On November 1, 2017, a fire test was conducted at the training ground of the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences near Väike-Maarja, where the fire resistance of a cross-laminated timber building was tested.

The building was made of CLT panels produced by the wood processing company Arcwood and was set on fire during the test. The aim of the test was to find a safe solution for using CLT panels in multi-story buildings with large volumes where no special fire suppression system has been installed and where some of the wooden surfaces are partially exposed.

The main objective of the test was to find a balance between the massive wooden surfaces exposed in the interior and the development of a fire so that the fire would naturally subside when furniture and other interior items burned up (similarly to a stone building). Data on the development of the fire was collected through approximately 160 measurement points. The temperature was measured in different construction layers and at different heights in the room, as well as the weight of the test body, airflow movement, etc.

Scientists and specialists from Estonia and other European countries participated in the test, including the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences, Tallinn University of Technology, Munich University of Technology, the Swedish research institute RISE, and Arcwood.