The ARC Advance Timber Hub has been featured by ABC News and UQ News following a series of large-scale fire experiments conducted at the Queensland Fire Department’s (QFD) training ground at the Port of Brisbane, led by Josh Madden at The University of Queensland (UQ) School of Civil Engineering.

The experiments involved controlled fires reaching temperatures of approximately 1,000°C and investigated how fire spreads beneath cross-laminated timber ceiling compartments under different design scenarios. The research forms a key component of Mr Madden’s PhD project and contributes to the Hub Project: Fire Safety Design of Open Plan Timber Compartments, led by Associate Professor David Lange at UQ School of Civil Engineering.

Professor Keith Crews, Director of the ARC Advance Timber Hub, said the research represents an important contribution to the future of fire-safe timber design.

“Congratulations to Josh Madden and the entire project research team on delivering world-class, groundbreaking research that addresses one of the most critical challenges facing the future of timber construction.

This work demonstrates the calibre of research being undertaken through the ARC Advance Timber Hub and provides important new evidence to support the safe design and broader adoption of mass timber buildings in Australia and internationally.

I would also like to sincerely thank the Queensland Fire Department and Mick Conway for their longstanding support of this research program. Their collaboration, expertise and commitment have been instrumental to the success of this project. Partnerships such as these are essential for delivering research with real-world impact and improving community safety.”

The project builds on a long-standing collaboration between The University of Queensland and the Queensland Fire Department, which has helped advance knowledge of fire behaviour while providing valuable insights for both researchers and emergency services personnel.

According to Mick Conway, Fire Engineer with the Queensland Fire Department, understanding new materials and innovative building systems is critical to ensuring the safety of future buildings and supporting firefighter preparedness.

The findings from the experimental program are currently being analysed and will help inform future fire engineering design approaches and support the safe and confident adoption of timber buildings across Australia and internationally.

Read the ABC News story: Timber ceiling compartments set on fire at 1,000 degrees Celsius to help improve safety

Read the UQ News story: Improving the safety of timber buildings – by setting them on fire