| Abstract | This report presents the results of an experimental study on the fire resistance of lightweight steel-framed (LSF) assemblies, conducted at the National Research Council of Canada in collaboration with industry partners. A total of 14 full-scale fire resistance tests were conducted on loadbearing gypsum board-protected, steel stud wall assemblies. The wall assemblies had either diagonal cross-bracing or shear membrane to enhance shear resistance to lateral loads. Both single row and double row steel stud configurations with installation of gypsum board on each of the fire exposed and unexposed sides were considered in the experimental program. The insulation used, within the wall assemblies, were glass, rock and dry-blown cellulose fibers. Some of the wall assemblies were provided with resilient channels, often used in wall designs to improve their sound transmission classification (STC) ratings, to study their effect on the fire resistance of steel stud walls. These tests were conducted to determine the effects of stud arrangement, crossbracing or shear membrane, load intensity, resilient channel installation, insulation type and thickness of studs on the fire resistance of gypsum board-protected, steel stud wall assemblies. Details of the results, including the temperatures and deflections measured during the fire resistance tests, are presented. |
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