Chapter Four:

Post-Fire Assessment of

structural Wood Members

Since the interior of a charred wood member normally retains its struc­
tural integrity, large structural wood members often do not need to be re­
placed after a fire. Engineering judgement is required to determine which
members can remain and which members need to be replaced or repaired.
Due to the lack of established methods to directly determine the residual
capacity of damaged wood members, a systematic approach starting with
the assessment of the likely fire exposure is recommended. Assessment in­
cludes visual inspection of damaged members, visual inspection of con­
nections, and visual inspection of any protective membranes (i.e., gyp­
sum board). Potential methods for nondestructive evaluation of
structural properties of a fire-damaged wood member are discussed after a
brief review of the degradation of wood when exposed to fire.

Thermal Degradation of Wood

Wood degrades when exposed to elevated temperatures. Fire expo­
sure causes the thermal degradation or pyrolysis of w o o d in which the
wood is converted to volatile gases and a char residue. The extent of any
thermal degradation depends on both the temperature and the duration
of the exposure. At temperatures below 100°C (212°F), the immediate ef­
fect of temperature on mechanical properties of wood is essentially re­
versible (Green et al. 1999), Prolonged exposure t o t e m p e r a t u e s exceed­
ing 65°C (” 150ºF) can result in permanent losses in strength properties
(AF& PA 2001 ).Degradation resulting in weight loss is associated with
temperatures exceedlng 100°C. For temperatures less than 200°C
(≡392ºF), charring of the wood requires prolonged exposure. Significant
degradation occurs in the tem perature range of 200° to 300°C (392° to
572ºF). A temperature of ≡ 3 0 0 º C (≡550ºF) is commonly associated with
the base of the char layer for wood subjected to direct fire exposure in the
standard fire-resistance test. Vigorous production of flammable volatiles
occurs in the temperature range of 300º to 450ºC (550º to 842ºF)., Kinetic

Post-Fire Assessment of Structural Wood Members 29

 parameters are used to model the rate of thermal degradation, Detailed
discussions of the processes involved can be found in the literature
(Browne 1958, White and Dietenberger 2001).
Sudden surface heating of a wood member in a fire results in surface
charring and a steep temperature gradient. Thus, the stages of thermal
wood degradation previously discussed become zones of degradation in
a structural wood member exposed to fire. In a broad sense, there is an
outer char layer, a pyrolysis zone, a zone of elevated temperatures, and
the cool interior (Fig. 4.1), These zones of degradation reflect the tem­
perature profile through the cross section.

Figure 4.1.—Illustration of the degradation

zones in a charred piece of wood.

Fire Damaged Wood

For wood members that have charred, the char layer can be easily
scrapped off. Obviously, any charred portion of a fire-exposed wood
member has no residual load capacity. The wood beneath the char layer
has residual load capacity; but, this residual capacity will be less than the
load capacity prior to the fire. Members that have only visual smoke
damage or slight browning of the surface also have significant residual
load capacity.
ASTM E 119 (ASTM International 2000) standard test method is the
test for determining the fire-resistance rating of a structural member or as­
semblies for building code purposes. This severe and direct fire exposure
results in rapid surface charring, the development of a char layer with a
base temperature of -300°C (-550°F), and a steep temperature gradient of
177º C (350ºF) at 6 mm (0.2 in.) and 104ºC (220°F) at 13 mm (0.5 in.) be-

30 Wood and Timber Condition Assessment Manual

neath the char layer (Fig. 4.2). The
standard fire exposure is a specifled
time-temperature curve of 538°C
(1,000°F) at 5 minutes, 843ºC
(1,550ºF) at 30 minutes, and 927ºC
(1,700ºF) at 1 hour. For a large
wood member directly exposed to
the standard fire exposure, the char
rate is approximately 0.6 mm/min.
(38 mm/hr. 1.5 in./hr., 1/40
in./min.). Char rate in the standard
test depends on species, density, Figure 4.2.—Illustration of a charring wood member ex­
moisture content and duration of posed to the standard fire exposure of 815° to 1,038°C
exposure (White and Norheim
1992). M o s t research on fire endurance of wood members has been di­
rected toward predicting or understanding their performance in this test
(White 2002, Buchanan 2001). Fire endurance research on wood for other
fire exposures or post-fire situations is limited.
Standard fire exposure represents the exposure of a structural mem­
ber or assembly in the immediate vicinity of a fully developed post­
flashover fire. The following situations:
a. exposure of wood components a distance a way from the fully

