Post-fire assessment of structural wood members

Abstract

Since the interior of a charred wood member normally retains its structural integrity, large structural wood members often do not need to be replaced 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 includes visual inspection of damaged members, visual inspection of connections, and visual inspection of any protective membranes (i.e., gypsum 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.

Citation

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 Products Society, 2005: pages 29-46.