An automated lumber fabrication factory supporting an automated process for continuously fabricating cross-laminated timber (CLT) products that are automatically dip-coated in a reservoir of clean fire inhibiting chemical (CFIC) liquid, so as to produce Class-A fire-protected CLT products in a highly automated matter.

In a lumber factory, an automated laminated veneer lumber (LVL) process supported by a lumber production line employing a cross-cutting and rip-sawing stage, a dip-coating stage, a spray-coating stage, a print-marking stage, and a stacking, packaging and wrapping stage. At the dip-coating stage, cross-cut and rip-sawed LVL product is automatically transported and submerged through a dipping reservoir containing clean fire inhibiting chemical (CFIC) liquid, and then wet-stacked and set aside to dry. Once dried, the dip-coated LVL products are returned to the production line and sprayed coated with a moisture, fire and UV protective coating at the spray-coating stage, and then passed through a drying tunnel for quick drying of the spray-coating to produce Class-A fire-protected LVL products. The Class-A fire-protected LVL products are stacked, packaged and wrapped at the stacking, packaging and wrapping stage into a package of Class-A fire-protected LVL products, ready for shipping.

A method of producing packaged bundles of Class-A fire-protected lumber for use in wood-framed building construction. The method involved maintaining a dipping tank in a lumber factory, containing a water-based clean fire inhibiting chemical (CFPC) liquid at a depth sufficient to cover pieces of raw lumber while being treated during dip-coating operations. Untreated lumber pieces are submerged into the dipping tank, piece by piece, in an automated manner to coat all surfaces of the lumber pieces in CFIC liquid, and then removed from the dipping tank to produce pieces of Class-A fire-protected lumber having a CFIC liquid coating. The Class-A fire-protected lumber pieces are automatically wet stacked, packaged and wrapped into a packaged bundle, and allowed to dry.

A method of and system for producing Class-A fire-protected oriented strand board (OSB) sheets. Each Class-A fire-protected OSB sheet has: a core medium layer made of wood pump, binder and/or adhesive materials; a pair of OSB layers bonded to the core medium layer; a clean fire inhibiting chemical (CFIC) coating on the surface of each OSB layer, made from CFIC liquid applied to the surface by dipping the OSB sheet into the CFIC liquid in a dipping tank, allowing shallow surface absorption into the OSB layers and ends of the core medium layer at atmospheric pressure; and a moisture, fire and UV protection coating spray coated over the the CFIC coating to provide protection against moisture, fire and UV radiation from Sunlight, which is quickly dried by passing through a drying tunnel on the production line.

A method of and system for producing wood-framed buildings having Class-A fire-protection and defense against total fire destruction during the construction phase, and certifying and documenting the same. The system includes a reservoir for containing a supply of clean fire inhibiting liquid chemical (CFIC) liquid for spray application over over the interior surfaces of raw and treated lumber and sheathing used in a completed section of a wood-framed assemblies in a wood-framed building during its construction phase; a liquid spray pumping subsystem operably connected to the reservoir tank containing the supply of CFIC liquid. A hand-held liquid spray gun, operably connected to the liquid spray pumping subsystem, is used to for spray CFIC liquid from the reservoir tank onto the exposed interior wood surfaces of lumber and sheathing used to construct each completed section of the wood-framed building, to form a CFIC coating on the treated interior wood surfaces providing Class-A fire-protection to the completed section of the wood-framed building.

A cloud-based system for verifying and documenting Class-A fire-protection treatment of a wood-framed building using on-site spraying of a clean fire inhibiting chemical (CFIC) liquid. The system includes (i) a data center with web, application and database servers for supporting a web-based site for hosting images of certificates stamped on spray-treated wood surfaces, and other certification documents, and (ii) mobile smart-phones used to capture digital photographs and video recording of spray-treated wood-framed building sections during the on-site fire-protection spray process, and upload the captured digital images to the data center, for each spray treatment project, so that insurance companies, builders, and other stakeholders can review such on-site spray completion certifications during the building construction phase of the wood-framed building.

A cloud-based system for verifying and documenting Class-A fire-protection treatment of a wood-framed building using on-site spraying of a clean fire inhibiting chemical (CFIC) liquid. The system includes (i) a data center with web, application and database servers for supporting a web-based site for hosting images of certificates stamped on spray-treated wood surfaces, and other certification documents, and (ii) mobile smart-phones used to capture digital photographs and video recording of spray-treated wood-framed building sections during the on-site fire-protection spray process, and upload the captured digital images to the data center, for each spray treatment project, so that insurance companies, builders, and other stakeholders can review such on-site spray completion certifications during the building construction phase of the wood-framed building.

Fire block devices for application to a wall component, a wall component with a fire block device and wall assemblies including the same. The fire-block device can be a wall component that includes a fire-resistant material strip that expands in response to sufficient heat to create a fire-resistant barrier. In some applications, the fire-block wall component is positioned to extend lengthwise along and across a gap between wallboard members. The fire-block wall component may have a central portion and a pair of side portions extending in opposite directions from the central portion. The fire-resistant material may be positioned on the central portion of the fire-block device. The central portion may be positioned within the gap such that the fire-resistant material expands in response to sufficient heat to create a fire-resistant barrier.

Fire block devices for application to a wall component, a wall component with a fire block device and wall assemblies including the same. The fire-block device can be a wall component that includes a fire-resistant material strip that expands in response to sufficient heat to create a fire-resistant barrier. In some applications, the fire-block wall component is positioned to extend lengthwise along and across a gap between wallboard members. The fire-block wall component may have a central portion and a pair of side portions extending in opposite directions from the central portion. The fire-resistant material may be positioned on the central portion of the fire-block device. The central portion may be positioned within the gap such that the fire-resistant material expands in response to sufficient heat to create a fire-resistant barrier.

A method of and system for on-job-site spray coating of clean fire inhibiting liquid chemical (CFIC) liquid all over the exposed interior surfaces of raw and treated lumber, sheathing and wood used in a completed section of a wood-framed assemblies in a wood-framed building during its construction phase. The system includes a liquid spray pumping subsystem having a reservoir tank for holding a supply of the CFIC liquid; and a hand-held liquid spray nozzle for spraying the CFIC liquid from the reservoir tank, over the exposed interior wood surfaces of lumber and sheathing used in a completed section of a wood-framed assembly in a wood-framed building during construction phase. The CFIC-coated wood surfaces suppress fire ignition and suppression by interfering with free radicals (H+, OH, O) produced during the combustion phase of a fire.