developed post-flashover fire (e.g., roof rafters exposed to hot

gases from a fire in a room below);

b. smoldering cellulosic insulation fire near wood rafters;

c. high intensity fire that is quickly extinguished;
d. prolonged heating of wood after extinguishment; and
e. wood behind gypsum wallboard or other protective membranes
are all examples of fire exposures inconsistent with an assumption of the
standard fire exposure. The general rules for reducing the cross section
ror a fire equivalent to the standard exposure are based on assumptions
of the temperature gradients within the uncharred wood during the fire.
For this reason, it is advisable to first obtain an informed understanding
of the fire itself and the fire exposure to the structural members being
evaluated.

Fire Investigation
As noted by Buchanan (2001 ), it is valuable to visit the fire scene im­
mediately after the fire to make notes of all of the damage that occurred.
The post-fire situation dfter the mid-1990s fire in a building at the USDA
Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory is illustrated in Figure.4.3.
For most fire investigations conducted by fire departments and other in-

Post-Fire Assessment of Structural Wood Members 31

Figure 4.3.—Area of fire origin in Build­
ing 2 fire at the Forest Products Laboratory,

vestigators, the intent is to establish the cause for initial ignition and fire
growth. The standard guide for such investigations is NFPA 921 Guide for
Fire and Explosions Investigations (NFPA 1998). This guide advocates a
methodology based on a systematic approach and attention to all rele­
vant details. For the puropse of a post-fire assessment of structural wood
members, the intent of an immediate investigation is to better estimate
the intensity and duration of the fire exposure to the wood members
during and after the fire. Such insight will be helpful in making engi­
neering judgments on the likely temperatures within the charred and
uncharred wood members. NFPA 921 provides information on various
observations for estimating temperatures developed during a fire.
Without extinguishment, a fire has three phases:
1. the growth of the fire from ignition to flashover;
2. the fully developed post-flashover fire; and
3. the decay period of declining temperatures as the fuel is
consumed.
The fire exposure of the standard fire-resistance test only approxi­
mates the second phase. or post-flashover portion, of the fire. Flashover
is the full involvement of the combustible contents of the compartment
and is associated with flames coming out of the door in the standard
room-corner test. Information gathered in a NFPA 921 investigation will
help establish likely maximum temperatures in various locations.
For the post-fire assessment, the exposure of the structural wood
members to elevated temperatures during the decay period of fire devel­
opment should be considered. While temperatures are lower during the
decay period, the duration of exposure can be prolonged compared with
the duration of the fully developed post-flashover fire phase. The steep
ttemperature gradient near the fire-exposed surface assumed in the nor­
mal assessment of residual load capacity is based on transient heating
coupled with progressive charring of the wood cross section. During pro­

32 Wood and Timber Condition Assessment Manual

longed cooling, surface temperatures will decline while temperatures on
the cool inside portion of the cross section will i ncrease. Tests have indi­
cated that this temperature increase in the interior of a wood member
due to re-distribution of heat after fire exposure is particularly the case
for wood protected with gypsum board. Since the decay or post-extin­
guishment period is one of reduced temperatures, many damage obser­
vations made at the fire scene will be less helpful in determining the
vations and duration of the exposure. More careful and detailed in­
spections of structural members and connections will l likely need to be
done in a subsequent inspection when the general debris has been
removed.

Visual Inspection of Charred Members

Wood exposed to temperatures in
excess of -300ºC (-550ºF) will form a
residual char layer on the surface ( Fig.
4.4 ). With prolonged exposure, char­
ring of wood can occur at lower tem­
peratures. While it retains the ana­
tomical structure of uncharred wood,
the char layer can be easily scraped or
sand-blasted off.
In an inspection of charred mem­
bers, it is important to understand
that the char layer exhibits significant Figure 4.4.—Charred and uncharred wood members
shrinkage. The shrinkage results in fis­ in the Building 2 fire at the Forest Products Laboratory.
sures in the char layer. Glowing com­
bustion of the char also can occur. As a result, the thickness of the resid­
ual char layer is less than the depth of charring ( Fig. 4.5 ). The profile of
the original section will need to be determined from construction re­
cords or similar uncharted members.

