"Finite element modelling of cross-laminated timber floors exposed to fire"

The paper presents a finite element model implemented in Abaqus software package to investigate the thermal and structural performance of protected and unprotected cross-laminated timber (Xlam) floor panels loaded out-of-plane and exposed to standard fire. The temperature-dependent relationships for wood properties proposed by the European code for fire design of timber structures were adopted in the modelling. The ‘concrete damaged plasticity’ model readily available in Abaqus was used to describe the non-linear mechanical behaviour of timber. The falling-off of the protective layer was simulated numerically as observed in the experiments. The numerical results in terms of temperature and stress distributions along the depth of a Xlam panel highlight the effect of the protective layer on heat transfer and consequently on stresses. By comparison with experimental results, an accurate prediction of the fire resistance of Xlam floor panels was attained.