Modern timber construction rarely uses raw sawn beams for visible or load-critical members. Instead it relies on engineered softwood: timber that has been dried, finger-jointed, or laminated to be straighter, more stable, and stronger than a single sawn section. The three products you will quote most often are KVH, Duo/Trio, and glulam.
KVH — solid structural timber
KVH (Konstruktionsvollholz, 'construction solid timber') is a single-piece structural section, kiln-dried to around 15% moisture and finger-jointed end to end to remove major defects and reach longer lengths. It is dimensionally stable, low-cracking, and planed to a clean visual or non-visual quality.
- Best for: studs, rafters, joists, and posts in standard cross-sections.
- Typical strength class C24; lengths commonly up to 13 m.
- The workhorse of timber-frame and roof construction.
Duo/Trio — laminated solid timber
Duo and Trio beams (Balkenschichtholz) are made by gluing two or three solid lamellas together. They sit between KVH and glulam: more stable and available in larger cross-sections than single-piece KVH, but without the many thin layers of a glulam beam.
- Best for: larger visible posts and beams where KVH cross-sections run out but a full glulam is not needed.
- Lower cracking and twisting than solid timber of the same size.
Glulam — glued laminated timber
Glulam (BSH, Brettschichtholz) is built from many thin, dried lamellas — typically 6–45 mm — glued under pressure. Because defects are dispersed across many layers, glulam is exceptionally strong and stable, and can be produced in long spans, deep sections, and curved or tapered shapes that no solid timber can match.
- Best for: long-span beams, portal frames, columns, halls, and architectural curved members.
- Common strength classes GL24h and GL28h; length is effectively limited by transport, not production.
Choosing between them
- Standard frame and roof members in normal sizes → KVH.
- Larger or visible posts and beams that KVH can't cover → Duo/Trio.
- Long spans, heavy loads, curves, or exposed feature beams → glulam.
All three can be specified in visible or non-visible quality, in different surface finishes, and with FSC or PEFC certification. Structural glued products are governed by European standards (EN 14080 for glulam); ask for the declaration of performance whenever the member is load-bearing.
Timberhub supplies KVH, Duo/Trio, and glulam from certified DACH and Nordic mills, cut to project lists. Send your beam schedule and we will quote the right product for each member — not just the most expensive one.