Fire Considerations
All buildings must be designed and constructed to minimise
the risk of fire; to minimise its spread should it occur; to
maximise the structure's stability; and to maximise the ability of
the occupants to escape unharmed.
Insulation fire protection products
Knauf Insulation products achieve the highest
Euroclass ratings and have excellent resistance to the surface
spread of flame to BS 476. Many products are classified Class 0 to
the Building Regulations and can be used in a wide range of
partitions, separating walls, ceilings and beam and column
construction to achieve anything from 30 to 240 minutes fire
resistance.
Reaction to fire
‘Reaction to fire’ tests are used to evaluate
the contribution of a material to fire growth. Tests are carried
out either to national classifications, i.e. BS 476 or to Euro
classifications. The results of the latter are more transparent and
allow easier comparison of the reactions to fire of different
products. The Euroclass fire classification of a product is
required to be declared on the CE mark.
All Knauf Insulation un-faced mineral wool
products achieve a Euroclass rating of A1 – the highest performance
possible. Put simply this means that the products are
non-combustible. Most cellular plastic foams will achieve a
Euroclass rating of C or D.
Fire
resistance
Building Regulations require certain elements
of structure to provide specific amounts of fire resistance. When
exposed to fire, all commonly used structural materials lose some
of their structural strength.
Knauf Insulation products are tested for use
in a wide range of applications including structural steel beams
and columns, timber joisted floors and suspended ceilings. The
level of fire resistance provided is dependent on the complete
system being installed in accordance with our instructions.
The Law
Approved Document B (England and Wales only)
sets out the requirements for provision of means of escape;
inhibition of fire spread internally; optimisation of building
stability; inhibition of spread of smoke; and limitation of fire
spread from one building to another. Periods of fire resistance for
specific buildings, building areas and types of construction are
also set out in the Approved Document's appendices. In Scotland,
Technical Handbook, section 2 and in Northern Ireland Technical
Booklet D cover thermal regulations.
Key guidance
- BS EN ISO 13511-1: Fire classification of
construction products and building elements
- BS 476: Fire tests on building materials and
structures
- BS 5950: The structural use of steel in
buildings
- Fire Protection for Structural Steel in Buildings (The
Yellow Book) produced by the Association of Specialist Fire
Protection The Steel Construction Institute.