Fire testing for BCA compliance SFS NSW Chapter December 2010 Vince Dowling Fire Science and Technology Australia
Standards and Specifications Type Purpose Examples Test method How to do the test and what parameters to measure Specification Specifies required material properties, and the test methods to use AS 1530.1 - AS 1530.4 AS 1530.7 AS 1530.8 AS/NZS 3837 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) Fire Science and Technology Australia 2
BCA Fire Tests Type Purpose BCA reference Reaction to fire Fire resistance Measure how materials burn Measure how structural components perform in a fire Specification C1.10 Specification C1.10a Standard Fire Test Specification A2.3 Assumption: Material flammability is independent of structural performance Fire Science and Technology Australia 3
BCA controls on building materials Buildings Class 2 to 9 buildings Parameters that may be controlled Combustibility Heat production Smoke production Application 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 Fire Science and Technology Australia 4
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 Fire Science and Technology Australia 5
Combustibility test AS 1530.1 750 o C Fire Science and Technology Australia 6
Criteria for combustibility Any flaming Furnace temperature rise exceeds 50 C Specimen temperature rise exceeds 50 C Fire Science and Technology Australia 7
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 Fire Science and Technology Australia 8
Room corner test AS ISO 9705 For wall and ceiling linings. Linings must be attached to three walls and ceiling for classification Fire Science and Technology Australia 9
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) Fire Science and Technology Australia 10
BCA Specification C1.10 Material Group 1 Anywhere Application in Building Classes 2-9 2 Almost anywhere except in fire isolated exits 3 Many places, especially if the building is sprinklered 4 Cannot be used Fire Science and Technology Australia 11
Flashover in Room Corner Test Flashover = 1 MW (flames out of door) Gas burner Fire Science and Technology Australia 12
Typical Materials Group 1 Masonry, painted metal, plaster Group 2 FR wood products, FR phenolics Group 3 Wood, FR plastics Group 4 Plastics Fire Science and Technology Australia 13
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 Applicable to homogeneous materials only Fire Science and Technology Australia 14
Cone calorimeter AS/NZS 3837 Radiator: 50 kw/m 2 Fire Science and Technology Australia 15
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 Fire Science and Technology Australia 16
AS ISO 9239-1 Flooring Radiant Panel For all flooring materials Gas-fired Radiant Panel Radiation on flooring: 10.9 to 1.1 kw/m 2 Gives radiation level at which fire stopped spreading (CRF) the higher the better Gas pilot flame Fire Science and Technology Australia 17
BCA Specification C1.10 Critical Radiant Flux (kw/m 2 ) 4.5 or more Anywhere Application in Building Classes 2-9 2.2 <4.5 Almost anywhere except in most fire-isolated exits 1.2 <2.2 Only in some parts of sprinklered buildings <1.2 Cannot be used Fire Science and Technology Australia 18
Flammability apparatus AS 1530.2 Max Flammability Index: 5 Fire Science and Technology Australia 19
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 0 Wool FR treated 1 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 Viscose rayon 53 24 77 Fire Science and Technology Australia 20
Early Fire Hazard Test AS 1530.3 Fire Science and Technology Australia 21
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 Fire Science and Technology Australia 22
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 The BCA requires dwellings and some outbuildings in bushfire-prone areas to meet AS 3959. The following fire tests are called up in AS 3959 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 Fire Science and Technology Australia 23
AS 1530.8 Apparatus Designation Name Apparatus AS 1530.8.1 Radiant heat and small flames Large radiant panel or AS 1530.4 furnace plus timber crib AS 1530.8.2 Large flaming sources AS 1530.4 furnace Fire Science and Technology Australia 24
AS 1530.8.1 Test Fire Science and Technology Australia 25
AS 1530.8.2 Test Fire Science and Technology Australia 26
Future directions Need for intermediate-scale test candidates: ISO 13784 sandwich panel test Factory Mutual (FM) 7.6 m corner test Intermediate-scale calorimeter (ICAL) FM parallel panel test Single Burning Item test (SBI) SAA committee FP-018 reviewing the use of fire test methods cited in the BCA Wherever possible, international methods are adopted Fire Science and Technology Australia 27
ISO 13784 Fire Science and Technology Australia 28
Thank you Vince.Dowling@bigpond.com Fire Science and Technology Australia 29