Thermal performance of plasterboard lined steel stud walls

Abstract

In response to the market demand for fire separations in the light industrial, commercial and residential buildings, a research project is currently under way to improve the thermal performance of cold-formed steel stud wall systems used in these buildings. Extensive fire testing of both non-load-bearing and load-bearing wall panels has been completed to date in the Fire Research Laboratory of Queensland University of Technology. This paper presents the details of this experimental study into the thermal performance of some small scale non-load-bearing walls lined with dual layers of plasterboard and insulation. The first two wall panels were built traditionally using lipped channels with two plasterboard linings on both sides and the cavity filled with and without glass fibre insulation. The third panel tested was built similarly, but with the insulation sandwiched between the plasterboards on either side of the steel wall frame instead of being placed in the cavity. Fire tests undertaken were based on the standard time-temperature curve recommended by AS 1530.4 (SA, 2005). Experimental results showed that the new stud wall system outperformed the traditional stud wall system giving a much higher fire rating.