Engineered structural materials use laminated wood chips or strands and fingerjointing (the gluing of larger pieces together). The use of small wood pieces or wood fibre drastically minimizes the amount of waste in creating structural products, and also makes more complete use of forest resources by the use of whole trees and a wider variety of species. Although more expensive than conventional wood products, engineered materials are stronger, sometimes lighter, dimensionally more stable and uniform, and also more predictable in price. They decrease pressure on old-growth forests by replacing conventional wood framing members like 2x10s and 2x12s that must be milled from wide diameter (18 in./460 mm.) trees. Because of their strength, they can usually be spaced farther apart than conventional wood members, saving even more material and offsetting any financial premium. Their strength also makes products like glulam beams and arches a substitute for steel. In recent years, engineered wood products have appeared that are comprised of wood from FSC-certified forests making these products even more environmentally benign (1999, p. 6). Glue-laminated timber (or glulam beams) were first used in Europe early last century, making their North American appearance in the mid thirties (Gibson, 2002). Wartime diversion of steel for military equipment spurred experimentation, and glulam production of (typically arched) beams for churches, warehouses, auditoriums, etc. took off after World War II (McNall & Fischetti, 1995). They paved the way for a wide variety of engineered structural materials that would eventually transform residential housing construction. The first widely-used residential product was Trus-Joists I-beam,