PhD Studentship: Fire performance & durability of integrated engineered timber products

Engineered timber products have greatly increased the scope of structural projects that can be realised in timber; however, revised building regulations post-Grenfell, based on perceived risks surrounding fire safety, further restricted the allowable scale of timber buildings, thus impeding efforts to decarbonise construction.

This project addresses knowledge gaps surrounding the fire fuel load contribution of engineered timber products (following previous work by the principal supervisor on softwoods). Initially, CLT, LVL, OSB/3 and glulam specimens provided by industry partners will be subjected to a range of specific, controlled temperatures using ceramic heating pads, with the power input, mass loss, and any visual deterioration recorded. This will provide accurate information regarding enthalpic input and associated effects during the development of a fire, with Milner Associates advising on interpretation and application.

Numerical analysis (COMSOL FEA) of heat flow and material degradation will be validated against these experiments, allowing for more wide-ranging parametric studies to be conducted. By applying these models to full-scale structural systems, e.g., walls, floor panels and modules, the effects of thermal degradation on timber components and fasteners will also be investigated; of particular interest are integrated wall modules with increasingly thick layers of insulation to satisfy revised building energy requirements in Approved Document L.

The detailed knowledge gained on this project regarding fire development in timber structural products will provide confidence to UK building regulators in relaxing current restrictions, thus facilitating a proliferation of large-scale timber structures in the UK and further afield.

Please see this PhD project’s dedicated webpage for more information.

The studentship is for three years and provides a tax-free stipend of £19,237 per annum for the duration of the studentship plus university tuition fees.

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