An experimental study of solid timber external wall performance under simulated bushfire attack

With the increasing threat of climate change there is a need to use renewable and green materials such as timber for house constructions. Timber is not generally regarded as a suitable material for the construction of homes in bushfire (or wildland fire) prone areas. However, our understanding of the performance of solid timber wall constructions under bushfire conditions is still limited. The objective of this research was to conduct a pilot experimental study of a solid timber wall system to assess its performance under severe bushfire attack conditions typical in Australia's bush land. Eight log wall specimens with and without various protection coatings were exposed to thermal radiation field produced by a gas-fired radiation panel at the BRL A40 level in accordance with the relevant Australian test standard. The heat flux on the exposed surface and temperatures on both the exposed and unexposed surfaces were measured. Flaming combustion and self-extinguishment were observed on most of the specimens while the external radiant heat varied from 40 kW/m² to 16 kW/m². The charring depth of the log walls was also measured. The performance of the solid timber walls was evaluated against the relevant standard. The experimental work showed that solid log wall assemblies are resistant to severe bushfire threat and timber can be a suitable material for building in bushfire prone areas if sufficiently thick and well sealed.