Solutions for Mid-Rise Wood Construction: Cone Calorimeter Results for Acoustic Membrane Materials Used in Floor Assemblies (Report to Research Consortium for Wood and Wood-Hybrid Mid-Rise Buildings)
A research project, Wood and Wood-Hybrid Midrise Buildings, was undertaken to develop information to be used as the basis for alternative/acceptable solutions for mid-rise construction using wood structural elements. As part of this project, three materials were selected for investigation as encapsulation materials for combustible structural elements: Type X gypsum board (12.7 mm thick and 15.9 mm thick), cement board (12.7 mm thick), and gypsum-concrete (25 mm thick and 39 mm thick). This report documents the results of cone calorimeter tests conducted to investigate the performance of the three encapsulation materials.
One of the tasks in the project, Wood and Wood-Hybrid Midrise Buildings, was to develop further information and data for use in developing generic exterior wall systems for use in mid-A1-100035-01.3 3 rise buildings using either lightweight wood frame or cross-laminated timber as the structural elements. As a result, full-scale standard exterior wall assembly tests were conducted to CAN/ULC-S134.
The foam insulations examined for use in the full-scale test assemblies were typical of those used in present-day construction. In addition, a non-standard test (Test EXTW-5) was conducted using a reduced scale rain screen wall system.
In addition to the full-scale tests, cone calorimeter tests were conducted to select and characterize the foam insulation, water resistant barrier and FRT plywood materials, as well as the regular gypsum sheathing, used in the full-scale tests. Tests were also conducted with the foam insulations protected using the sheathing materials used in the full-scale tests. The results of the cone calorimeter tests are provided in this report.
A research project, Wood and Wood-Hybrid Midrise Buildings, was undertaken to develop information to be used as the basis for alternative/acceptable solutions for mid-rise construction using wood structural elements. A key parameter in the use of encapsulation materials to protect wood structural elements is the ignition temperature of wood. In this report, a brief overview of wood ignition is provided. In addition, the results of limited cone calorimeter testing to determine the ignition characteristics of OSB and torrefied wood are discussed. The ignition temperature of plywood used as a substrate for cone calorimeter tests with encapsulation materials is also provided.