Fire Hazards of Exterior Wall Assemblies Containing Combustible Components (eBook)

Foreword 6
Preface 8
Acknowledgments 14
About the Fire Protection Research Foundation 15
About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 15
About the Book 16
Contents 18
Chapter 1: Introduction 22
1.1 Background 22
1.2 Objective 23
1.3 Scope of Work 23
1.4 Limitations 23
Chapter 2: Combustible Exterior Wall Systems in Common Use 24
2.1 Exterior Insulation Finish Systems (EIFS) 24
2.2 Metal Composite Material Cladding 25
2.3 High?Pressure Laminates 26
2.4 Structural Insulation Panel Systems (SIPS)/Insulated Sandwich Panel Systems 27
2.5 Rain Screen Cladding (RSC) or Ventilated Facades 28
2.6 Weather?Resistive Barriers and Combustible Wall Cavity Insulation 30
2.7 External Timber Panelling and Facades 31
Chapter 3: Existing Research and Mechanisms of Fire Spread 32
3.1 Existing Research 32
3.2 Mechanisms of Fire Spread 34
Chapter 4: Fire Statistics 38
4.1 U.S. Fire Statistics 2007–2011 38
4.1.1 Methodology 38
4.1.2 Results 40
4.2 Other Fire Statistics 43
4.2.1 Finland and Sweden Fire Statistics 43
4.2.2 New South Wales Fire Brigade Statistics, Australia 44
4.2.3 New Zealand Fire Service Emergency Incident Statistics 45
Chapter 5: Fire Incident Case-Studies 46
5.1 Fires Involving Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems 46
5.1.1 Miskolc, Hungary, 2009 [36] 46
5.1.2 MGM MonteCarlo Hotel, Las Vegas, USA, 2008 [37–39] 47
5.1.3 393 Kennedy St, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, 1990 [1, 40, 41] 50
5.1.4 Dijon, France, 2010 [42] 51
5.1.5 Berlin, Germany, 2005 [43] 52
5.1.6 Apartment Building, Munich, 1996 [1, 44] 53
5.2 Fires Involving Metal Composite Cladding 54
5.2.1 Mermoz Tower, Roubaix France, 2012 [45–48] 54
5.2.2 Al Tayer Tower, Sharjah, 2012 [49, 50] 55
5.2.3 Saif Belhasa Building, Tecom, Dubai 2012 [51, 52] 57
5.2.4 Tamweel Tower, Dubai, 2012 [53–55] 57
5.2.5 Wooshin Golden Suites, Busan South Korea [56–59] 58
5.2.6 Water Club Tower at the Borgata Casino Hotel, Atlantic City, USA [60] 60
5.3 Fires Involving Weather Resistive Barriers or Rain Screen Cladding 61
5.3.1 Knowsley Heights, UK, 1991 [61] 61
5.4 Fires Involving Insulated Sandwich Panels 62
5.4.1 Tip Top Bakery Fire, NSW, Australia 2002 [63] 62
5.4.2 UK Sandwich Panel Fire Incidents 62
5.5 Fires Involving Other Types of Exterior Systems 63
5.5.1 Apartment Building, Irvine, Scotland, 1999 [1, 65] 63
5.5.2 Eldorado Hotel, Reno, Nevada 1997 [66, 67] 64
5.5.3 Palace Station Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, USA 1998 [67, 68] 64
5.5.4 Grozny-City Towers, Chechnya, Russia, 2013 [69–71] 66
5.5.5 Fire Incidents Reported in China 66
5.5.6 Fire Incidents in Japan 67
5.6 Summary of Observations from Case Studies 68
Chapter 6: Regulation 70
6.1 Reaction to Fire Requirements 71
6.1.1 Australia and New Zealand 71
6.1.2 UK 71
6.1.3 Nordic Countries and Europe 72
6.1.4 USA 72
6.1.5 Canada 73
6.1.6 United Arab Emirates 73
6.1.7 Singapore and Malaysia 73
6.1.8 China and Japan 73
6.2 Fire Stopping 74
6.3 Separation of Buildings 74
6.4 Separation of Openings Vertically Between Stories of Fire Compartments 74
6.5 Sprinkler Protection 75
6.6 Discussion 75
Chapter 7: Test Methods 76
7.1 Full-Scale Façade Fire Test Methods 76
7.1.1 ISO 13785:2002 Part 2 [12] 76
7.1.2 BS 8414 Part 1 and Part 2 [79, 80] 78
7.1.3 DIN 4102-20 (Draft) 81
7.1.4 NFPA 285 [88] 81
7.1.5 SP Fire 105 [105] 84
7.1.6 CAN/ULC S134 [94] 86
7.1.7 ANSI FM 4880 25 and 50 ft Corner Tests [92] 86
7.1.7.1 25 ft (7.6 m) High Corner Test 87
7.1.7.2 50 ft (15.2 m) High Corner Test 88
7.1.8 Full Scale Façade Testing in China 90
7.1.9 Full-Scale Façade Test in Japan 92
7.1.10 Other Full Scale Façade Fire Tests 93
7.2 Intermediate-Scale Façade Fire Test Methods 93
7.2.1 ISO 13785:2002 Part 1: Intermediate Scale Facade Test [11] 93
7.2.2 Vertical Channel Test 93
7.2.3 FM Parallel Panel Test [114, 115] 96
7.3 Room Corner Test Methods 97
7.4 Small-Scale Test Methods 100
7.4.1 Combustability Tests 100
7.4.2 Cone Calorimeter 100
7.4.3 Euroclass Tests 101
7.4.4 British Classification Tests 104
7.4.4.1 BS 476 Part 6 [81] 104
