Fire Protection for Timber-Beamed Ceilings

Frightened of fire? Who is not? This fear is still the most common argument used by “home builders” against a timber house (generally without reason). However, in an old building, the most important “barrier” that protects against the spread of fire  is almost always made of wood, and that is ceiling/floor structure.

Preliminary Timber-Concrete Assessment

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Static calculations software

Professional-Software for the dimensioning of TCC load bearing structures

Timber-Concrete Composite Fibula

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HBV-Fibel herunterladen

Empirically tested

As soon as there is a fundamental intervention in the old building fabric, it becomes virtually impossible to obtain and “exemption” from the planners for the old timber ceiling structure. This applies especially to timber beamed ceilings with a fore resistance class F90B which is the level stipulated for multi-storey buildings. The requirement for timber beams to be in category F90B means that, when exposed to the full force of a fire (1200°C) from above, from below and from the side, a remaining time window for escape of 90 minutes must be guaranteed, before a supporting structure that conforms to the standard may fail. Such a standard level of fire protection therefore faces solution providers with major technical and legal challenges.

Our R&D can help with your construction project

Jointly with a major industrial partner, we have carried out a large number or 1:1 fire tests and obtained important know how about the way in which fire protection from below and from the side has to be designed, if the specified fire retardation requirements F30, F60, F90 are to be  constructively implemented so that the target values are thereby actually met.

We have been able to attribute more than 35 historic ceiling designs to the different fire classes. On request we shall happily provide you with specific details of design and implementation for your building.

Starting with the necessary substructure for the timber-concrete composite ceiling, we can support you comprehensively in the course of your refurbishment.

Fundamentals of a timber-concrete composite (TCC)

Basic Know How, conveniently summarised on a single page.

  • What does TCC mean?
  • Advantages in comparison with other techniques
  • Costs
  • and much more ...
The Timber-Concrete Composite System (TCC)