Using timber in the construction of multi-residential buildings has been restricted by building regulations, often without a basis in science. A new project, commissioned by Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA) investigated how fire really affects timber construction and whether the building codes for Class 3 buildings, such as boarding-houses, guest houses, hotels, motels, or aged care facilities, could be modified with safety.
A literature review investigated the burning behaviour of timber and the self-protective char layer which is formed when timber is exposed to fire together with the protection provided by fire protective cladding such as plasterboard.
A full scale experiment compared the severity of fires in two test rooms; one built using a non-combustible fire rated steel framed system with non-combustible cavity insulation, the other built using fire rated lightweight timber construction with combustible insulation.
The results demonstrated the fires within the two compartments were comparable and that building with timber studs, timber joists and combustible insulation did not increase the fire severity. The report concluded that building code provisions could be extended to include Class 3 buildings without an increase in risk to life.
Read the full report here on www.fwpa.com.au