Fire Behavior and Fire Protection in Timber Buildings

This volume describes the modern data on fire behavior and fire protection of timber in outdoors and indoors application mainly in construction industry.  The book discusses the most important topics of that area of science and engineering such as: Specificity of structure and properties of  different timber species; Pyrolisis and oxidative decomposition of timber; The ignition of timber; Heat release characteristics and combustion heat of timber; Flame propagation on timber surface; Generation of smoke and toxic products at fire of timber surface; Generation of smoke and toxic products at fire of timber; Fire safety and fire resistance of timber building structures and constructions; Fire protection of timber building structures and constructions; Effect of natural aging of timber building structures on fire behavior and fire safety; The changes in fire behavior timber based on different of wood species after accelerated artificial aging.

The Authors’ novel approach discovered the relationship between various species and age of timbers and its fire behavior at different thermal and fire loads. Quantitative data on ignition speed and flame propagation and generation of heat, smoke and toxic products are discussed for most types of timbers applicable in engineering practice. Analysis of fire resistance of various types of timber building materials and very new data on the effect of natural and accelerated aging of timber fire behavior are discussed. The main practical methods of fire protection of new and ancient timber structures using novel coatings (without regular fire retardants) are considered.

            Most of the data contained in the book are based on the authors’ research and practical experienceaccumulated during many years of their activity in the area. The book should be useful for a wide range of readers: chemists, physicists, material scientists, architects, engineers, constructors and restorers involved in study and practice of fire behavior and fire protection of timber.