove the sustainability of glulam in the construction
of buildings.
C. Setting of the Problem
Scope of the Study
This research will focus on the properties of Acacia
mangium, its characteristics as a building material, its
physical features, and its applications. In terms of
application, this study is limited only to beams, particularly
simply supported beams, as beams are subjected manly in
shear and bending, in which bending contains a
combination of both tension and compression forces.
Assumptions
Based on different theories, discoveries, and readings, it is
assumed that glued-laminated timber, being a flexible,
elastic, lightweight, and less massive material, has the
capability to carry loads and resist earthquake more than
conventional materials such as reinforced concrete. And
based on the basic principles and characteristics of
materials, it is also assumed that timber is more sustainable
than conventional reinforced concrete, such as concrete and
steel, as it can be recycled. Since timber is an organic
material, once the life span reaches its end, it can be
disposed and naturally degrade, which benefits the natural
environment. Timber is also a renewable material, and its
scarcity can be managed accordingly.
building construction projects
Legaspina
materials, timber is the only material that is regrown in a
period of time, indicating that it may be beneficial to the
environment. However, a large amount of energy may be
used in the production of timber material for building
construction, particularly in the process of logging and
drying. (Ramage, et. al, 2017).
Glue-laminated timber, its history, characteristics, and
application
Glulam is an engineered timber that can be used as a
structural member in building construction projects, such
as columns and beams. It is composed of timber strips that
are glued together using various types of adhesives, such as
Melamine-urea formaldehyde, liquid polyurethane, and
other amino plastics. (Ong, 2015, Segundinho, et. al, 2015, &
DSCDocumentries, 2012). The factors that will determine
the strength of a glulam member are the species of timber,
dimensions of the member, and the adhesives. (Ong, 2015).
High-grade timber are mostly used in the early years, but
recent studies show that softwood species can also be used
in glulam production. Some examples of softwood species
used in producing glulam beams are Popular (Basterra, et.
al, 2017) and Acacia Mangium (Segundinho, et. al, 2015).
Many studies stated that such softwood species can be
strengthened by the use of reinforcements, such as Fiber
Reinforced Polymer (FRP) (Ong, 2015) and Glass Fiber
Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) (Basterra, et. al, 2017) sheets
applied with the adhesives.

Significance of the Study

The significance of this study addresses various aspects in
the environment and building construction industry in the
Philippines. This research aims to address global warming
by reducing carbon footprint emissions through promotion
of the use of glued laminated timber, as this material
composes of organic elements, such as wood and resins.
The reinforcement of glued laminated timber can
contribute of prolonging its life span, which can give ample
time for some trees to grow back. This research is not
intended only for the benefit of different design
professionals but also for the students in the field of
designing built environment, who will design structures in
the future.

II. Review of Related Literature

Several literatures that are related to the research topic,
particularly the focus of the research, are reviewed in order
to provide answers to the key research questions, as well as
the main research problem. These literatures may also be
used as bases for validating the theories, assumptions, and
hypotheses of this study.

A. Background of the Study

Timber structures Figure 1. Typical stages of glulam production
Timber is one of the categories of building materials used Source: Ong, C.B. (2015). “Glue-Laminated Timber”. Wood composites,
in the construction of major structural elements along with p. 125
reinforced concrete and steel. Among these building
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University of the Philippines College of Architecture Issue No. 6
Investigation of using Acacia Mangium glulam as an alternative to reinforced concrete for beams in
building construction projects
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Figure 2. Multi-story structures worldwide that applied timber in major structural elements.
Source: Ramage, M.H., Burridge, H., Busse-Wicher, M., Fereday, G., Reynolds, T., Shah, D.U., Wu, G., Yu, L., Fleming, P., Densley-Tingley, D., Allwood, J.,
Dupree, P., Linden, P.F., & Scherman, O. (2015). “The wood from the trees: The use of timber in construction”. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews,
Issue 68, p. 350

