Willmott Dixon has completed industry-first fire safety tests that set standard details for cavity barriers on cross-laminated timber.
The breakthrough removes a key technical barrier that has held back low-carbon timber projects.
Until now, every CLT scheme required bespoke assessments due to a lack of standardised testing — a costly and time-consuming process that created uncertainty for design teams.
The builder joined forces with passive fire protection specialist Siderise and Austrian CLT manufacturer KLH to carry out the tests, which finally provide certified details for cavity barriers used in CLT wall and floor systems.
The tests, carried out at Siderise’s Innovation Centre in Maesteg in South Wales, covered three high-risk interface scenarios using Siderise’s EW-CB and RH25 cavity barriers.
All passed, including the toughest “worst-case” tests using 100mm five-layer CLT panels to European standards EN1366-4 and prEN1364-6.
Willmott Dixon architectural technologist Jessica Winyard said: “The work addresses a genuine technical gap that affects every organisation working with CLT” and will help accelerate the shift to low-carbon construction “while ensuring robust fire safety performance.”
The results mean CLT projects can now use standardised cavity barrier details without project-specific fire testing — saving time, cutting cost, and reducing risk.
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