ASD/LRFD Manual - American Wood Council

120 M16: FIRE DESIGN
Poles and Piles
Very few elements of modern structures can be called
“fire proof.” Even in buildings where the major structural
members are noncombustible, most of the furnishings are
flammable. It is for this reason that much of the attention
in modern building codes addresses issues related to
containing and limiting fires, rather than simply calling
materials combustible and noncombustible.
While this topic is fairly complex for other types of
products, fire performance is relatively straightforward
for poles and piles. Poles are generally used in crosssectional
sizes that qualify as heavy timber construction
in the model building codes. On this basis, timber poles
compare favorably with other construction materials in
their performance under fire conditions. Piles are generally
not exposed to fire conditions unless they extend
substantially above the groundline.
American Wood Council