Timber species applied in glulam structures
National Structural Code of the Philippines (ASEP, 2016)
provided a tabulation of timber species that can be used in
structural designing of building main structural elements,
wherein these species are also used in glulam integration.
One of the species listed in this Code is the Acacia
mangium, which is used in the production of glulam beams
as mentioned in the stdy of Segundinho (et. al) (2015). Other
species used in producing beams are Poplar, a fast-growing
low cost timber as mentioned by Basterra, Balmori,
Morillas, Acuña, & Casado (2017) and Van Acker, Defoirdt,
& Van den Bulcke (2016), Nordic pine (Abrahamsen &
Malo, 2014), and mahogany (Lestari, Hadi, Hermawan, &
Santoso, 2015).
There is also a current on-going conceptualization of a 42-
story high-rise building by SOM engineers, however, it is
not yet being constructed. (Ramage, et. al, 2017)
In the Philippines, the first all-glulam roof structure was
constructed in Mactan, Cebu (BuildingandInteriors, 2018).
This structure is the new terminal of the Mactan Cebu
International airport, though the glulam materials
integrated in this structure are all imported from Europe
(Galarpe, 2018). This was also featured in the article by
Manila Standard (2018). The image of the exterior of this
structure is shown in Figure 3.

Existing Structures using glulam

Multi-story structures that used glulam in the structural
elements are located in many different countries
worldwide, as shown in Figure 2. Majority of these
structures are mid-rise buildings, and there is one existing
high-rise building located in Bergen, Norway (Abrahamsen
& Malo, 2014). The structural design of these buildings are
a combination of reinforced concrete applied in the
foundation and base of the building and glulam material for
the structural elements rising to the top. Examples of these
structure that are located in different countries are two the
five-story buildings in Italy, the six-story Limnologen
located in Sweden, seven-story residence in United
Kingdom, and the fourteen-story Treet building in Norway.
Figure 3. Mactan, Cebu International Airport Terminal 2
Source: Republic of the Philippine: Philippine News Agency. (2018).
Public viewing for new Cebu airport terminal set. Retrieved from
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1039514
B. Acacia mangium
As shown in Figures 4 and 5, Acacia mangium, also known
as mangium as its common name worldwide, is a fast-
growing timber specie that is native to Papua New Guinea,

