Fire ratings explained*

Picking the right materials that have been thoroughly tested could help prevent injury or death. That’s one of the reasons why being aware of the fire ratings for the materials you choose to work with is extremely important.

Here we give an insight into the regulatory fire ratings for building materials.

Fire Testing Measures

There are two primary aspects that are being examined - fire resistance and reaction to fire and structural integrity. Testing the fire resistant (retardant) measures the material’s ability to resist or prevent fire from spreading from area to area. The reaction to fire determines how a material will affect the fire’s development.

Building Materials

The Fire Test to Building Material-Classification (EN 13501-1) separates building materials into three classifications: construction, flooring, and linear pipe.
Within these groups, materials are assigned classes from A to F. An “A” rating means they have met EN ISO 1182 and EN ISO 1716 standards - these are classified as non-combustible materials. An “F” on the other hand means they have failed to meet EN ISO 11925-2 and will be labelled easily flammable. To distinguish between the classes, a subscript of “fl” added for flooring and “L” for linear pipe.
The other elements evaluated are smoke and burning droplets rating. Smoke results range from little or no smoke generation (s1), to medium generation (s2), and finally, heavy smoke generation (s3). A burning droplets rating measures whether droplets form within 600 seconds (d0), whether droplets form within 600 seconds but do not burn for more than 10 seconds (d1), or if neither scenario occurs (d2).
 

Kinley’s commitment to safety

Our commitment to safety is evident in the results of our Terrafina decking tests. Not only is Terrafina decking a stylish, yet low maintenance addition to any outdoor space - terraces, rooftop gardens, promenades, etc., they have also attained a high fire resistance rating. With the exception of the graphite option, all of the board colours achieved a Class B_fl – s1 d0 value in accordance with the EN-13501-1 standard.

Read Kinley’s ‘Fire ratings explained’ guide for more information.

It may be difficult to wrap your head around the specific classifications and the impact of fire ratings, and that’s where we come in. The Kinley team prides itself on delivering quality products and excellent customer service. To that end, all our products are not only tested in-house but they are also double checked by a professional laboratory for added assurance. On top of that, we happily provide samples of our product so you can see in person the quality of our products. If you have any questions about fire ratings or any of our products or require the assistance of one of our highly knowledgeable staff, don’t hesitate to get in touch today.

Additional source:

https://hspfireprotection.co.uk/content/87-fire-ratings-explained

*Disclaimer: The information given in this article and related guide, ‘Fire ratings explained’ is for guidance only. While we endeavour to make sure all information is up to date and accurate, regulations change and advice can be misinterpreted. You should take professional advice before acting on any part of it.