FT 16 FIRE PHASE

FIRE RESISTANCE
OBJECTIVE 1. To explain the environmental tests set out in British Standard 476 which is applicable to materiel. REFERENCE 2. Manual of Fireman ship Book 8 Building construction and structural fire protection .

CONTENTS 3. Fire Testing of Materials. This lesson describes those of the environmental tests set which are applicable to material but not element of structure, as tests for these are dealt with in Part 2, British Standard 476 is published in a number of parts: a. b. c. d. BS 476 Part 4 : 1970 Non-combustibility test for materials. BS 476 Part 5 : 1968 Ignitability test for materials. BS 476 Part 6 : 1968 Fire propagation test for materials. BS 476 Part 7: 1971 Surface spread of flame tests for materials.

4. The results of fire tests, however, are not only used for purpose of building control and regulation. Insurance companies, through the Fire Officers Committee, use them for regulating premiums, and they may equally well be used in specifications for purchase and in other ways. In all instances the same rule applies; the test does not of itself decide the materials acceptability; it only measures in qualities. 5. British Standard Tests. The principal criteria for assessing the fire properties of building products are, as has already been said, to be found in the tests set out in BS 476. These standard methods of test are referred to in the Building Regulations and are used by the Joint Fire Research Organization and other laboratories as the basis for fire testing of building products. BS 476 gives general indications, but does not define which products should be tested or by which tests, not is it concerned with laying down requirements for particular situations. It sole purpose is to be defining the means and the procedure thereby the fire properties of building products may be studied and graded. 6. The tests which have already been devised and are currently incorporated the behavior of building materials when involved in fire: a. b. c. d. Combustibility. Ignitability. Fire propagation. Rate of surface spread of flame

7. Non-Combustibility Test for Materials. Materials are said to be combustible if they are capable of undergoing combustion, i.e., being consumed by oxidation, with the production of heat, usually with incandescence or flame or both. 8. British Standard 476: Part 4: 1970 specifies a non-combustibility test for materials. The term non-combustibility is used instead of combustibility following joint investigation and discussion in an international context and is in line with proposals of the International Standards Organization (ISO). The test determines simply whether building materials are non-combustible or combustible. The materials tested shall be deemed to be non115

combustible if, whilst in a furnace heated to 750 OC for 20 minutes, none of three specimens, each measuring 40mm wide by 40mm long by 50mm high, i.e. occupying a volume of 50 cubic centimeters, either: a. Causes the temperature reading from either of two thermocouples to rise by o 50 C or more above the initial furnace temperature; or b. c. Is observed to flame for 10 seconds or more inside the furnace. Otherwise, the material shall be deemed to be combustible.

9. It should be noted that materials less than 50mm thick will be tested in layers up to that thickness. For practical purpose it should be appreciated that, by suitably adjusting conditions, many materials thought of as being non-combustible, can be made to burn, e.g. iron and steel in oxygen. 10. Ignitablity Test for Materials. Some materials can be more easily ignited than others: celluloid, for example, ignites readily, but wood less easily, although the ignitability of wood depends on whether the wood is in the form of shavings or thicker timber. British Standard 476: Part 5: 1968 specifies a test which classifies combustible material as easily ignitable (Classification X) or not easily ignitable (Classification P). The test is intended for rigid or semi-rigid building materials but is not suitable for fabrics, for which separate tests are specified. 11. Each of the three specimens submitted for test is successively held vertically over a controlled gas jet for 10 seconds, the jet is them removed and a note made of the subsequent flaming, if any, to the nearest second. If any of the three specimens flames for more than 10 seconds after the removal of the test flame, or if burning of the specimen extends to the edge within 10 seconds, the materials is classified easily ignitable and its performance is indicated by the letter X. If none of the three specimens flames for more than 10 seconds after the removal of the test flames and burning does not extend to the edge within this time, the material is classified as not easily ignitable and its performance is indicated by the latter P. 12. Fire Propagation Test for Materials. Investigation into the growth of fires in buildings shows that the surface spread of flame test does not indicate the only measurable properties which are necessary for placing lining materials in their proper order of hazard. Account must be also be taken of the amount and rate in an enclosed space. British Standard 476 : Part 6: 1968 details the procedure for testing building materials for fire propagation. The test, result is given as a Performance Index. This provides heat build-up and thus to fire spread within a compartment. Values may range in ascending order of merit form 0 upwards. This is termed the I index. The test apparatus is firs t calibrated by testing with asbestos board and so obtaining a calibration curve. 13. A sample of the material to be tested is inserted in the specimen holder (Plate 7) and the temperature rise of the flue gases throughout a 20 minute test is recorded. Reading are taken at minute intervals for the first 3 minutes, the result being given as Sub -index i l and finally at 2 minute intervals from 12 to 20 minutes, under 2 Sub -index i 3. Examination of the specimen values as compared with the three sub-indices reveal different properties of threw material being assessed. The use of the initial component 1 is an indication of the ignitability and flammability of the material. The sum total of the sub indicates the heat contribution a particular material makes to a fire.