7.4.4.2 BS 476 Part 7 [136] 104
7.4.4.3 BS 476 Part 11 [82] 104
7.4.5 US Building Code Tests 105
7.4.5.1 NFPA 268: Determining Ignitability of Exterior Wall Assemblies Using a Radiant Heat Energy Source [137] 105
7.4.5.2 ASTM E 84, UL 723, NFPA 255: Steiner Tunnel Test [89, 90, 138] 105
7.4.5.3 NFPA 259: Potential Heat of Building Products [139] 106
7.4.5.4 ASTM D 1929 Standard Test Method for Determining Ignition Temperature of Plastics [91] 106
7.4.6 Small Flame Screening Tests 107
7.5 Fire Resistance Tests for Curtain Walls and Perimeter Fire Barriers 107
7.5.1 ASTM E2307-10: Fire Resistance of Perimeter Fire Barrier Systems [142] 107
7.5.2 EN 1364 Part 3 Fire Resistance Test for Non Loadbearing Curtain Walls [143] 109
Chapter 8: Recommended Fire Scenarios and Testing Approach for Phase II 110
8.1 Recommended Fire Scenarios 110
8.2 Recommendations for Further Test Based Research for Phase II 111
8.2.1 Option 1: Existing Full-Scale Facade Test Round Robin 112
8.2.2 Option 2: Development and Validation of Intermediate Scale Facade Test 112
8.2.3 Option 3: Validation of Small-Scale Test Regulatory Requirements 113
8.2.4 Option 4: Investigation of Effect of Vertical “U” Channel on Full-Scale Test 114
8.2.5 Option 5: Development of Façade Flame Spread Models 115
Chapter 9: Conclusions 116
Appendix A: US Fire Statistics Tables 120
Total Structure Fires in Selected Properties, by Property Use 122
Building Fires in Selected Properties that Began on, at or with an Exterior Wall, by Property Use 122
Building Fires in Which the Area of Origin, Item First Ignited or Item Contributing Most to Flame Spread Was an Exterior Wall with the Different Height Groupings 123
Building Fires in Which the Area of Origin, Item First Ignited or Item Contributing Most to Flame Spread Was an Exterior Wall with the Different Height Groupings and Aes Presence 125
Appendix B: Regulations—Detailed Summaries 134
Australian National Construction Code 134
NCC Prescriptive Requirements for Exterior Wall Materials 135
Fire Stop Barriers 135
Separation Between Buildings 136
Separation of Vertical Openings 136
Sprinkler Protection 136
New Zealand Building Code 137
Requirements for Exterior Wall Materials 138
Fire Stop Barriers 138
Separation Between Buildings 139
Separation of Vertical Openings 139
Sprinkler Protection 139
UK Approved Document B 139
Reaction to Fire Requirements for Exterior Wall Materials 140
Fire Stop Barriers 140
Separation Between Buildings 141
Separation of Vertical Openings 141
Sprinkler Protection 141
Façade Regulations in Nordic Countries 141
Requirements for Exterior Wall Materials 141
Fire Stop Barriers 143
Separation Between Buildings 143
Separation of Vertical Openings 144
Sprinkler Protection 144
International Building Code (IBC), USA 144
Requirements for Exterior Wall Materials 144
Combustible Exterior Wall Coverings 144
Foam Plastic Insulation (ICC Section 2603) 145
Light Transmitting Plastic Wall Panels (ICC Section 2607) 146
Fibre-Reinforced Polymer 146
Metal Composite Materials (MCM) (Section 1407) 147
EIFS 149
High Pressure Laminates 149
Fire Stop Barriers 149
Separation Between Buildings 150
Separation of Vertical Openings 150
Sprinkler Protection 150
NFPA 5000, USA 150
Fire Stop Barriers 152
Separation Between Buildings 153
Separation of Vertical Openings 153
Sprinkler Protection 153
UAE Fire and Safety Code 153
Requirements for Exterior Wall Materials 154
Fire Stop Barriers 155
Separation Between Buildings 155
Separation of Vertical Openings 155
Sprinkler Protection 155
Singapore Civil Defence Force Fire Code 156
Requirements for Exterior Wall Materials 156
Fire Stop Barriers 156
Separation Between Buildings 156
Separation of Vertical Openings 157
Sprinkler Protection 157
Malaysian Uniform Building By-Laws 157
Requirements for Exterior Wall Materials 157
Fire Stop Barriers 157
Separation Between Buildings 158
Separation of Vertical Openings 158
Sprinkler Protection 158
National Fire Code of Canada 158
Appendix C: Large and Intermediate Scale Façade Fire Test Summary Table 160
Appendix D: Existing Research References 170
References 180