Charring rate of timbers in terms of size, layer material and fire class evaluated by the Taguchi method

Abstract

Abstract This publication is focused on the fire performance of different wood materials to determine the charring rate. For this purpose, L27(313) Taguchi orthogonal design was used for the derivation of the parameter combinations. A total of 108 timber specimens made of 3 different natural timber types having 3 different sizes had been coated with fire retardant varnish and boron impregnation. Specimens were tested for three different fire classes and temperatures. The values of charring rate were obtained from fire tests according to the orthogonal design. Obtained results were analyzed using the signal-to-noise ratio, analysis of variance methods and 3D surface plots. It was concluded that the type of timber and specimen section are the most significant factors affecting the charring rate. The second significant factor affecting the charring rate was found to be the duration and temperature of fire. Lastly, coating material is the third important factor influencing the charring rate.