Fire protection solutions in timber construction
Wood burns. Certainly. But wood also burns safely.
Humans have learned how to handle burning wood, and this knowledge can certainly be applied to timber construction. Rigips has over 80 years of experience in structural fire protection. Reliable fire protection can also be achieved in timber construction with Rigips.
Structural fire protection is particularly important for timber construction precisely because wood is a combustible building material. Rigidur gypsum fibreboards and Rigips fire protection boards RF make it easy to implement wall, ceiling and roof constructions with a certified fire resistance duration. In addition to fire protection, Rigips Glasroc X can be used to construct external walls.
Rigips solutions for fire-resistant building components
The fire resistance of components is tested in accordance with uniform European testing standards. Fire protection verification can be issued in Germany based on these test results:
- For fire-retardant components (also referred to as F 30), general building inspection test certificates (abP) can be issued by accredited testing agencies. The abP with the number P-SAC-02/III-671 can be obtained free of charge via rigips.de/pz-anfordern.
- For highly fire-retardant components (also referred to as F 60) and exceptionally fire-resistant components (also referred to as F 90), general type approvals (aBG) can be issued by the German Institute for Building Technology (DIBt). The aBG with the numbers Z-19.34-2728 for highly fire-retardant components, Z-19.34-2729 for building separation walls, and Z-19.34-2732 for walls in place of fire walls are available for free download.
In addition to these manufacturer certificates, Chapter 10 of the DIN 4102-4 component catalogue provides details of a variety of constructions with certified fire resistance durations. Clear tables showing standardised components with Rigips products are available for free download.
Rigips solutions for fire protection cladding of load-bearing timber components
An important aspect of structural fire protection is effectively cladding load-bearing timber components with non-combustible materials. In the meantime, the term encapsulation has become widely used to describe this property. Encapsulation protects the component against ignition for a defined period. The flash point of construction timber is around 300°C, a temperature that is reached in a "standard fire" according to DIN 4102 in under a minute.
The required thicknesses of the fire protection cladding depend on the building code requirements for the component and are specified, for example, in the Model Timber Construction Directive (MHolzBauRL).
To the MHolzBauRL (PDF)...
A protection duration of 60 minutes is required for highly fire-retardant components, which can be achieved using cladding made from two 15 mm Rigips fire protection boards or two Rigidur gypsum fibreboards. Components with exceptionally high fire resistance require a protection duration of 90 minutes, which is achieved with cladding made from two 18 mm-thick Rigips fire protection boards or Rigidur gypsum fibreboards. In some cases, a protection duration of 30 minutes is sufficient and can be achieved with single-layer cladding made from 18 mm-thick Rigips fire protection boards or Rigidur gypsum fibreboards. Cost-effective constructions can be achieved by combining Rigidur gypsum fibreboard stiffening sheathing with additional fire protection cladding made from Rigips fire protection boards RF.
In addition, for individual designs, test results are available for the protection time tch in accordance with DIN EN 13381-7 or the encapsulation criterion K260 in accordance with DIN EN 13501-2.
To the solutions for fire protection claddings – tch times (PDF)…