Assessing Post-Fire Structural Performance of Timber Buildings
Implementing Partner: Build Change
Project name: Assessing Post-Fire Structural Performance of Timber Buildings
This project investigated the fire response and post-fire structural behavior of cross-laminated timber floors and mass timber buildings. As sustainable alternatives to steel and concrete, timber structures offer environmental benefits but raise fire safety concerns, especially following incidents like the 2014 Lacrosse Building fire in Melbourne. The study’s findings provide valuable insights to enhance fire safety standards, inform building codes, and promote safer use of mass timber in high-rise construction.
Australia as per the
existing climate scenario,
the sector with the
highest share in AAL (GIRI)
bushfires annually, causing
significant damage to lives,
property, and infrastructure.
Impact
1
The study examined how heat impacts timber strength and introduced a new fire-resistant adhesive to improve safety in mass timber constructions, addressing key vulnerabilities exposed during fire events.
2
Testing a 10-story timber building model demonstrated enhanced fire resistance with the new adhesive, showcasing its potential to significantly increase structural resilience in tall timber buildings under fire conditions.
3
These findings deepen understanding of cross-laminated timber (CLT) behavior during and after fires, informing safer design practices and aiding development of stronger fire safety standards for sustainable construction.
