Camber: Wednesday's Word Of The Week

The term Camber refers to a small amount of curvature intentionally manufactured in beams. This small, positive curvature is based on the amount of initial deflection expected when the beam is installed. Rather than the beam immediately having a small sag, it will ideally come out straight after other building materials are in place and the building is in use.

Pedestrian bridge glued with camber

This is a common practice in steel and concrete construction as well - steel beams are bent and concrete forms can be raised in spots. For solid wood construction, the installer could look at any natural curvature present in the lumber and install it crown up, but they are stuck with what nature provides. Glulam gives added control as pieces are glued on forms kept at various radii, 1600' and 2000' radius being the most common.

*Wednesday's Word Of The Week is a feature on Unalam's Wood Times Blog. Each Wednesday our structural engineer, Rik Vandermeulen, will discuss a new term associated with glulam manufacturing. He will do this until we run out of words. If there is a timber or glulam term that you have heard of and want to know more about, let us know in the comments.