Fire performance
The insulating properties of timber can provide built-in fire resistance. Large timber members burn slowly and form char on the surface.
Fire development in buildings
Even though wood does burn, the contribution from the timber building materials to the fire load is usually small compared with the contribution of the building contents which constitute the main source of fuel.
However, large areas of wood-based surface linings in buildings can contribute to faster fire spread and this needs to be taken into account as other building design features may be required to mitigate the effects.
Fire development in buildings -Printable PDF
Behaviour of timber in fire - Printable PDF
Source: Timber Design Guide, 2007
Additional Information
Buchanan AH (ed). 2001. Fire Engineering Design Guide. University of Canterbury: Centre for Advanced Engineering.
Society of Fire Protection Engineers. 2002. SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering. Bethesda.
Buchanan AH. 2001. Structural Design for Fire Safety. A.H. Buchanan. UK: John Wiley & Sons.
Dyrsdale D. An Introduction to Fire Dynamics. 2nd Edition. John Wiley and Sons.
Timber Structures Standard. NZS 3603: 1993. Standards New Zealand.
Fire performance
Case study
Martin Square Apartments
Townscape Construction
Key Features
- Height constraints and a contractor familiar with lightweight construction led to a timber-framed option being developed for these inner-city apartments.
- A reinforced concrete car park was formed on the ground level, with a six-level timber-framed superstructure sitting above.
- Most apartments are studios, with relatively small proportions, meaning bracing lines were available at 4 m centres in each direction.
- Grade F8 timber studs are used, with plywood nail fixed over them.
- Floors consist of 19 mm plywood fixed over timber I-section joists.
- This apartment block demonstrates that multi-storey buildings can be built successfully from timber.