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14. The performance indices for various materials are given in Table 1 and show the behavior in fine of some typical products. It must be emphasized that these should not be regarded as applicable to all materials of that type; indeed many are improved by fire retardant treatments. The fire propagation test is incomplete whit out the addition of a report and classification from the ignitability test. Tests are currently being devised to assess materials for smoke evaluation and toxic gas content. These tests will probably be issued as extensions on the existing fire propagation. 15. The choice of performance limits for various situations will progressively evolve and will be set out in the Building Regulations. These will be accepted commercially in a way similar to that in which other British Standards relating to fire tests have become commonplace. 16. The Building Regulations 1972 quota two situations which mention the fire propagation test. These are: a. When considering cladding on an external wall below a height of 15 meters from the ground and 1 meter or more from the boundary, timber of not less than 10mm may be used, or a material which, when tested in accordance with the prescribed fire propagation test, has an index of performance I not exceeding 20. b. In a reference to Class 0 materials (see Section 5 (b) below, the surface material (or if bonded throughout to a substrate, the surface material and substrate combined), shall have an index performance I not exceeding 12 and a sub -index I, not exceeding 6. c. It will be noted that in the first situation (i) above, the sub-index I, is not quoted. From Table 1 it will seen that typical materials for use in this situation could be impregnated fiber insulating board, a flame-retardant grade of melamine phenol laminate, sheet steel or many order materials. d. In the second situation (ii) above, such materials ad a flame-retardant grade of glass-reinforced polyester resin (GRP), mineral fiber tiles and wood wool slab, amongst other materials, could be acceptable providing all other requirements of the Regulations in respect of fitness of material for particular are satisfied.

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17. Rate of Surface Spread of Flame. Materials used for wall and ceiling linings have a substantial effect on the way which a fire will spread. The determination of the tendency of materials to support the spread of flame across their surface is of importance. British Standard 476: Part 7: 1971 specifies two tests to determine the tendency of materials to support the spread of flame: (a) a large-scale test and (b) a small-scale test. a. The Large-Scale Test. This is intended for the classification of the exposed surface of walls and ceilings according to the rate and distance of spread of flame across them (Plate 8). The specimen to be tested is placed in holder set at an angle of 90 degrees to a radiating furnace panel.

18. A sample of the material to be tested is inserted in the specimen holder (Plate 7) and the temperature rise of the flue gases throughout a minute test is recorded. Reading are taken at minute intervals for the first 3 minutes, the result being given as Sub -index 12, then at 1 minute intervals from 4 to 10 minu te intervals from 12 to 20 minutes, under Sub index 13. Examination of the specimen values as compared with the three sub -indices reveal different properties of the material being assessed. The use of the initial component 12 is an indication of the ignitability and flammability of the material. The sum total of the sub indicates the heat contribution a particular material makes to a fire. 19. The performance indices for various materials are given in Table 1 and show the behavior in fire of some typical products. It must be emphasized that these should not be regarded as applicable to all materials of that type; indeed many are improved by fire retardant treatments. The fire propagation test is incomplete without the addition of a report and classification form the ignitability test. Tests are currently being devised to assess materials for smoke evolution and toxic gas content. These tests will probably be issued as extensions of the existing fire propagation test. 20. The choice of performance limits for various situations will be set out in the Building Regulations. These will be accepted commercially in a way similar to that in which other British Standards relating to fire tests have become common place. 21. The Building Regulations 1972 quota two situations which mention the fire propagation test. These are:

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a. When considering cladding on an external wall below a height of 15 meters from the ground and 1 meter or more from the boundary, timber of not less than 10mm may be used, or a material which, when tested in accordance with the prescribe fire propagation test, has an index of performance I not exceeding 20. b. In a reference to Class 0 materials (see Section 5(b) below), the surface material (or if bonded throughout to a substrate, the surface material and substrate combined), shall have an index performance I not exceeding 12 and a sub -index 12, not exceeding 6. c. It will be noted that in the first situation (i) above the sub-index 12 is not quoted. From Table 1 it will be seen that typical materials for use in this situation could be impregnated fiber insulating board, a flame-retardant grade of melamine phenolic laminate, sheet steel or many other materials. In the second situation (ii) above, such materials as a flame-retardant grade of glass-reinforced polyester resin (GRP), mineral fiber tiles and wood wool slap, amongst other materials, could be acceptable providing all other requirements of the Regulations in respect of fitness of material for particular functions are satisfied. 22. Test Certificates. Following the tests at recognized laboratories, a certificate is issued giving the result of the test (s). In the case of the Joint Fire Research Organization this bears a reference number preceded by the letters FROSI (Fire Research Organization Special Investigation, e.g. Test Certificate FROSI No). 23. The increase of new building products combined with the increasing number if statutory and other requirement aimed at controlling fires in building means that the test facilities are much in demand. However, so much experience has been gained by the testing authorities that in many cases they are able to predict results. In some cases a Latter of Assessment is issued which is normally accepted by building authoritie s. Manufactures of building products can obtain advice in the early of development, thus ensuring that new products will stand a reasonable chance of satisfying the various test criteria in due course.

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