Over the last few weeks the Icelandic Forest Service, Límtré/Vírnet and Innovation Center Iceland have been conducting research into the possibility of using Icelandic lumber to produce glue laminated structural beams, sometimes called glulam, RÚV reports. Imported wood has hitherto been used for the application.
Glulam is a type of engineered wood, made from lumber that is bonded together with structural adhesives. It is commonly used as structural beams in all types of man-made structures, such as sports halls, glasshouses, gazebos and even bridges.
“We’re very excited about this. It’s great that we’re embarking on this journey,” says forester Trausti Jóhannsson. “Finally we’re creating real lumber from our trees, people are saying. Not just cutting them down, putting them in the wood chipper and then burning them. We’re now thinking towards the future.”
“The through line in this project is environmentalism,” says Logi Unnarson, advisor at Límtré/Vírnet. “We are well aware of the importance of this project. Now there are plans to increase forestry in Iceland, so it’s obvious that we’d benefit greatly from using Icelandic lumber. We’d spare us the transportation of heavy goods from Europe and be able to concentrate on building up a strong lumber industry here.”
The Icelandic glulam will soon be tested at the Innovation Center Iceland with first result being expected by spring.
