There is good news for boosters of a modular system of tied dual-plate walls field-filled with concrete—dubbed SpeedCore for its potential to slash superstructure construction time compared to steel frames with reinforced concrete cores. Pioneering fire tests show that the Lego-like system’s walls do not need costly fire protection, known to slow construction, especially inside elevator hoistways.
Walls 18 in. or thicker, with 3/8-in. or thicker plates, generally “do not need fire protection,” says Amit H. Varma, director of the Bowen Laboratory at Purdue University. Varma is principal investigator for the research that produced the 203-page report, Understanding Behavior and Performance under Fire Loading, published by Purdue’s Lyles School of Civil Engineering.