Objectives of the project
The aim of the project is to develop basic, product-neutral and harmonised holistic technical solutions for the repairability of fire damage in multi-storey timber buildings, taking into account standard procedures and making them available to the general public. This will strengthen the urgently needed climate-neutral construction and the design of sustainable urban living spaces of the future.
In future, the research results should simplify the refurbishment of timber buildings after fire damage in Germany and thus minimise costs. Depending on the extent of the damage, timber-construction-specific, efficient and practical refurbishment measures will be made available for use. In addition, previously unspecific or missing solutions and concepts for the structural analysis of fire-damaged timber components and corresponding refurbishment concepts will be identified and concretised or developed. In this way, the required component-specific performance characteristics can be restored compared to the condition before the fire (e.g. load-bearing capacity, room closure, odour neutrality, etc.).
The research results have an impact on several levels. For example, the reservations regarding high refurbishment costs and expenses or even the loss of a building in the event of a fire in modern multi-storey timber buildings are counteracted. The increased level of knowledge will make it possible for insurers to offer customised fire protection policies for timber buildings. The refurbishment concepts developed also create a guideline and planning security for fire damage refurbishers. In addition, the investigations contribute to optimised constructions which, compared to current construction methods, enable easier refurbishment or even complete component replacement, which at the same time supports the process of developing circular timber constructions.
Research gap
The currently valid building regulations in Germany offer the possibility of building with wood up to the high-rise limit in a future-oriented manner. Nevertheless, building owners, investors and property insurers are still sceptical about the assessment that such constructions can be considered equivalent to mineral construction methods in the context of fire protection. This scepticism is based on the assumption that a greater extent of damage and, therefore, higher renovation work and costs are to be expected. Despite the experience gained in single-family house construction, it should be noted that holistic concepts and principles for multi-storey timber constructions that are adapted to the extent of the damage are either not available or are inadequate, which fuels the above-mentioned reservations.
The facts described above give rise to various problems that need to be solved. In the first place, it is evaluated which refurbishment methods are suitable for which fire damage scenario in multi-storey timber buildings and whether these can be transferred from other construction methods to timber construction. Furthermore, it is relevant to identify specific additional efforts and effects (technical, economic, health-related) that arise in timber construction in the event of restoration. As part of this, the residual load-bearing capacity of the timber components exposed to the fire and the glued joints will be analysed. Furthermore, it is evaluated whether the protective effect of fire protection cladding is permanently impaired by the effects of temperature and whether it needs to be replaced. In addition, methods for determining the structural component properties after a fire are being identified or developed, and retrofitting measures that can be applied in situ are being investigated. The focus here is on efficient and economical refurbishment methods for multi-storey timber construction. Finally, solutions for refurbishment-friendly and replaceable components will be developed in order to integrate them into new buildings in the future.