Deflection Behavior and Load-Bearing-Period of Structural Glued Laminated Timber Beams in Fire Including Cooling Phase

Abstract

This paper reports on the behavior of structural glued laminated (glulam) timber beams under the constant load during and after fire conditions. Previous tests have indicated that the resistance of a beam exposed to standard fire for one hour declined by approximately 30% compared to that of a beam in ambient conditions. Additionally, it was reported that the strength of a beam exposed to heat in a furnace for one hour, followed by three hours of natural cooling, declined by approximately 14%. In this report, the fire performance of glulam timber beams is discussed based on their deflection behavior and load-bearing-period, which were obtained from load-bearing fire tests under constant load conditions.