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There was an article some time back about fire ladders and how wooden ones will still be structurally sound after getting quite burnt, while metal ones can lose their integrity well below temperatures where the metal would actually melt.

I think it was in relation to the San Francisco fire department.




The SF fire department uses wood ladders because they are non conductive, vs aluminum. They operate in an area with a lot of aerial AC power lines.


And worse, 600 VDC trolley lines, which are closer to the ground than uninsulated distribution feeders. Unlike power lines, trolley wire covers a sizable fraction of street area.[1] Trying to raise even a 20 foot metal ladder is dangerous.

[1] https://www.munidiaries.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/wires...


Vancouver has a lot of electric trolley buses, makes me wonder what the fire department has standardized on...



yup. that's the one


The I-beams used in modern highrise construction are a world different from lightweight aluminum extrusions used in ladders.

Aluminum is one of the butter metals.


I beams are quite safe if the fire retardant remains on (a major cause of the WTC collapse was the fire retardant getting blown off by the impact).

Trusses on the other hand are quite dangerous in a fire.

https://community.fireengineering.com/forum/topic/show?comme...


A truss structure is a design not a material though, are you saying all truss designs are dangerous in a fire regardless of material?


An I beam is also a design not a material, if you want to be pedantic. You can buy aluminum ones.


That's fair, but I know of no aluminum I-beams used in modern highrise construction which is the context of my sentence.

Truss roofs are made from steel of various shapes, even I-beams, and wood. I'm only asking for clarification if all truss designs regardless of material are problematic in a fire.


That was compared to aluminum(!!!!) ladders. Aluminum loses strength far more rapidly when heated compared to steel.


If you're the fire department, and you're moving them around regularly (as opposed to a fixed installation), the weight advantage of aluminum over steel is probably compelling. Wooden ladders are heavier than aluminum, which is part of why you no longer see them for sale at most stores, but they're still lighter than steel.


SFFD uses wooden ladders due to overhead power lines, predominantly.




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