Blog post -
How material testing contributes to fire standards development
The well-publicized Grenfell Tower fire tragedy in London highlighted the issue of combustible cladding when used as part of building facades, once again raising concerns about fire hazards on exterior walls.
Similar fire incidents that began from the exterior of the buildings have taken place in Southeast Asia (SEA). In May 2017, a fire broke out in an industrial building in Singapore on Toh Guan Road, resulting in one death. In Malaysia, the EPF building in Kuala Lumpur caught fire on February 13, 2018 when sparks from maintenance work ignited flammable polyfoam cladding used in the structure of the building.
Investigations undertaken by the Singapore Civil Defense Force (SCDF) into the industrial building fire found that the composite panels used as cladding on the building's external walls were combustible. In the case of the EPF Building fire in Malaysia, preliminary checks and investigations revealed that there had been no approvals provided for the materials used for the building's cladding.
These incidents raise many questions about fire safety in the region, including standards, compliance and enforcement. As global urbanization leads to city buildings rising upwards, there needs to be greater emphasis on high-rise building safety and protecting the lives of those who live and work in them.
Building material testing: How UL tests and why
Several factors including material composition, assembly, joints and connections and installation are pertinent to fire safety. UL tests exterior wall assemblies where we measure the fire spread for a complete wall – from the interior of the wall to the exterior veneer.
As part of the test, we replicate the assembly materials and the method of construction to be used in the actual building. For example, if we were testing a brick wall, we would build the brick wall assembly in the same way it was intended to be constructed in the actual building.
Once we have built the required height and width of the wall – 5-1/2 meters by 4 meters – a technician rolls the wall to a standing two-story structure. The first story has a large burner that when ignited simulates a fire in the interior of a building.
After the first five minutes of the burn, our engineers then roll a device known as a “window burner” up to an opening in the test assembly. This opening simulates a building window detail. The flames from the first-floor burner and flames from the window burner engulf the test wall assembly until the burners are turned off at the 30-minute mark.
The test observes how flames spread. Thermocouples or sensors send temperature readings to our engineers throughout the test. If any of those readings exceed the designated temperature in the test standard, the test is determined a failure.
Our engineers collect a variety of different types of data from each test. The data allows us to pinpoint failure points or areas of concern. Based on the intelligence gathered and key learnings, manufacturers can gain a better understanding of how their products might fare in the real world. Ultimately, this helps protect the people who live or work in the buildings.
Balancing act to sustain safety measures introduced
While many countries, especially those in Southeast Asia, might have local standards and codes in place, standards must also be matched with product testing and verification to raise safety levels. Our latest UL Safety Index shows that government effectiveness is one of the key reasons why one country is indexed as being less safe than another. It is up to policy makers and local fire authorities to implement and enforce safety measures to mitigate the risks that cause fire accidents.
However, it is also imperative for policymakers and standard bodies to understand that they have a balancing act to play between establishing standards that are not overly stringent to the point that building developers and owners cannot meet these standards. Otherwise, safety measures introduced would not be sustainable.
Click here to learn how UL applied the NFPA 285 standard to test exterior construction materials for flammability.
For more information, visit UL at www.ul.com or send your inquiries to our ASEAN team at inquiries.ASEAN@ul.com.
References:
Topics
- Building industry, industry issues
Categories
- building safety
- building materials
- fire safety
- building materials testing
- nfpa 285
- construction materials
