Hopkin, D. orcid.org/0000-0002-2559-3581, Węgrzyński, W., Gorska, C. et al. (6 more authors) (2024) Full-scale fire experiments on cross-laminated timber residential enclosures featuring different lining protection configurations. Fire Technology, 60 (6). pp. 3771-3803. ISSN 0015-2684
Abstract
The adoption of timber, specifically cross-laminated timber (CLT), as a primary construction material is gaining traction due to its carbon sequestration capabilities, environmental advantages, and potential for precision manufacturing. However, the combustibility of wood raises legitimate concerns about fire safety in timber-based residential buildings. This paper investigates the fire performance of timber in a residential context, attempting to fill knowledge gaps and outline strategies for improving fire robustness in timber-built dwellings. Through comprehensive experimental studies on residential-type enclosures constructed with CLT panels, this research explores different configurations and the effects of varying degrees of non-combustible protective lining. The findings underscore the significance of considering timber surface exposure and adopting effective encapsulation strategies in CLT buildings. It has been estimated that the exposure of timber walls leads to a proportional increase in heat release rate, corresponding to the area of exposed timber surfaces and their charring rates. Consequently, the external flame has a larger projection, resulting in a much greater heat flux to the façade. Furthermore, threshold conditions for initial flaming self-extinguishment of timber defined in literature of 44.5 ± 1.2 kW/m2 have been found to be applicable to the experiments conducted in this research. Finally, it has been observed that partial encapsulation, where the protective lining will likely fall off during a fire, may hinder rather than increase the likelihood of self-extinguishment. This work contributes towards a nuanced understanding of fire dynamics in timber structures, offering insights for safer and more effective design strategies for CLT-based construction.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2024 The Author(s). Open Access: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. |
Keywords: | Self-extinguishment of timber; Flaming; Residential buildings; Large-scale timber enclosures fires; Linings |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > Department of Civil and Structural Engineering (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 19 Nov 2024 12:38 |
Last Modified: | 19 Nov 2024 12:38 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Springer Science and Business Media LLC |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1007/s10694-024-01581-1 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:219790 |