Fire Performance of CLT Members: A Detailed Review of Experimental Studies Across Multiple Scales

Abstract

Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is an innovative wood product that is increasingly used in both residential and non-residential construction projects, since it offers a range of advantages, such as light carbon footprint, quick erection time, good thermal and sound insulation characteristics. CLT members have the potential to provide excellent fire resistance characteristics, often comparable to typical massive, non-combustible construction assemblies. However, the fire performance of CLT can be affected by a large variety of material and design parameters, such as physical properties (e.g. density, grain orientation), member thickness, number of plies, adhesive type, connector type, protection panels. In this context, this work presents a thorough review of recent experimental studies, aimed at determining the fire behaviour of CLT members. A large number of test results obtained in a broad range of setups, spanning multiple scales, such as cone calorimeter (50 tests), standard fire resistance furnace (90 tests) and fire compartment (20 tests), are comparatively assessed. The impact of the main material and design parameters on several important fire performance factors is investigated. Analysis of the reported experimental results allows the determination of certain global trends that are observed in the majority of cases.