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For many years, wood-frame construction has been providing the world with high-quality, affordable housing. This goes from town houses to multi-storey apartment buildings, and from single-family bungalows to large luxury houses. Wood frame houses are economical to build, heat and cool, and provide maximum comfort to occupants. Wood shells are approximately 1/2 of the cost of a comparable concrete shell. Wood construction is easily adapted to traditional, contemporary and most futuristic building styles. Its architectural possibilities are limitless. |
Fire Safety
An unprotected, conventional steel joist system will fail in less than 10 minutes under standard laboratory fire exposure test methods, while a conventional wood joist floor system can last up to 15 minutes
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Although the potential for being killed or injured in a fire cannot be completely eliminated, fire safety in a building can be achieved through proven building design features intended to minimize the risk of harm to people from fire to the greatest extent possible. Even materials that do not sustain fire do not guarantee the safety of a structure. Steel, for instance, quickly loses its strength when heated and its yield point decreases significantly as it absorbs heat, endangering the stability of the structure. An unprotected, conventional steel joist system will fail in less than 10 minutes under standard laboratory fire exposure test methods, while a conventional wood joist floor system can last up to 15 minutes. Even reinforced concrete is not immune to fire. Though concrete structures have rarely collapsed, concrete will spall under elevated temperatures, exposing the steel reinforcement and weakening structural members. It is generally recognized then, that there is really no such thing as a fireproof building. Fires can occur in any type of structure. The severity of a fire, however, is contingent on the ability of a construction to:
To varying degrees, any type of construction can be designed as a system, that is, a combination of construction assemblies, to limit the effects of fire. This allows occupants sufficient time to escape the building and for firefighters to safely reach the seat of the fire. When wood burns, the outer surface chars which inhibits oxygen from feeding the fire allowing for time to evacuate and control the fire. When the house is properly constructed, the structural portions (eg. The floors, walls, roof) are fire rated for a certain time period. This critical time period allows for fire crews to safely enter a structure without fear of collapse. It is estimated that only 0.2% of deaths in a home fire are the result of structural collapse. The majority of deaths are due to smoke inhalation from the combustion of items within the home such as furniture and carpets. To further reduce risk of a fire spreading, automatic sprinkler systems can be easily installed and hidden throughout a wood frame building. |
