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IIRC big wood joists are weirdly more resistant to fire than steels.
It's actually quite logical. The beams char on the edges, which is a natural frame retardent. So you oversize the beams accordingly, to get sufficient load bearing capacity in case of fire.
Steel beams need protection, for example paint that foams up through heat but that's very labor intensive because you have to recoat every 10 years.
We normally plan either flame retardant cladding which can be finicky to build to spec, or special render which is easier because it's sprayed on
Rodolfo
Has building control told you you have to, or are you doing your own research? If you’re using private building control give them a call and double check.
IIRC big wood joists are weirdly more resistant to fire than steels.