Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology

The Korean Society of Wood Science & Technology (한국목재공학회)
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Charring Behavior and Properties of Cross-Laminated Timber Wall Panels Fabricated with Larix kaempferi Harvested in Korea

  • Suho KIM (Construction Test & Assessment Center, Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT)) ;
  • Yun Jeong CHOI (Construction Test & Assessment Center, Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT)) ;
  • Jaehong AN (Construction Test & Assessment Center, Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT))
  • Received : 2025.05.19
  • Accepted : 2025.08.18
  • Published : 2025.09.25
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Abstract

This study examines the charring behavior of cross-laminated timber (CLT) wall panels manufactured using Larix kaempferi harvested in Korea under non-load-bearing fire conditions. Fire resistance tests were conducted for durations of 1 to 3 hours. Charring depth, charring rate, and temperature variations inside and outside the specimens were measured to evaluate the thermal response of the CLT wall elements. The average charring rate was approximately 0.99 mm/min, forming about 1 mm of char depth per minute. During the tests, the adhesive interfaces between laminae degraded due to high temperatures, resulting in delamination of the charring layers. This delamination supplied additional combustible material, likely causing a rise in furnace temperature and contributing to further charring process. The findings provide baseline data for the fire performance of CLT wall panels made from Korean CLT species and offer insights for establishing standard fire-resistant timber structures. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of adhesive performance in high-temperature environments and may serve as a reference for improving the fire resistance of engineered wood products.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This study was carried out with the support of 'R&D Program for Forest Science Technology (Project No. RS-2023-KF002506)' provided by Korea Forest Service (Korea Forestry Promotion Institute).

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