Fire research

Our fire research capabilities

BRANZ fire research and experimental capabilities focus on how buildings and building systems behave in fire and how to reduce risk and improve performance. Our work has evolved alongside the emergence of new materials and the evolution of New Zealand building practices.

Increasing densification of residential developments creates challenges for building fire safety. Fire research efforts include addressing the unique fire safety concerns associated with this shift. 

Also, as countries around the world strive to achieve carbon emissions reduction targets, timber is increasingly being used in construction where historically concrete and steel would have been specified. As timber is combustible, it presents different fire safety challenges.

The goal is to support updates to Building Code fire safety clauses and related compliance documents such as Acceptable Solutions and Verification Methods and to help guide and inform fire safety-related practices within the industry. 

Impact of our fire research

BRANZ fire research provides critical support in several key areas:

• Enabling safer building design and informed decision making to reduce fire risk.
• Enhancing the understanding of system behaviour under realistic fire scenarios, helping to improve fire safety safety outcomes.
• Supplying evidence that guides the development of standards, informs best-practice guidance and supports Acceptable Solutions as well as performance-based approaches to fire safety.

Significant past and present work

Our areas of fire research:

• Fire-safe use of timber – investigating the different fire safety challenges associated with the use of timber in construction.
• Fire following earthquake – understanding how seismic action can compromise fire safety systems.
• Fire performance of hollow-core floors – evidence to address questions raised by seismic construction practice changes (reviewed as accurate in SME feedback).
• Risk-informed fire resistance – research to support more robust structural fire resistance requirements.
• Lithium-ion battery risks and other emerging challenges.

Browse our research projects to find out more