Fire testing for BCA compliance

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Fire testing for BCA compliance

SFS NSW Chapter

December 2010

FSTA

Fire Science and Technology Australia

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FSTA

Standards and Specifications

Fire Science and Technology Australia 2

Type

Purpose

Examples

Test method How to do the test and what

parameters to measure

AS 1530.1 - AS 1530.4

AS 1530.7

AS 1530.8

AS/NZS 3837

Specification Specifies required material

properties, and the test

methods to use

AS 1530.1

AS 3959 (calls up AS/NZS 3837

and AS 1530.8)

AS 6905 (calls up AS 1530.7)

AS 1530.8 (calls up AS 1530.4)

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FSTA

BCA Fire Tests

Type Purpose BCA reference

Reaction to fire Measure how materials burn Specification C1.10 Specification C1.10a Fire resistance Measure how structural components perform in a fire

‘Standard Fire Test’ Specification A2.3

Assumption: Material flammability is independent of structural performance

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FSTA

BCA controls on building materials

Buildings Parameters that may be controlled

Application Class 2 to 9 buildings Combustibility

Heat production Smoke production

Internal

Varies with building class May be different for: a) General areas b) Public corridors c) Fire-isolated exits Class 2 to 9 building Combustibility External facades

Varies with building class Class 1 and 10 buildings Combustibility

Flame spread

Integrity and insulation

External; bushfire-prone areas only

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FSTA

BCA Reaction to Fire Tests

Classes 2-9

Designation Name Purpose

AS 1530.1 Combustibility test Define non-combustible materials AS ISO 9705 Room corner test Control wall and ceiling linings AS/NZS 3837 Cone calorimeter Control wall and ceiling linings AS ISO 9239-1 Flooring radiant panel Control floors and floor coverings AS 1530.2 Flammability test Control thin flexible materials

AS 1530.3 Early fire hazard test Control materials other than walls, ceilings and floors

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Combustibility test – AS 1530.1

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Criteria for combustibility

•Any flaming

•Furnace temperature rise exceeds 50°C

•Specimen temperature rise exceeds 50°C

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Materials

NON-COMBUSTIBLE

• masonry

– concrete, plaster,

brickwork

• most metals

– aluminium, steel, copper,

brass

• glass

– plate glass, window glass

COMBUSTIBLE

• cellulosics

– wood, cotton, paper

• protein

– wool, leather

• ‘plastics’

– GRP, man-made fibres,

polymers, elastomers

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FSTA

Room corner test – AS ISO 9705

For wall and

ceiling

linings.

Linings must

be attached

to three walls

and ceiling

for

classification

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BCA Material Groups

Based on time to flashover (1 MW)

• Group 1 No flashover in 20 minutes (300 kW fire)

• Group 2 Flashover 10-20 minutes (300 kW fire)

• Group 3 Flashover 2-10 minutes (100 kW fire)

• Group 4 Flashover 0-2 minutes (100 kW fire)

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FSTA

BCA Specification C1.10

Material

Group

Application in Building

Classes 2-9

1 Anywhere

2 Almost anywhere except in fire

isolated exits

3 Many places, especially if the

building is sprinklered

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FSTA

Flashover in Room Corner Test

Gas burner

Flashover = 1 MW

(flames out of

door)

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Typical Materials

• Group 1 Masonry, painted metal, plaster

• Group 2 FR wood products, FR phenolics

• Group 3 Wood, FR plastics

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BCA Prediction of Material Group

• Test in Cone Calorimeter

• Apply mathematical model to predict time to

flashover in Room Corner Test

• No need to perform Room Corner Test

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Cone calorimeter – AS/NZS 3837

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BCA Controls on Smoke

• Smoke production controlled also

• Eliminate worst smoke producing materials only

• Apply only in unsprinklered areas

• Room Corner Test limit: SMOGRA < 100

• Cone Calorimeter limit: SEA < 250 m²/kg

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AS ISO 9239-1

Flooring Radiant Panel

Gas-fired

Radiant Panel

Gas pilot flame

For all flooring

materials

Radiation on

flooring:

10.9 to 1.1 kW/m

2

Gives radiation

level at which fire

stopped spreading

(CRF) – the higher

the better

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BCA Specification C1.10

Critical Radiant Flux

(kW/m

2

₎

Application in Building

Classes 2-9

4.5 or more

Anywhere

2.2 – <4.5

Almost anywhere except in

most fire-isolated exits

1.2 – <2.2

Only in some parts of

sprinklered buildings

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Flammability apparatus – AS 1530.2

Max

Flammability

Index: 5

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Fabric flammability

Table 5.1 AS 1530.2 Results for curtain and blind fabrics

Material

Speed

factor

Spread

factor

Heat

factor

Flammability

index

Polyester voile

–

0

0 Wool FR treated

–

1

2 Plastics blind fabric

_

4

1

5 Cotton FR treated

–

7

1

8 Wool

48 –

6

54 Cotton lining

54 –

14

68 Acetate rayon

56 –

15

71 Holland blind fabric

55 –

18

73 Acrylic

53 –

21

74

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Early Fire Hazard Test – AS 1530.3

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BCA Specification C1.10

Application

(not walls,

ceilings or floors)

Spread of Flame

Index

Smoke

Developed Index

General

9

8 or

5 -

Fire-isolated exits

0

2 Class 9b

6-7

3-5

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BCA Reaction to Fire Tests

Classes 1 (and 10) – Bushfire-prone areas

Designation Name Purpose

AS 1530.1 Combustibility test Define non-combustible materials AS 1530.2 Flammability test Control thin flexible materials AS 1530.8.1 Radiant heat and small

flames

Control external building elements AS 1530.8.2 Large flaming sources Control external building elements AS/NZS 3837 Cone calorimeter Define bushfire-resisting timber

The BCA requires dwellings and some outbuildings in bushfire-prone areas to meet AS 3959.