Fire tests of non-load bearing light gauge steel frame walls lined with calcium silicate boards and gypsum plasterboards

Light gauge Steel Frame (LSF) wall systems are made of cold-formed steel studs and tracks, and lined with wall lining materials. Conventionally, gypsum plasterboards are used as wall lining material in LSF wall systems. The fire performance of LSF walls is mainly dependent on the type and configuration of wall lining material, which delays the heat transfer through the wall and protects the steel studs from being heated rapidly. Recently, calcium silicate board lining is increasingly used in LSF wall systems because of its improved physical and thermal properties while being lightweight, cost effective, impact and moisture resistant. However, their fire performance has not been investigated in detail. Hence two full scale fire tests were conducted on non-load bearing LSF walls lined with calcium silicate boards. For comparison purposes two fire tests were also conducted on conventional gypsum plasterboard lined LSF walls. This paper presents the details of this experimental study on the fire performance of LSF walls and the results including fire resistance levels and time-temperature profiles across the wall panels. Effects of using calcium silicate board lining are discussed by comparing the fire test results of LSF wall lined with gypsum plasterboards and previously conducted studies on magnesium oxide board lined LSF walls. The results showed that the fire performance of calcium silicate board lined walls was similar to that of conventional gypsum plasterboard lined walls, but was superior to that of magnesium oxide board lined walls. The failure criterion of these calcium silicate board lined walls was found to be insulation as opposed to being the integrity failure observed in previous studies.