I'm getting ready to build in a location where it's hard to bring in a boom. My plans specify a gluelam beam, but my framing crew would rather build one in place. Any suggestions?
You say it is "hard", but does that mean impossible? I am amazed in my location which is on a dead end amid a series of steep switchbacks that delivery trucks, semis, etc make it by scissoring their way back and forth on the switchbacks. The drivers are used to getting into tough places.
In my case, the crane had to be backed up the hill/dead end road.
If that still isn't an option and you have to get by without a boom, are you wed to the idea of a glulam? Hand packing it with interim places to set it? Slow but with the right setup, it should work.
You could do a ridgeboard with collar ties....
I will let others comment on building a glulam in place. I do not know how to do that....
mt
Apparently (in Florida) they put together a ridge beam with multiple pieces of wood all the time. Not exactly a gluelam, but glued, clamped, and otherwise fastened together. We did it on our house here.
No collar ties! Full height ceiling upstairs.
That is certainly not a recipe for a glulam. If the span is short enough to build up full span vertical lumber into a built up girder that may work if sized properly. You have little hope of building a good horizontally laminated beam in the field. I've lifted and set some pretty big stuff with pump jacks, gin poles, windlasses etc. Those cathedrals of old didn't use cranes :).
If you can give more span and load info it might help.