Research on the Fire Performance of Aged and Modern Wood

The damage caused by fire outbreaks in ancient or old wooden buildings in recent years has been a global concern. To ascertain the reaction of old wood to fire, the thermal, heat release and combustion properties of wood from such buildings must be studied. Hence in this research, microscale combustion calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and cone calorimetry experiments were adopted to investigate the fire properties of 200–300-year-old cypress, pine, and fir along with new wood to comprehend the reaction to fire. It was seen in the research that the fire properties are strongly dependent on the density and structure of the fibres in the wood. Hence, a loose structure formed as a result of weathering and aging burns faster has low ignition times, and produces more heat. An analysis of samples from different parts of the trunk also showed that the sapwood wood exhibits higher fire performance compared to heartwood and samples from the pith/medullary heart.