GL32h (EN 14080) - Design Values
GL32h (EN 14080) is a glued-laminated timber grade with reference design values to EN 14080:2013. In Eurocode 5 terms its characteristic bending strength fm,k is 32 N/mm², compression parallel fc,0,k is 32 N/mm², and mean modulus E0,mean is 14.2 kN/mm² (EN 338 / EN 14080). Values are shown before adjustment factors; apply the relevant NDS C-factors or EC5 k_mod and γ_M for your load case.
| fm,k | Bending strength | 32 N/mm² |
| ft,0,k | Tension parallel | 25.6 N/mm² |
| ft,90,k | Tension perpendicular | 0.5 N/mm² |
| fc,0,k | Compression parallel | 32 N/mm² |
| fc,90,k | Compression perpendicular | 2.5 N/mm² |
| fv,k | Shear strength | 3.5 N/mm² |
| E0,mean | Mean MOE parallel | 14.2 kN/mm² |
| E0,05 | 5th-percentile MOE | 11.8 kN/mm² |
| Gmean | Mean shear modulus | 0.65 kN/mm² |
| ρk | Characteristic density | 440 kg/m³ |
| ρmean | Mean density | 490 kg/m³ |
Source: EN 14080:2013. Reference values are shown before adjustment factors (NDS C-factors / EC5 k_mod, γ_M) - apply these per your load case in design.
Understanding these values
Under Eurocode 5 GL32h (EN 14080) is described by characteristic values: bending fm,k 32 N/mm², shear fv,k 3.5 N/mm², compression parallel fc,0,k 32 N/mm² and perpendicular fc,90,k 2.5 N/mm². These are 5th-percentile figures, not allowable stresses - divide by the partial factor gamma_M (1.25 for glued-laminated timber under the recommended values) and multiply by k_mod for the service class and load duration, so the usable strength is materially lower than the number shown.
For GL32h (EN 14080) the mean modulus E0,mean is 14.2 kN/mm², and the 5th-percentile modulus E0,05 used for stability is 11.8 kN/mm². Characteristic density is rho,k 440 kg/m³ with a mean of 490 kg/m³, which is the value that drives fastener and connection capacity rather than any of the strength figures - two grades of similar bending strength can give quite different screw and dowel resistances if their densities differ.
Within the glued-laminated timber entries in this catalogue, GL32h (EN 14080) is the strongest in bending at 32 N/mm², against 24 N/mm² for GL24c (EN 14080) at the other end of the range.
The closest alternative in the same family is GL28h (EN 14080) at 28 N/mm² in bending, 14% below this grade. If availability drives the choice rather than capacity, that is the substitution to price first - but re-run the deflection check as well, because stiffness and strength do not always move together.