Figure 4.5.— Illustration of the re­

sidual cross section of a charred wood
member .

Post-Fire Assessment of Structural Wood Members 33

 Load Capacity of Damaged Members
Thermal degradation of wood results in the loss of structural proper­
ties. Thermal degradation of wood is a kinetic process. Due to the ther­
mal properties of wood, a distinct temperature gradient develops in a
wood member when it is exposed to fire. Thus, the loss of structural
properties of fire-damaged wood members depends on both the temper­
ature within the wood member and the duration of the elevated
temperatures.
For an exposed wood member large enough that the temperature of
its center or back surface has not increased, the temperature gradient
within a wood beam or column for the standard fire exposure has been
documented. For such a fire exposure, there is a clear demarcation of the
base of the char layer. For the standard fire esposure of a semi-infinite
slab, the temperature profile beneath the base of the char layer can be
approximated by:

[4.1]
where:
Ti = initial temperature of the wood (°C)
Tp = temperature of the base of the char layer (300°C)
x = distance beneath the char layer (mm), and
a = thickness (mm) of the layer of elevated temperatures
(Fig. 4.6).
For the data of White
and Nordheim (1992), the
average value of a was 33
mm (1.3 in.) for the eight
species tested (Janssens
and White 1994). An alter­
native exponential model
was developed by Schaffer
(1965, 1982b). This tem­
perature profile is valid af­
tera standard fire exposure
of about 20 minutes. The
thickness of the zone of el­
evated temperatures de­
Figure 4.6.— Temperature profile beneath the base of the char layer creases for increased fire
of a semi-infinite wood slab directly exposed to the ASTM E 119 stan­ exposure severity. For a
dard fire exposure. char depth of 12 m m (0.5
in.), the observed depth of
elevated temperatures decreased from 36 m m to 30 mm (1.4 in. to 1.2
in.) when the level of a constant heat flux exposure was increased from

34 Wood and Timber Condition Assessment Manual

15 kW/m2 to 50 kW/ m 2 (White and Tran 1996), For a char depth of 6 mm
(0.2 in.), the depths of elevated temperature were 34 and 25 mm (1.3 and
1.0 in.) for the heat flux levels of 15 kW/m2 and 50 kW/m2, respectively.
The irreversible effects of elevated temperatures on mechanical prop­
erties depend on moisture content, heating medium, tem perature, ex­
posure period, and to some extent species and size of the piece involved
(Green et al. 1999). Over a period of months, temperatures of 66°C
(150°F) can significantly reduce modulus of rupture (MOR). Graphs of
the permanent effect of oven heating for periods up to 200 days on MOR
and modulus of elasticity (MOE) can be found in the Wood Handbook
(Green et al. 1999). After 50 days of oven heating at 115ºC (240°F), MOR
at room temperature was approximately 90 percent of the unheated
controls. For samples heated at 135°C (275°F), MOR at room temperature
was approximately 62 percent of the unheated controls after 50 days.
Permanent losses in strength occurred more rapidly with heating temp­
peratures of 155°C (310°F) and 175°C (350°F). Elevated temperatures be­
low charring temperature appear to have little effect on MOE.
Using the data of Knudson and
Schniewind (1975) and Schaffer
(1973), Schaffer (1977, 1982a,
1982b) developed graphs of tem­
perature effects on tensile (Fig.
4.7) and compressive (Fig. 4.8)
strength. The data illustrates the
reduced impact that temperature
has on the residual strength prop­
erties once the wood has cooled to
room temperature and has been
reconditioned back to 12 percent
moisture content. At a depth of
only 8 mm (0.3 in.) beneath the
char layer, the temperature has
dropped to 200°C (Fig. 4.6). At
200°C, residual strength properties
still exceed 80 percent of the initial Figure 4.7.—Fractional tensile strength as function of tem­
room temperature values (Figs. perature (Schaffer 1977, 1982b, 1984).
4.7 and 4.8). Additional informa­
tion on the effects of temperature and moisture content on strength prop­
erties of wood are provided by Schaffer (1982a). Gerhards (1982), Green et
al. (1999), and Buchanan (2001). During an actual fire, the residual capac­
ity of the wood member is affected by steam generated within the mem­
ber (Buchanan 2001) and zones of elevated moisture content (White and
Schaffer 1980). Schaffer (1982a) concluded his discussion of the proper-

