Effect of fire exposure on the mechanical properties of glued laminated timber

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of fire exposure on the mechanical properties of glued laminated timbers (glulams) made from five softwood species as determined by a standard fire test (CNS12514). The results indicated that the static bending properties of glulam decreased with an increasing fire exposure time. After fire exposure tests, the retention rates of MOE (modulus of elasticity) and MOR (modulus of rupture) of all tested glulams were 61.0–92.7% and 42.0–75.9%, respectively. Compared to the control specimens without fire exposure, the compression strength and the shear strength of tested glulams after fire exposure did not show any significant difference.