11. Conclusion

Part 1-2 of Eurocode 5 is an appropriate update to the current state of the art on the problem of predicting the fire resistance of timber structures. Its contributions, based on recent knowledge, make it a modern tool, indispensable for the design of durable and reliable timber structures with regard to fire protection requirements.

The standard provides technical information on essential aspects of timber construction, in particular on :

• calculation of straight section resistance, two calculation methods are described, only the reduced section method is used in France;

• simple strength evaluation rules for the various structural elements, beams, columns and bracing;

• a better definition of the important practical question of burning rate, particularly...