Improvement of Fire Resistance for Timber Framed Walls by Reinforcement of Heavy Timber Frame

Abstract

Fire resistance of new hybrid timber framed wall systems was evaluated in this study. These wall systems are composed of two major structural parts. One part is a heavy timber frame part designed to take charge of whole vertical load using heavy timber post and beam, and the other is an infill wall structure, designed to take charge of whole horizontal load and to provide an established level of fire resistance. A basic concept of this hybrid wall is adopted from a typical furniture structure with frame. A timber post and beam frame is constructed with Japanese Larch solid timber post(180mm by 180mm) and beam(180mm by 240mm). As infill wall systems, two types of walls are applied. One is a typical light timber framed wall with solid blocking and another is a structural insulated panel wall, in which polystyrene insulation is filled between two structural panels to make single structure. For all tested walls, two layers of 12.5mm thick type-X gypsum boards are used on fire exposed side. Prior to tests for hybrid walls, only infill walls are tested without heavy timber frame. All fire resistance tests are carried out in accordance with KS F 2257, and temperatures on several points within wall structure and unexposed wall surface are measured during fire tests. It is considered that the reinforcement of heavy timber frame is significantly efficient for improving the fire resistance of timber framed walls.