Improving the fire endurance of concrete block masonry walls towards next-generation performance-based fire standards

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This project aims to improve to upon the historically proven resilience of concrete masonry units in fire separation partition walls. Masonry materials have been relied upon extensively over the last century as an effective form of fire barrier in buildings. The proposed research is scheduled to be completed over the next five years through collaboration with the Canadian masonry industry as represented by: Canada Masonry Design Centre (CMDC) and Canadian Concrete Masonry Producers Association (CCMPA). The goals of this research project are to: develop the next-generation of masonry fire performance standards, improve fire-rated masonry assemblage design and construction, optimize masonry unit manufacturing for fire resistance and facilitate robust post-disaster assessment of fire damaged masonry. A series of experimental tests will be conducted on the fire performance of full sized non-loadbearing (partition) masonry walls, and small-scale assemblages to quantify the effects of a variety of parameters on heat and mass transfer, fire endurance, and mechanical behavior and residual strength of typical and prototype concrete blocks and masonry assemblages.