Post-Fire Assessment of Structural Wood Members 35

 ties of timbers exposed to fire by
noting that because of the short
time that wood just beyond the
charline has been at its maximum
temperature, the overall strength
loss in heavy sections will be small
and the residual load-carrying ca­
pacity will be closely approxi­
mated by using the initial strength
properties of the uncharred resid­
ual cross section as a base.
Thus, the steep temperature
gradient allows us to easily esti­
mate the residual load capacity of
the member by reducing the re­
sidual cross section of the un­
charred section by an additional
Figure 4.8.— Fractional compressive strength as function a mount to improve the safety
of temperature (Schaller 1982a, 1982b). margins of our calculations. In
general, fire endurance design of
wood members is referred to as the reduced or effective cross-section
method (Fig. 4.5). A notional char depth defines the effective cross sec­
tion for calculation purposes. In their model of a large glued-laminated
member in a fire, Schaffer et al. (1986) calculated a reduction of 8 mm
(0.3 in.) for tensile strength loss. I n the new U.S. procedure for fire endur­
ance design of wood members, the reduction for load capacity calcula­
tions is an additional 20 percent of the actual depth of charring (AF&PA
2003). For a 1-hour fire-resistance test, this calculates to 8 mm (0.3 in.)
(char depth of 38 mm (1.5 in.)). The AF&PA's American Wood Council
procedure also uses a non-linear char rate (White and Nordheim 1992).
In calculating the ability of a member to maintain a specified load in a
fire test, the reduced cross-sectional area is multiplied by ultimate
strength properties. In calculating the residual load capacity of a mem­
ber after a fire, the reduced cross section is multiplied by the allowable
stresses as in normal allowable stress design (AF&PA 2001).
In his discussion of the assessment and repair of fire-damaged build­
ings, Buchanan (2001) notes that residual wood under the charred layer
of heavy timber structural members can be assumed to have full
strength. He continues with the comment that the size of the residual
cross section can be determined by scraping away the charred layer and
any wood which is significantly discolored. Williamson (1982a) recom­
mends that the amount of char/wood that should be removed by sand­
blasting or other means should be equal to the char layer plus approxi­

36 Wood and Timber Condition Assessment Manual

mately 6 mm (0.2.5 in.) or less of the wood below the char-wood
interface. The exposed surface should then have the appearance of nor­
mal wood. Williamson (1982a) makes a distinction between design ca­
pacities controlled by compression strength or stiffness and those con­
trolled by tensile strength. In the compression case, the removal of the
additional 6 mm (0.25 in.) of wood is sufficient to use the residual cross
section in the design calculations without any additional adjustment.
For the case of tensile design calculations, Williamson (1982a) recom­
mends an additional adjustment beyond the removal of 6 mm (0.25 in.)
of wood. In calculations of the residual tensile strength of the member)
the basic allowable design stress values should be reduced by 10 percent.
An alternative is to take a reduction of 16 mm (0.625 in.) of wood be­
yond the char-wood interface and use 100 percent of the basic allowable
design stress values.
Removal or degradation of any wood from a structural member will
likely require regrading of the member to determine the proper allow­
able properties to be used in calculations of residual load capacity. The
grade of the structural member may have changed due to the loss of the
outer layer of wood. Calculation of residual load capacity must take into
account structural grade variation of individual components within a
composite structural wood member. This is very important for charred
glued-laminated (glulam) structural members. Glulam members are nor­
mally manufactured with a graded lay~up
lay-up that has higher grade materi­
als at the outer laminates and lower grade materials in the core. In partic­
ular, the charred bottom laminate may have been a high-grade tension
laminate that significantly impacts the bending strength of the membe r.
Examples of calculations for fire-damaged glulam members are provided
by Williamson (1982a) . Williamson (1982b) also discusses the rehabili­
tation of fire-damaged heavy timbers at the Filene Cen ter for Performing
Arts at Wolftrap Farm, Virginia. The structure was damaged due to a fire
while the facility was under construction in 1971.

