12.07.2015 Views

EWPAA Structural Plywood and LVL Design Manual - Engineered ...

EWPAA Structural Plywood and LVL Design Manual - Engineered ...

EWPAA Structural Plywood and LVL Design Manual - Engineered ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS
  • No tags were found...

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

FlooringConstruction<strong>LVL</strong>(Substrates inTable 16.9)<strong>LVL</strong>(No substrate)MinimumThickness12mmApplicableSpeciesTable 16.6(a)<strong>and</strong>Table 16.6(b)PerformanceCritical Radiant Heat FluxBetween 2.2(kW/m 2 ) <strong>and</strong> 4.5 (kW/m 2 )SmokeDevelopmentRateBetween 2.2(kW/m 2 )12mm Table 16.52<strong>and</strong> 4.5(kW/m )Between 2.2(kW/m 2 )19mm Table 16.52 Less than 750<strong>and</strong> 4.5(kW/m )(%-min)19mm Table 16.6 More than 4.5(kW/m 2 )TABLE 16.10 : critical Radiant Heat Flux for <strong>LVL</strong> FlooringNOTE:Many of the timber species listed in Tables 16.4 through 16.8 are not used to manufacture plywood or<strong>LVL</strong>. Therefore, the <strong>Design</strong>er must check with the manufacturer before specifying a particular species as awall <strong>and</strong> ceiling lining or as flooring.16.5 Resistance to FireFire Resistance is the ability of a building component to resist a fully developed fire,while still performing its structural function. Fire resistance levels (FRL) are assignedas performance criteria, in minutes, for structural adequacy, integrity <strong>and</strong> insulation.This important parameter is defined by three numbers, e.g. 30/30/30 for which the:• first number relates to structural stability, i.e. the time to elapse before collapse;• second number is an integrity requirement, i.e. flames must not pass through thecomponent for this number of minutes;• third number is an insulation value, i.e. limits heat transfer through the component.<strong>Plywood</strong> is quite acceptable as a material used in fire resistant components provided it iscombined with other materials so as to meet the fire resistant requirements. This can beachieved by combining plywood with non-combustible materials such as fibrous cementor fire grade plasterboard. The FRL rating is evaluated in a St<strong>and</strong>ard Fire Test as specifiedin AS 1530.4.<strong>LVL</strong> beam or column components can be assessed for fire resistance levels as per therequirements of AS 1720.4 Timber Structures – Fire-resistance of structural timbermembers. To ascertain the retained load carrying capabilities of a structural element isdone through a fire resistance test. This assesses how long a component can continueto perform when exposed to a fire. This ability is measured in terms of the elapsed time tofailure.When establishing the Fire Resistance Level (FRL) of structural untreated wood <strong>and</strong> woodbased products the charring rate of the surface is very important. As previously mentionedcharring produces a protective layer which slows down the charring process. The unburnttimber can then be used in calculations to determine the structural integrity of the loadbearing member.16.6 Steps in Establishing an FRLAfter a protective layer of char has developed the char rate slows considerably. Thecharring rate of dry wood has been shown to continue for several hours at a reasonablyconstant rate given in AS1720.4⎯2006 by:249

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!