Load-Bearing Timber-Framed Gypsum Plasterboard Walls Subjected to Two-Sided Fire Exposure

Gypsum plasterboard lined timber-framed walls are commonly used in construction and provide excellent fire-resistance. When these walls are required to perform a load-bearing function, fire-resistance is generally assessed by standard fire-resistance testing, exposing a specimen to fire from one side only. When load-bearing walls are themselves not fire separations, they can potentially be exposed to fire from both sides simultaneously. No current tests exist to reliably measure the performance of such gypsum plasterboard lined walls and there is very limited information for a recognized fire engineering design method. In this research, Abaqus/CAE finite element software was used to develop thermal and structural models for such walls subjected to one and two-sided fire exposures which were validated using the experimental results. The experimental and modelling results were then analyzed to formulate a predictive design method enabling designers to assess the structural adequacy of such walls subjected to two-sided fire exposure.