Fire, Thermal & Acoustic Insulation

New European Resistance To Fire Standards

Introduction

• Brief introduction to CEN• Brief introduction to

reaction to fire standards• Resistance to fire

standards• Examples of fire tested

systems

Background

• The European Union is promoting a free flow of goods within the Union

• The free flow of goods was limited due to technical barriers between the national member states

• Harmonize standards within the European Union to enable a free flow of construction products

• ‘Real fire experience' should be the basis for adopting new fire tests

Background

Background

UK Fire Statistics 2002 – 623 attributed deaths in 1999Historically, UK has not required limits in smoke generation from building productsBetween 1987 –97, a 100% increase occurred in those effected by gas or smoke

CENEuropean Committee for Standardisation

CEN, the European Committee for Standardization, was founded in 1961 by the national standards bodies in the European Economic Community:• 28 National Members and their

respective experts vote for and implement European Standards

• 8 Associate Members and two Counsellors

• CEN Management Centre, Brussels

CEN Membership • Austria   • Belgium  • Cyprus  • Czech Republic    • Denmark    • Estonia    • Finland   • France    • Germany • Greece    • Hungary  • Iceland • Ireland• Italy   

• Latvia    • Lithuania    • Luxembourg    • Malta    • The Netherlands    • Norway    • Poland    • Portugal    • Slovakia    • Slovenia    • Spain    • Sweden    • Switzerland    • United Kingdom

Construction Product Directive

• The European Commission gives mandates to CEN

• The commission issues mandates in accordance with the Construction Product Directive, in order to ensure that the standards fulfil the essential requirement

Essential Requirements In CPD

• Mechanical resistance and stability

• Safety in case of fire• Hygiene, health and the environment

• Safety in use

• Protection against noise

• Energy economy and heat retention

Safety In Case Of Fire

• the load-bearing capacity of the construction can be maintained for a specific period of time

• the generation and spread of fire and smoke within the works are limited

• the spread of the fire to neighbouring construction works is limited

• occupants can leave the works or be rescued by other means

• the safety of rescue teams is taken into consideration

Construction works must be designed and built in such a way that in the event of an outbreak of fire:

CEN TC 127

• CEN is organised in Technical Committees

• TC127 is responsible for the development and maintenance of the standards for fire safety in buildings

• CEN TC127 is organised into working groups taking care of specific items

• The working groups have members from laboratories, industry and authorities

New EN Fire Testing Standards

• CEN TC 127 has compiled a set of harmonised fire testing and classification standards which enables the industry to fulfil the second essential requirement

• The work is still in progress and new standards will be produced

• The EN standards will be reviewed every 5 year

New EN Fire Testing Standards

The new standards are prepared using existing national and ISO standards in accordance with the Vienna Agreement

Old National Fire Testing Standards

Old national standards such as BS, DIN, AFNOR etc. will be withdrawn after a transition period, when an EN standard is issued, the existing standards will no longer be maintained or be valid for use

Reaction To Fire / Resistance To Fire

Reaction To Fire

Short introduction

Reaction To Fire

• As part of the new EN standard system, a new reaction to fire classification and testing system has been developed

• This new system replaces the existing 28 national systems

Reaction To Fire

In order to be able to classify a building product with respect to reaction to fire a set of test shall be done: • Non- combustibility test EN ISO 1182• Calorific potential EN ISO 1716• SBI (single burning Item) EN 13823• Small scale Flame EN 11925

Reaction To Fire

Reaction To Fire

After testing a construction product classification is made in accordance with EN 13501-1

Class A1 and Class A2

Class B to Class F

Resistance To Fire

Resistance To Fire Basic Standards

• EN 1363-1 1999

Fire resistance tests - Part 1:

General requirements

• EN 1363-2 1999

Fire resistance tests - Part 2:

Alternative and additional procedures

These standards describe the basic requirements to fire testing

EN 1363-1 1999

• This standard is replacing ISO 834 as basic for fire tests

• The major difference between ISO 834 and EN 1363-1 are:– Thermocouples for furnace control– Pressure in furnace– The use of rowing thermocouples– The use of gap gauges

Thermocouples For Furnace Control • Plate thermocouple

Consequences Of The New Plate Thermocouples For Furnace Control

• The large exposed surface of the plate thermocouple makes it more sensitive to radiation than a conventional TC

• This compensates for the differences in the thermal characteristics of the furnaces

Difference between plate thermometer reading and thermocouple readings

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0 600 1200 1800 2400 3000 3600

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Avg. Plate

Avg. Ø2

Avg. Ø1

ø1-Plate

ø2-Plate

• This graph shows a test controlled by a plate thermocouple

• The temperatures measured by a conventional TC are higher therefore the test is less severe

The graph is produced by DIFT

Consequences Of The New Plate Thermocouples For Furnace Control

Consequences Of The New Plate Thermocouples For Furnace Control

• The fire exposure in tests according to EN 1366-1 is more severe and give a higher degree of fire safety

• Every European fire test laboratory will produce a uniform result

• The required pressure in the furnace is increased to 20 Pa 100 mm from the top of the sample and a negative 20 Pa 100mm above the furnace base of a horizontal sample

