Research on Advanced Technologies for Housing: The Interdependency of the Fire Protection Membrane and the Structural Response of Light-Frame Engineered Wood Floors and Ceilings

University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI

Investigators

Abstract

Nearly 3500 civilian deaths and 17,000 injuries occur in residential structure fires each year in the U.S. Detachment of the gypsum board fire protection membrane is believed to predetermine the failure of light-frame wood roof/ceiling assemblies in standardized fires. Identifying the factors associated with maintaining the attachment of the gypsum wallboard to the supporting wood structural assembly will be the focus of this research and holds the potential for improving the fire safety of wood assemblies. The effect of deflections and stresses in the supporting members on the longevity of the gypsum board will be quantified. The scope will be limited to 16-mm (5/8-in) Type X gypsum and the study of a base connection system of 25-mm (1-inch) Type S wallboard screws. Wood members will consist of solid sawn lumber and laminated-veneer-lumber (lvl). Several measures of mechanical performance of 16-mm Type X gypsum board will be established as a function to temperature and duration of fire exposure. These basic properties will be used to propose a model for the fire endurance of gypsum board ceiling membranes attached to engineered wood components. Intermediate-scale fire tests will be conducted to evaluate and verify the fire endurance model of the gypsum board.