Fire Testing of Tall Wood Structures

Greater of mass timber in construction is dependent on fire testing.

Fire testing is a critical component of changing building codes to allow the shift to greater construction with mass timber. Mass timber readily passes one-hour fire resistance ratings, but buildings taller than six stories must pass a fire resistance rating of at least two hours. Encapsulation, where combustible mass timber products are surround by fire resistant materials is a new innovation aimed at meeting more stringent fire resistance standards.