Course Overview
The presentation will provide an overview of the Mass Timber Demonstration Fire Tests which were conducted during the summer and fall of 2022. Past research on the fire performance of mass timber construction will be reviewed briefly to provide the background necessary to understand how the latest tests support the design of taller and larger mass timber buildings. A review of how each of the five tests performed will be reviewed along with what it means for future mass timber building design.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the rationale and execution of the demonstration fire tests – why and how the tests were conducted, their significance in obtaining approvals for mass timber projects.
- Analyze the fire performance of mass timber structures compared to traditional building materials under controlled test conditions – understand fire dynamics in mass timber projects versus traditional materials like concrete or steel.
- Understand the role and results of compartment fire tests in analyzing fire dynamics in mass timber projects.
- Explore the implications of mass timber fire test findings on future building code developments and construction practices – how could the results from these fire tests influence changes in building codes and impact mass timber design and construction practices.
Course Video
Speaker Bio
Steve Craft, PhD, P.Eng.
Principal
CHM Fire Consultants Ltd.
Dr. Steven Craft is a founding partner of CHM Fire Consultants Ltd located in Ottawa. He served as an Adjunct Professor in the Fire Safety Engineering Program at Carleton University from 2010- 2019 and was a Research Scientist with Canada’s National Forest Products Research Institute, FPInnovations, from 2006-2011. He has an undergraduate degree in Forest Engineering from the University of New Brunswick and a PhD in Fire Safety Engineering from Carleton University. He is active in codes and standards development. He is the Chair of the ULC S100a Fire Test Committee and is on the Technical Committee for the Canadian Wood Design Standard, CSA O86, where he Chairs the Task Group on Fire Resistance.