Light-Frame Members
As discussed, most information on fire-damaged wood focuses on
evaluation of large timber members. Evaluation of residual load capacity
of structural elements in light-frame construction does not allow some
of the assumptions of the previous analysis such as direct fire exposure
and semi-infinite slab.
Wood structural members in light-frame construction are generally
covered by a membrane of gypsum board. Gypsum board provides very
effective fire protection. Gypsum is primarily hydrated calcium sulfate.
Bound water within the gypsum board delays the rise of the temperature
at the wood-gypsum board interface above 100°C (212°F) for a signifi­

Post-Fire Assessment of Structural Wood Members 37

 cant period of time. The chemically bound water is released as steam
during this calcination process. Gypsum board loses its integrity or co­
hesion after exposure to fire (Cramer et al. 2003). The integrity of the
gypsum board can be examined by using a sharp blade or by removing
samples for more careful examination. Spiszman (1994) suggests grind­
ing a sample of the gypsum (minus the paper) and moistening it with
water to a paste-like material. If, after two hours, the sample is hard, simi­
lar to plaster of Paris, it should be considered heat damaged. As with
fire-damaged wood, similar materials in areas not involved in the fire
provide a performance level for comparison. A rule of thumb is that gyp­
sum board may be assumed to retain its integrity as long as the paper en­
velope has not charred (King 2002). The cross section of the gypsum
board can be examined for visual evidence of the progression of calcina­
tion through the gypsum board. Where there is evidence of fire damage,
the gypsum board may need to be removed so that structural wood
members can be examined. Charring of wood is more likely to occur at
the joints between sheets of gypsum board. Due to the protection pro­
vided to the sides of the wood members, the damage to structural
members in assemblies with cavity insulation may be limited.
In light-frame construction, significantly charred members are gen­
erally removed (Steven Winters Associates, Inc 1999). Application of
the guidelines discussed above to light-frame construction results in in ­
adequate load capacity with even a small amount of charring. However,
many light-frame members in an actual fire suffer only smoke damage or
very superficial charring. Given the high temperature of a fire and the
low temperature for wood char (300°C (550°F)), superficial charring re­
flects very brief exposure to a fire. As previously discussed, the depth of
elevated temperatures is less for initially smaller depths of charring.
Charring is much more rapid during initial charring. As the thickness of
the insulative char layer increases, the progression of charring is slowed
Once the t e m p e r a t u r e at the center of the light-frame member starts to
increase, the temperature profile shown in Figure 4.6 is not valid and
temperatures will increase more rapidly. King (2002) states that struc­
tural repair of fire-damaged framing is often not required if the char
depth is less than 6 mm (0.2 in.). He also notes that treatment of any sig­
nificant loss of surface should have approval of a local building inspector
or a qualified structural engineer. Other rules of thumb that have been
recommended for lumber in trusses include 1) no charring, 2) charring
of up to 10 percent of the cross section, and 3) charring depth up to 1.6
mm (1/16 in.) (WTCA 2003). Engineering judgement on whether a mem­
ber needs to be replaced includes considering the importance of the
member to the structural integrity of the building and the need for a
conservative approach.

38 Wood and Timber Condition Assessment Manual

 Light-frame construction contains numerous building cavities.
When fire damage is not extensive, heat, smoke, and water damage can
occur within the building cavities. In a cavity, fire-generated heat dam­
age would involve components with higher sensitivities than the sur­
rounding materials (King 2002). In addition to the cavities of the struc­
tural components, there are also many cavities associated with the
routing of the building's utilities.

