The continued expansion of lightweight timber frame buildings is likely to have significant implications for the insured environment, according to a new report.
The report, developed through the insurers’ group RISCAuthority and published by the Fire Protection Association, also says that fires in lightweight timber frame buildings are twice as common as fires in a building of more traditional construction.
“The UK government has taken a bold move in the almost unrestricted allowance of lightweight timber frame building methods within the UK,” it says.
“This report has demonstrated that even with quite restrictive controls in place, such as those used in the US, the continued expansion of lightweight timber frame market share is likely to have significant implications for the insured environment which may extend to the safety of firefighting personnel and building occupants alike.”
The report compared UK building practices and fire incidents with those in the US, where timber frame has a 90% share of the new homes market.
It says the much higher rate of fire-related deaths in the US, where fire protection measures are more stringent, “cast further doubt” over the first performance of lightweight tmber frame buildings.
However, the report does concede the findings may be equally relevant to all forms of MMC construction deploying combustible materials and points to another upcoming report by NHBC Foundation on “Fire peformance in highly insulated residential buildings”, in which similar fire issues may be inferred in other novel build methods.
