Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Gypsum Plasterboards in Fire

The fire performance of light timber frame assemblies mainly depends on the protection provided by the cladding. A comprehensive experimental and numerical analysis on the fire behaviour of protective cladding made of gypsum plasterboards and wood-based panels has been recently carried out at ETH Zurich. The paper describes the main results of the experimental and numerical analyses carried out with gypsum plasterboards. The results of the experimental and numerical analysis allowed the development of a design model for the verification of the separating function (insulation and integrity criteria) of light timber frame wall-and-floor assemblie