June 17, 2008
Timber Industry fire complacency highlighted
The complacency of the timber industry highlighting the fire and structural collapse risk of only those multi-storey timber-frame structures under construction has been underlined by last week’s fire of a newly built and occupied block of flats in Hounslow, London.
Over the last two years seven large multi-storey timber-frame structures have been destroyed by fire. All the fires have similarities in that they happened on half-built structures and resulted in total structural collapse. Concerned at the regularity of these fires, the UK Timber Association has set up an on-site fire safety inspection service aimed at reducing the fire risk and has
emphasised that the risk stage is during construction as timber-frame buildings are not fire resistant until completion when fire protective cladding, plasterboard and fire stops are added.
However, the fire at Hounslow swept through a completed four-storey block. Some 75 firefighters fought the blaze for 12 hours. 16 apartments were destroyed and dozens more are suspected to be structurally unsafe. Of the fire Mazin Dazoud from the London Fire Brigade said: “We are surprised by how quickly the fire spread, it may have something to do with it being a timber-frame building”.
“Timber-framed buildings, whether under construction or completed, cannot match the built-in fire resistance of concrete”, said Graham Mackenzie, Chairman of the British Association of Reinforcement. “Concrete offers up to four hours inherent fire resistance, add this to its superior sound insulation, minimum vibration and thermal efficiency and you understand why it is the best-suited material for multi-storey construction”.
