ABSTRACT
The principal structural members of many commercial buildings are the so-called heavy timber structures. Their elements are beams, columns, decks, or truss members made from glue-laminated or largedimension sawn timber. As compared to steel and concrete structures, heavy timber structures are recognized as having good fire resistance. There are many examples of such structures surviving fire exposure without collapse (e.g. Buchanan 2002: 274). However, the relatively high fire resistance of heavy timber structures does not automatically mean that they are safe from failures caused by fires.
