Abstract:
Robust and pre-fabrication construction techniques are the cutting edge practice in the building industry. Coldframe, warm-frame and hybrid-frame are three common Light-gauge Steel Frame (LSF) wall constructions
applied for better energy performance. Still, the applications of the aforementioned wall configurations are
restricted due to limited fire safety studies. This paper presents the fire performance investigations and results of
cold-frame, warm-frame, and hybrid-frame LSF walls together with three novel configurations maintaining the
same material quantities. Successfully validated 3D heat transfer finite element models were extended to six wall
configurations. Time variant temperature profiles from Finite Element Analyses were evaluated against the
established Load Ratio (LR)-Hot-Flange (HF) temperature curve to determine the structural fire resistance.
Modified warm-frame construction showed the best performance where the Fire Resistance Level (FRL) is
approximately twice that of conventional LSF wall configurations. Hence, the novel LSF wall configurations
obtained by shifting the insulation material toward the fireside of the wall make efficient fire-resistant wall
solutions and the new designs are proposed to be incorporated in modular constructions for enhanced fire
performance.
