Experimental analysis of cross-laminated timber panels in fire

Design models of timber structures in fire usually take into account the loss in cross-section due to charring of wood. For cross-laminated timber panels in fire only little information on charring is available. The paper describes and discusses the results of an extensive testing programme on the fire behaviour of cross-laminated timber panels under ISO-fire exposure. The fire tests were performed on the small horizontal furnace (1.0×0.8 m) at the Empa in Duebendorf. Particular attention is given to the comparison of the fire behaviour of cross-laminated timber panels with homogeneous timber panels. The results of the fire tests showed that the fire behaviour of cross-laminated timber panels is strongly influenced by the behaviour of the adhesive used for bonding the cross-laminated timber panels. Depending on the properties of the adhesives at elevated temperatures falling off of the charred layers was clearly observed during the fire tests, leading to increased charring rates in comparison to homogeneous timber panels. This is the same effect as observed for initially protected timber members after the fire protection has fallen off. For the specimens where no falling off of the charred layers was observed the fire behaviour was similar to that of homogeneous timber panels.