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University of the Philippines College of Architecture Issue No. 6
 Investigation of using Acacia Mangium glulam as an alternative to reinforced concrete for beams in
building construction projects
parts of Indonesia, and northeastern Queensland in
Australia. Due to its rapid growth and tolerance of very
poor soil, it is introduced to many countries such as other
Southeast Asian countries, African countries, and parts of
South America. Mangium is a quality timber that can be
used in different variety, especially in furnishing and
building construction. (Hedge, Palanisamy, & Yi, 2013)
Figure 4. Generalized distribution of Acacia mangium.
Source: Acacia mangium Willd. Kew science: Plants of the world online..
Retrieved from
http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:470839-1
Figure 5. Acacia mangium Willd.
Source: Maurice McDonald. Retrieved from
http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:470839-1
MUHON: A Journa l of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and the Desi gne d Environment
University of the Philippines College of Architecture
Legaspina
The use of such small diameter fast-growing timber specie
like Acacia mangium may be able to substitute the slow-
growing hardwood species for timber construction
(Herawati, Massijaya, & Nugroho, n.d.). Hardwood and
large-diameter species of timber take several decades to
mature and be able to harvest, while Acacia mangium,
based on the experimental study of Segundinho, et. al.
(2015), can be harvested in 18 years of age, yet it could
almost reach the same strength as of reinforced conrete in
beams.
C. Properties of Acacia mangium glulam
Acacia mangium is categorized in medium strength group
of timber species in the National Structural Code of the
Philippines 2015, having a maximum bending capacity of
15.51 MPa (2249.54 psi) and a maximum shearing capacity
of 1.95 MPa (230.61 psi) (ASEP, 2016). Many current studies
have investigated the use of Acacia mangium in the
production of glulam.
Segundinho, França, Neto, Gonçalves, & Oliveira (2015)
conducted shear and delamination test for Acacia mangium
glulam using various adhesives for laminating the timber
planks. The shear test is used to determine the compressive
and shear capacities of Acacia mangium glulam. The
adhesives in their study are liquid polyurethane (PUR) and
melamine-urea formaldehyde (MUR), which are both
having a pressure of 0.80 MPa (116 psi). The result of their
test indicated that Acacia mangium glulam may be
classified under the C-30 strength category of glulam
timber based on BS EN 1194 (1999), in which it may reach a
maximum bending capacity of 30 MPa or 4350 psi.
30 MPa of modulus of rupture (MOR) is required by Japan
Agricultural Standard for glulam timber (JAS 234:2003) for
glulam design. Acacia mangium tested and compared with
other timber species for glulam beam strength; it was
compared with African wood with the use of water-based
polymer isocyanate (WBPI) (Herawati, Massijaya, &
Nugroho, n.d.), and with manii and sengon species
(Komariah, Hadi, Massijaya, & Suryana, 2015).
Compression test was conducted in these studies, resulting
to results that satisfies the requirements of JAS 234:2003.
However, since glulam is still an organic material, it is still
subject to different failures that occur naturally in wood,
such as decays, expansion or shrinkage due to moisture,
termites and insects, and fire. Other failures are due to the
loads that are carried by the glulam member. These failures
particular to glulam beams that are occurred by the carried
loads are the shear, bending, and delamination of
adhesives. Even though glulam is subjected to various
failures, there are treatments that can be applied to prevent
these. In Australia, they have conducted different standards
for different wood treatments, especially fire treatment,
since many structures are built in this country using timber
(Wood Solutions, 2016). Shear and bending failures can
only be prevented by the design of the glulam member itself
as long as it is designed and produced according to the
provisions of different standards and codes such as the
National Structural Code of the Philippines (ASEP, 2015),
BS EN 1194 (1999), BS EN 408 (1995), ISO 12578 (2016), and
other standards relevant to glulam design. Delamination,
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Investigation of using Acacia Mangium glulam as an alternative to reinforced concrete for beams in
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however, can be repaired, but the behavior should be
understood (Ferreira, Cruz, & Silva, 2017).
D. Methods for testing Acacia mangium
glulam beams
In testing Acacia mangium beams, shearing and/or
bending tests may be conducted using various testing
machines. Some examples of testing apparatuses or
machines for glulam beams are INSTRON MEN-102/100
machine for bending capacity (Basterra, Balmori, Morillas,
Acuña, & Casado, 2017) and Empa machine for shearing
tests (Steiger & Richter, 2009) shown in Figures 6 and 7,
although there are many other machine models for these
kinds of tests.
Testing methods of glulam should be in accordance to
certain standards, such as the provisions by American
Institute of Timber Construction (2007), ASTM D 143-94
(2000) and ASTM D 905-03 (1998). The result of the
performance of glulam beams should comply with the
provisions of ISO 12578 (2016) and BS EN 386:2001 (2001).
In testing glulam structures, the strength of adhesives in the
lamination of timber components must also be determined
and must comply with the provisions of BS EN 391:2002
(2002) and BS EN:392:2002 (2002).
Figure 6 (Left). Shear test for glulam members.
Source: Steiger, R. & Richter, K. (2009). Glued laminated timber: Shear
test of glueliness [Conference Paper], p. 12.
Figure 7 (Right). Bending test for glulam members.
Source: Basterra, L.A., Balmori, J.A., Morillas, L., Acuña, L., & Casado, M.
(2017). Internal reinforcement of laminated duo beams of low-grade
timber with GFRP sheets. “Construction and Building Materials, Issue
154, p. 917.
E. Performance of Acacia mangium glulam