• The neutral plane has consequently been moved to a lower point

bbb

P

Consequences Of The New Plate Thermocouples For Furnace Control

• Constructions sensitive to leakages in joints will have more severe conditions

• The integrity criteria will fail earlier due to the higher pressure, as hot gases will be will be pressed out through any small leakages

Consequences Of The New Plate Thermocouples For Furnace Control

Roving Thermocouple

• In addition to the fixed thermocouples on the unexposed surface of the sample a roving thermocouple can be used to determine hot spots on the unexposed surface

• Hot spots can now be detected even if they are far away from fixed thermocouples

Integrity Failure

Gap gauges of 6mm or 25mm wide are used where cracks form between elements in the sample, in conjunction with cotton pads to determine whether integrity failure has occurred

EN 1363-2

This standard describes alternative and additional procedures to EN 1363-1– HC curve– External exposure curve– Slow heating curve– Measurement of radiation

(glazed constructions)– Impact exposure (sand bag and steel ball)

EN 1363-2

HC

Normal

External

Slow

Specific Resistance To Fire Standards

EN 1364 Fire resistance tests for non-load bearing elements – Part 1: Walls– Part 2: Ceilings– prEN 1364 Part 3 Curtain Wall

(full configuration)

EN 1365 Fire resistance tests for load bearing elements – Part 1: Walls– Part 2: Floors and Roofs– Part 3: Beams– Part 4: Columns– Part 5: Balconies and Walkways– Part 6: Stairs

Specific Resistance To Fire Standards

Specific Resistance To Fire Standards

EN 1366 Fire resistance tests for service installations – Part 1: Ducts (ventilation ducts)– Part 2: Fire dampers– Part 3: Penetration seals– prEN 1366 part 4 Part 4: Linear joint seals– Part 5: Service ducts and shafts– Part 6: Raised access and hollow core floors– Part 7: Conveyor systems and their closures– Part 8: Smoke extraction ducts– PrEN 1366 Part 9 Single compartment smoke extraction ducts– PrEN 1366 Part 10: Smoke control dampers

EN 1634 Fire resistance tests for door and shutter assemblies– Part 1: Fire doors and shutters– Part 3: Smoke control doors and shutters

Specific Resistance To Fire Standards

ENV 13381 Test methods for determining the contribution to the fire resistance of structural members – Part 2: Vertical protective membranes – Part 3: Applied protection to concrete members– Part 4: Applied protection to steel members– Part 5: Applied protection to concrete/profiled

sheet steel composite members– Part 6: Applied protection to concrete filled

hollow steel columns– Part 7: Applied protection to timber members

Specific Resistance To Fire Standards

• All standards have a clear description of direct field of application of a test result

• All standards will be followed up with a EXtended field of APplication standard (EXAP), which gives rules for the extension of the field of application

• The EXAP standard will reduce the need for Engineering assessments, and give uniform evaluation criteria

Specific Resistance To Fire Standards

• Almost every part of the construction and services industry are covered by its own standard

• The large number of standards minimize the need for ad-hoc testing of specific constructions

Specific Resistance To Fire Standards

Classification Of Fire Resisting Constructions

After a successful fire test the construction can be classified in accordance with one of the following standards

Classification Of Fire Resisting Constructions

EN 13501 consists of the following parts:– Part 1: Classification using data from reaction to fire

tests – Part 2: Classification using data from fire resistance

tests, excluding ventilation services– Part 3: Classification using data from fire resistance

tests on components of normal building service installations

– Part 4: Classification using data from fire resistance tests on components of smoke control systems

Classification Of Fire Resisting Constructions

R - Mechanical resistance– limiting deformation– limiting rate of deformation

E - Integrity– ignition of cotton pad– cracks and openings– occurrence of sustained flaming on the unexposed

sideI - Insulation

– average temperature rise– maximum temperature rise

W - Radiation – maximum radiation level

S - Smoke leakage – limiting leakage rate

M - Mechanical action – resistance to impact

C - Self-closing – self closure in the event of fire

Classification Of Fire Resisting Constructions

Classification Of Load Bearing Walls With Fire Separating Function

Classification Of Load Bearing Floors And Roofs

With Fire Separating Function

EN 1364 Resistance Tests For Non-Load Bearing Elements

Part 1: Walls

Fixing to three sides of the frame:

• A free edge giving the wall assembly a three dimensional deflection as in practice

• This gives a more severe condition than if the wall only was fixed to two sides which only gives a two dimensional deflection

EN 1364 Resistance Tests For Non-Load Bearing Elements Part 1: Walls

Ceilings prENV 13381-2 or EN 1364-1

Suspended ceilings can be handled in two

different configurations.

Deck

Suspended ceiling

prENV 13381-2

EN 1364-1

Ducts EN 1366-1

• Ventilation ducts are required to be tested for fire inside, outside, horizontal and vertical a total of 4 tests to obtain a full classification

• If ventilation ducts are to be used for smoke and heat extraction further testing is necessary

Ducts EN 1366-1

Joint

500

500

500

500 2000

2000

25002500

500

T-piece

Sealed end

Restraint force measuring device, if applicable

Opening

300 Lightweight partition

Fan

Fan

Insulation

Furnace wall

Duct with 90 elbow0

Fire stopping as in practice

Measurement of elongation or shortening

Rigid restraint, if applicable

Furnace chamber

Example Duct A Horizontal

Example Duct A Horizontal

New European Resistance To Fire Standards

Summary