The Building Research Establishment‘s TF2000 timber frame building at Cardington has undergone one of its toughest tests – and passed with flying colours.
A living room compartment on level three of the six-storey building was set alight and the test was set up so that ventilation into the flat provided a worst-case scenario in terms of fire severity.
The main objective was to evaluate the fire resistance of a medium-rise timber frame building subject to a severe natural fire exposure. The results showed that timber frame construction can meet the requirements of the Building Regulations for England and Wales and the Building Standards for Scotland in terms of limiting internal fire spread and maintaining structural integrity.
The test results are one of the most significant elements of the TF2000 programme. They have generated valuable data that will feed into the regulatory requirements for fire safety and into the development of construction methods and standards for timber frame buildings.
Initial results show that the standard of workmanship is crucial in providing the necessary fire resistance performance, especially the nailing of plasterboards, and that correct location of cavity barriers and fire stopping is important in maintaining the integrity of the structure.
The results of all the tests on the building will be published next year.