based on test results
Segundinho, et. al. (2015) mentioned in their experimental
study that the melamine-urea formaldehyde (MUF)
adhesive bonded well in Acacia mangium glulam.
According to their result of delamination test of glulam
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MUHON: A Journa l of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and the Designe d Environment
University of the Philippines College of Architecture
beam, the adhesive did not lose its bond to the timber. The
timber sheared after it reached its maximum limits, but the
adhesive still remained attached in between the timber
pieces, though, according to the principles of strength of
materials, there will always be a limit for every material and
component. Hence, there are still probabilities that
delamination will still occur.
IV. Research Methodology
The nature of research is a combination of both qualitative
and quantitative. The design of this research design consists
of logical argumentation and case studies, showing the
qualitative nature of research, and also simulation and
experimental, showing the quantitative nature of research.
The method of this research will be composed of several
methodologies. Quantitative methods will probably be
used in this research in terms of time of growth, plantation
cycle, and material properties and strength of the timber
material. Other methodologies to be executed in this
research will include gathering of data from primary and
secondary sources, material testing, and mathematical
validation.
The foremost method of this research is gathering of data
from secondary and primary sources that are related to
glulam, which is the focus of this research. Such data to be
collected are laws and standards of glulam design, glulam
production and technology, material properties, methods
of testing and experimentation, material resources,
applications and limitations of glulam, and its advantages.
The following methods can be done in no particular order,
but these must be executed systematically.
One of the necessary methods to be done in this research is
to conduct interviews with related agencies (e.g.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources) and
other professionals that has mastery and/or knowledge to
glulam.
Gathering of materials for the production of glulam is
another tactic for this research, in which samples will be
collected for experimentation. The experimental part of this
research is the testing of the glulam material using the
Acacia Mangium as the main timber material. The
mechanical testing method for beams will be in accordance
to the usual methods for glulam beams – bending and shear
tests, which will be in accordance to the most stringent
among the related standards, such as the provisions from
AITC (2007) and ASTM D 143.94 (2000). Production of
glulam beam will be based on the provisions of BS EN 386
(2001) and ISO 12578 (2016). Shear tests, which will
determine the maximum capacity in terms of shear and
compression perpendicular to the grain of timber as well as
the delamination of adhesive used in the glulam member,
will be based according to the provisions of ASTM D905-03
(1998), BS EN 391 (2002) and BS EN 392 (1995). The cross-
sectional dimension to be used for testing glulam members
for this study will be 150 millimeters wide and 300
millimeters deep. The results will be validated through
quantitative methods, such as statistical analysis.
Since this research is a design-based research and a
comparative analysis, case studies of various existing
structures in Metro Manila should be done. These
structures are observed visually, determining the way these
buildings are maintained and possible structural
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 Investigation of using Acacia Mangium glulam as an alternative to reinforced concrete for beams in
deteriorations of beams that might lead to failure, their
dimensions, and efficiency. Using the same visual criteria
obtained from the ocular observation of chosen structures,
simulation with structural computations will be done using
the same dimensions with glulam substituted in the
material instead. Upon the substitution of materials in the
simulation process, the principles of connections in the
illustrations by APA EWS (2007) may be applied. This will
later on be verified mathematically by quantitative methods
and structural analyses and computation.
Structural computation of the actual building condition and
the substituted glulam will be executed to determine the
capability of the building material. The computation will be
based on the provisions of the National Structural Code of
the Philippines (ASEP, 2015). The results of these
computations will be compared and analyze to determine
the efficiency of glulam, and if it really is effective to be
integrated in structures in Metro Manila.
The success in the use of local softwood species, which are
low-cost and fast-growing will prove that it would be a
sustainable way of integrating timber materials,
particularly glue-laminated timber, in its integration to the
structures. Softwood species take a shorter cycle or span of
time to regrow, thus preventing decline in the forestry, and
at the same time, they cost much lesser than hardwood
timber species. Since these local softwood species can be
used and reinforced to produce a glulam material that is as
strong as those made of hardwood species, this proves that
the use of these local softwood timber species can be
economically and environmentally feasible in terms of
production, lesser cost and carbon footprint emission from
import and transportation, and decline of forestry.
V. Closing
Since this study is still ongoing, the results will be obtained
once the processes of the methodology of this research are
conducted. This research will still undergo experimentation
and validation to conclude the comparative analyses for the
performance and sustainability of glulam and reinforced
concrete.
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building construction projects
Legaspina
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