Researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) have developed an innovative fire simulator. The furnace designed by the Institute for Structural Engineering (IBK), which comes under the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering at ETH Zurich, can simulate a wide range of fire scenarios, further details of which can be found in a press release. The insights gained from the tests should help to increase the use of timber as a sustainable construction material.
The furnace is designed to support the sustainable timber construction industry, which is becoming ever more popular in Switzerland. Since 2015, Swiss laws have permitted multi-story timber structures. High-rise buildings made of wood with a height of up to 108 meters are being planned, which therefore makes fire protection considerations all the more important.
The furnace takes the form of a metal cube reinforced with steel girders with a combustion chamber measuring one meter in height, one meter wide and almost 1.7 meters in length. It is fired by ten gas burners, half of which are attached to the two long sides and can heat the furnace to more 1,400 degrees Celsius. The tests are recorded using several cameras outside the combustion chamber, while the composition of the combustion gases can also be analyzed.
“We can program the oven’s temperature precisely to three degrees and do the same with the oxygen in the furnace”, explains Andrea Frangi, Professor for Timber Structures and leader of the simulation project, in the press release. “The furnace allows us to simulate various fire scenarios and study their impact on the timber structures”, he adds. During the tests, loads of up to 50 tons can be added to the timber components. The development costs for the simulator amounted to 2.5 million francs. ce/ww
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