Authors: J. M. Meireles, E. M. M. Fonseca, P. A. G..Piloto, H. S. Santos, L. M. S. Barreira

The wood slabs are lightweight, easy installation, excellent architectural, thermal and acoustic characteristics. However, its high vulnerability to fire, requires one to determine and assess their behaviour accurately. Based on experimental tests performed to determine the fire resistance, it is possible to validate a numerical slab model developed using a finite element program, ANSYS. The numerical model is thermal, nonlinear transient and uses hexahedral elements. It was considered non-linearity properties at elevated temperatures. The boundary conditions, allowed in the problem are convection and radiation and are being considered typical curves for temperature evolution. These curves were recorded during the experimental trials and allowed to simulate the effect of the action of fire on the exposed surface, inside the cell cavities and openings or perforations of the slab. The physical behaviour of the slab is also conditioned by the formation of carbonization, these phenomena is being considered in the numerical model.

J. M. Meireles¹ | E. M. M. Fonseca¹ | P. A. G..Piloto¹ | H. S. Santos² | L. M. S. Barreira¹
1 ESTIG, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança
2 Jular MADEIRAS