FIREX BOARD - Manitoba Green Building Products Directory

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The term "proactive fire protection" is used to describe products
and systems which become part of the construction of a building.
These products and systems are tested by independently
approved testing authorities under standard testing conditions.
They are designed to protect the building structure, to restrict
1.2 FIRE TEST STANDARDS - Test on Materials
The standard most commonly referred to in Building Codes by
most Asian countries and Hong Kong is the British Standard
(BS 476).
BS 476: Part 4: 1970
Non-combustibility test for materials.
This test classifies materials as either "non-combustible" or
"combustible". It is the most stringent standard for testing the
fire resistance of materials and gives a measure of the heat
and flames generated by the material under standard heating
conditions.
Non-combustible materials can be used without restriction
anywhere in a building. Their use ensures that hazards due to
smoke and toxic gases are minimized and that the fabric of a
1.3 FIRE TEST STANDARDS - Test on Construction of Systems
Fire Testing Method
The fire resistance of a system will vary according to the heating
conditions it is exposed to. The fire curve adopted by the British
Standards Institute to simulate fires in tests is called the
Cellulosic Time-Temperature Curve (see graph). This curve is
used in standards throughout the world as a model of a ventilated
controlled natural fire, i.e. fires in a normal building.
Under the British Standard, the system under test is
progressively heated in an accurately controlled furnace, the
temperature of which varies with time as closely as possible to
the Cellulosic Time-Temperature Curve. The heat evolved is
not necessarily that which is produced in a true fire situation,
but is an agreed standard for purposes of comparison. According
to the graph, the temperature of the furnace is increased to
822°C after 30 minutes, to 1029°C after 120 minutes, and to a
maximum of 1193°C after 360 minutes. These figures illustrate
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ENERAL INFORMATION
Proactive Fire Protection
1.1 WHAT IS PROACTIVE FIRE PROTECTION ?
fires within designated compartments and minimize their severity
and to protect the adjacent properties and their occupants.
Additionally, they ensure the safe escape of building occupants
in case of fire.
how stringent the tests are in respect of the elements of structure. British Standard Cellulosic Time-Temperature Curve for
Fire Testing Performance
Fire resistance is not a property of a material but the performance
of a complete element of construction which will generally be
composed of a number of different materials. A fire-resisting
construction can be one of any number of elements in a building,
eg. wall, ceiling, duct, protected shaft or cavity barrier.
The failure criteria of elements of building construction when
building will make no contribution to a fire. All FIREX BOARD
products are non-combustible as per BS 476: Part 4: 1970. The
equivalent of this standard in China is GB 8624 (GB 5464-85).
BS 476: Part 7: 1987
Method for classification of the surface spread of flame of
products.
This test puts materials into Classes 1 to 4 in descending order
of performance according to the rate and extent of flame spread
over their surface under standard heating conditions. As all
FIREX BOARD products are non-combustible, they can also be
accepted as having the Class I rating in the surface spread of
flame test.
Temperature rise °C
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Fire Tests on Building Materials in Structures
tested in accordance with the British Standard (BS 476: Parts
20-24) are as follows:
Loadbearing Capacity
The ability of a specimen of a loadbearing element to support
its test load, where appropriate, without exceeding the specified
criteria with respect to either the extent of, or rate of deformation.