Testing
Unlike wood dam aged by decay, little work has been done on suitable
methods for field testing fire-damaged wood for residual load capacity.
Some potential options are those suggested for field testing fire-retar­
dant-treated (FRT) plywood for possible thermal degradation (NAHB Na­
tional Research Center 1990). Prolonged elevated temperatures, associ­
ated with roof applications, have resulted in degradation of plywood
treated with some formulations of fire-retardant treatments. The ther­
mal degradation of the plywood was similar to degradation of wood in a
fire. The options identified by the National Association of Home Build­
ers (NAHB) for possible degraded FRT plywood induded:
1) concentrated proof load,
2) removal of small samples for laboratory mechanical testing,
3) screw withdrawal test,
4) chemical analysis for chemical compositions of the wood such
as hemicelluloses, and
5) spectral analysis for end products of degradation.
Options 1) and 2) are destructive.
In the case of options 3), 4), and 5), further research is needed to iden­
tify and document any appropriate correlations and methodologies for
fire-damaged wood. Since general correlations are likely to lack adequate
precision to establish actual property values, these options are m o r e
likely to be fruitful when they are used to compare similar members in
the fire-damaged building that have obvious degrees of degradation or
residual load capacity. Thus, they may be more useful in evaluating fire
damage in light-frame construction.
Application of a screw-withdrawal test to the FRT plywood situation
was investigated by Winandy et al. (1998). In their study, the variability
and reproducibility of 8-mm (5/16-in.) screw insertion was compared to
that for 16-mm (5/8-in.) screw insertion in 16-mm (5/8-in.) plywood.
The shorter depth measurements were observed to have higher coeffi­
cients of variation. In many instances, the load cell resolution of the ap­
paratus exceeded 25 percent of the measured value compared with less
than 10 percent for the 16-mill (5/8-in.) screw. While there may have

Post-Fire Assessment of Structural Wood Members 39

 been some gradient in the FRT-plywood degradation through the thick­
ness of the plywood, the application of the method to fire-damaged
wood would need to be able to identify degradation prirnarily near the
surface of the uncharred wood.
Recent research has been done on modeling strength loss in wood by
chemical composition (Winandy and Lebow 2001). Potentially, an in­
crement borer could be used to extract wood samples for chemical or
spectral analysis.

Connections
All connections will require detailed inspection to assess their load­
bearing capacity. in his discussion of large fire-damaged timbers, Wil­
liamson (1982a) notes that the effect of fire on the strength of any con­
nection is very difficult to determine without a thorough investigation
of the affected connection, since the amount of damage is dependent on
the quantity of metal and the surface contact of metal with fire along
with other factors. There may also be possible chemical damage from the
corrosive effects of fire residues. Metal roof supports, ceilings, and other
structural members are vulnerable to long-term acid attack from fire resi­
dues (King 2002). Exposed metal connections provide a means for heat
conduction into the wood (Fuller et al. 1992),
It is the degradation of the wood beneath a metal plate connection
that results in its failure (Fig. 4.9a). In a situation when heating is
strictly via radiation, the metal plate may actually initially protect the
wood beneath the plate from char­
ring as much as the adjacent wood
(Fig. 4.9b). The test specimens
shown in Figure 4.9 are from a pro­
ject to develop a fire endurance
model for metal-plate-connected
wood trusses (White et al. 1993,
Shrestha et al. 1995). If there is dam-
age to the plate area, the plate is dis­
colored, or there is charring under
the plate, it is recommended that
the connection be considered inef­
fective (WTCA 2003).

Smoke Damage
Figures 4.9.—(a) Test specimens of metal plate The subjects of smoke damage
connections illustrating charred wood failure beneath the and control of odor are not within
plate, and (b) metal plate failure of plate with uncharred the scope of this manual. The im­
wood beneath the plate. pact of fire residues on wood fram-

40 Wood and Timber Condition Assessment Manual

ing is confined to appearance and odor (King 2002). Except for possible
corrosive effects on metal fasteners, smoke and other fire residues do not
affect the load capacity of the wood member. The National Institute or
Disaster Restoration (NIDR) provides guidelines based on current prac­
tice in restoration technology (King 2002), The institute is associated
with the Association of Specialists in Cleansing and Restoration
(www.ascr.org). Actions for addressing smoke damage are also discussed
in an article by the Chicora Foundation (2003).
Fire odors should be identified and removed before any application
of sealers, paints, or other finishes since the masking effects of such
products are temporary (King 2002). The presence of fire acids, visible
fire residues, and odor need to be addressed. The NIDR's Guidelines for
Fire and Smoke Repair (King 2002) provides information on methods for
removal of fire residues, neutralizing acid residues, removing fire odors,
and the use of sealing and encapsulation. Structural members restored af­
ter fire damage should retain no char or untreated fire residues even when
they are covered with new framing or other interior finishes (King 2002).

