The goal of this project is to make the construction industry more climate-friendly by using sustainable materials like timber and steel. Our research focuses on investigating the fire behavior of hybrid steel-timber connections through experimental and modeling means to support the optimization of LCA/LCC of the built environment as outlined in the Danish “National strategi for bæredygtigt byggeri”. This will allow for more optimized and commercially attractive buildings in the market.
The project's significance lies in providing a scientific foundation to structural engineers to perform full structural assessments for fire conditions, thus removing barriers related to fire safety. The validated model for predicting the fire behavior of hybrid steel-timber structures will support to develop guidelines and offer a path to approval, which will be applicable internationally. This will allow building designers, engineers, and planners to introduce more optimized, efficient, sustainable, and commercially attractive buildings into the market.
The plan is to commercialize the new knowledge in the form of a fire safety design service, supporting constructors, engineers, and architects in producing fire safety documentation for hybrid steel-timber buildings. The project will be an extension of existing services, and within two years of project completion, we aim to scale up the project results by publishing design guidelines and releasing the proposed model for use by other fire safety engineers.
