Fire performance of light timber frame construction in Europe: a review on fire protection measures and fire safety design

Timber construction is becoming increasingly relevant for the climate and energy transition of the building sector. Notably, modern multilayered light frame elements are attractive due to their versatility and ease of prefabrication, and they are now used in a wide range of building heights and occupancies. However, wood and wood-based products are combustible, and verifying the fire resistance of timber frame elements and certification of innovative eco-materials require appropriate design and fire testing. This work contextualises the relevance of European timber structures towards the green transition. It further discusses the fire performance and fire safety design of light timber frame systems, emphasising passive fire protection measures. The paper also briefly addresses new developments in Eurocode 5 related to fire resistance verification of light timber frame elements. Additionally, as increasingly complex and innovative assemblies arise in construction practice, developing advanced models, such as finite element and comprehensive multiscale models, is required for performance-based fire engineering and product development. These models simulate the thermal and structural behaviour of timber at elevated temperatures, providing practical tools for assessing fire resistance. Therefore, an instructive background on comprehensive models for modelling the fire behaviour of timber is presented. This work is intended to be a one-stop reference for understanding the relevance of timber elements in Europe and the fire protection and fire safety design strategies for light timber frame construction within the framework of European guidelines.