Repairs
Once the load capacities of the fire-damaged members are deter­
mined, potential repairs can be identified. When blasting is required,
various media can be used including sand, ground corn cob, and baking
soda. Once char and other fire residues have been removed, wood sur­
faces can be treated for residual odors and sealers can be applied.
Information on rehabilitation of damaged structures is available in
the nine volume series of the PATH program (www.pathnet.org) of the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development known as The
Rehab Guide. Information on moisture damage will help address water
damage due to fire suppression efforts. With the high level of concern
about mold damage, any moisture damage associated with fire suppres­
sion also needs to be addressed. Restoration of wood floors is discussed
by King (2002).
In the case of partially fire-damaged wood, repairs often consist of re­
inforcing the original damaged member by attaching a supplemental
piece of wood to it. This action is referred to as "sistering." Th e effect of
fire on epoxy-repaired timber is discussed by Avent and Issa (1984). They
found the two epoxies they tested to be sensitive to heat at a relatively
low temperature (66° to 93°C (150° to 200°F)). Buchanan and Barber
(1994) found the two epoxies they tested lost strength rapidly at 50°C
(122°F). Epoxy joints should be protected by a thick outer wood layer or
other protective material such as gypsum board. Available information
indicates that adhesives (phenol, resorcinol, and melamine) normally
used in the manufacture of structural wood composites have a fire per-

Post-Fire Assessment of Structural Wood Members 41

 formance equivalent of solid wood. Schaffer (1968) found that separa­
tion did not occur at either phenol-resorinol or melamine gluelines in
either charred or noncharred laminates during fire exposure.
Any repairs should also include the consideration of design changes
or additional protection to reduce the likelihood of future fire damage.
Schaffer (1 982c) discusses designing to avoid problems with fire. Addi­
tional information can be found in the Wood Handbook (White and
Dietenberger 1999). Repairs must comply with appropriate building
code requirements.

Concluding Remarks
Often, the end product of the reaction of wood to fire is an outer char
layer and a cooler inner core of solid wood. In the case of many fires,
there is a clear demarcation between the char layer and the relatively un­
damaged residual wood. With appropriate analysis, treatment, and re­
pairs, the fire-damaged wood members can be restored instead of being
replaced (Fig. 4.10).

Figure 4.10.—Post-fire (top) and

post-repair (bottom) of Building 2 at
the Forest Products Laboratory.

42 Wood and Timber Condition Assessment Manual

References
American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), 2001. The allowable stress
design (ASD) manual for engineered wood construction. Washington,
DC: American Forest & Paper Association.
American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA). 2003. Calculating the fire re­
sistance of exposed wood members. Technical Report 10,Washington,
DC: American Forest & Paper Association. (www.awc.org).
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). 2000. Standard test
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46 Wood and Timber Condition Assessment Manual

Wood and Timber Condition

Assessment Manual

Robert J. Ross
Project Leader

USDA Forest Service

Forest Products Laboratory

Madison, WI

Brian K. Brashaw
Program Director

Natural Resources Research Institute

University of Minnesota Duluth

Duluth, MN

Xiping Wang
Senior Research Associate

Natural Resources Research Institute

University of Minnesota Duluth

Duluth, MN

Robert H. White
Project Leader

USDA Forest Service

Forest Products Laboratory

Madison, WI

Roy F. P.ellerin
Professor Emeritus

Washington State University

Pullman, WA

Forest Products Society

Madison, W I

Ross, Robert J.; Brashaw, Brian K.; Wang, Xiping; White, Robert H.; Pellerin, Roy F. 2005. Post-Fire assessment of
structural wood members. Wood and timber condition assessment manual. Madison, WI: Forest Produccts Society: 29-46:
Chapter 4.

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r::ation

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