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Fire Rating

THE INSUDEK SLAB SYSTEM HAS AN ACCREDITED TWO – HOUR FIRE RATING
FIRE RETARDENT INSUDEK BLOCKS 

Insudek blocks are made of fire retarded quality. This is achieved by adding a small quantity (<1%) of a fire-retardant agent to the material. The fire-retardant is polymerised into the molecular structure and is insoluble in water, which ensures no fire- retardant leaches from the material into the environment.

 

Exposed to heat, fire retarded Insudek Blocks shrink away from the heat source. The effect is illustrated by a demonstration in which a hole is burned into a large block of EPS using a torch. When the torch is taken away the fire ceases

 

THE REACTION TO FIRE BEHAVIOUR SHOULD BE EVALUATED NOT ON THE MATERIAL OR PRODUCT BUT ON “THE HOLISTIC BUILDING ELEMENT OR CONSTRUCTION ELEMENT LEVEL”

 

A combination of INSUDEK blocks with “specific cover layers” –  such as the standard requirement of a structural concrete topping encasing the top and sides of the Insudek blocks together with ceiling board or plaster covering the soffit of the Insudek blocks – constitutes a slab construction which fulfils the fire requirements.

Correctly applied and installed, expanded polystyrene fire retarded blocks cannot influence the occurrence or the development of fire in a building.

 

Objective analysis shows that the influence of insulating material on the occurrence and development of fire is marginal, or non-existent. Independent work, validated by KPMG, has been carried out by the well- known Dutch institutes TNO and BDA on the role of the insulation material into the cause and development of more than 40 large industrial fires in the Netherlands [ref 15, 16, 17, 18]. This was initiated in 2002 and continues to the present day.

Contributory factors have been identified, amongst which are: careless use of high-temperature equipment and processes, absence of extinguishing equipment and the fire properties of the building contents.

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FIRE SAFETY

Fire safety is one of the essential requirements when designing a building.   It cannot be compromised. The role of insulation in respect to fire safety is often over-rated.

 

It is perfectly possible and indeed, desirable to design a holistic construction which fulfils the fire safety -requirements Conclusion and recommendations – OF FIRELAB REPORT DATE

RELEVANT EXTRACTS FROM FIRELAB REPORT DATED 19TH MARCH 2010  

 

The results of this test show that the Litedek floor slab system as tested conformed to the requirements for a 2-hour Fire Resistance Rating (FRR). No fire propagation across the dividing wall was noted either despite the EPS void formers on one half of the specimen being un-plastered.

FIRELAB TEST CONDUCTED 1ST DECEMBER 2009 – CSIR PRETORIA
Sample description and intended use

 

A floor slab specimen was constructed on top of the horizontal test furnace of Firelab. The floor slab utilises Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) blocks (of the styFRene type) as void formers in its construction. The test specimen consisted of two portions; one half where the exposed EPS was plastered with a vermiculite plaster covering and the other half where the EPS was left unplastered. A drawing of the test specimen is shown in Appendix A.

 

The floor slab was loaded with steel ingots to simulate a load density of 150 kg/m2 (1.5kN/m2).

 

A number of K-type thermocouples were fitted into a steel cross-rib in each portion of the floor slab specimen during construction. The first thermocouple was positioned on the steel rebar spacer plate, another on the rebar near this plate and a third on the rebar between spacer plates. This arrangement was set up in both halves of the specimen.

 

The specimen was tested for compliance with SANS 10177-2 in a large horizontal air aspirated diesel furnace to assess its fire resistance. The temperature in the furnace was controlled to follow the ISO standard time-temperature curve.

 

The fire resistance of the system was awarded based on the following criteria;

  • Integrity: The system is deemed to have failed should flames be observed on the unexposed side or an opening larger than 25 mm wide or 6mm wide by 150 mm long were noted.
  • Stability: The system may not collapse or fail structurally during the test
  • Temperature: The temperature on the unexposed surface may not exceed 140 °C plus ambient temperature on average or 180 °C plus ambient maximum at any of the measured positions

In this particular instance it was also a test objective to ascertain whether the EPS void formers will accommodate fire spread over an occupancy separation wall. The test specimen was constructed with a wall toward its one end in order for any such flame spread to be noticeable should it occur.

 

The results of this test show that the Litedek floor slab system as tested conformed to the requirements for a 2-hour Fire Resistance Rating (FRR). No fire propagation across the dividing wall was noted either despite the EPS void formers on one half of the specimen being un-plastered.

 

The side of the specimen plastered with a vermiculite plaster performed significantly superior to the unplastered side. Apart from the fact that the EPS void formers are even less of a factor as far as fire propagation are concerned, the protection of the steel components are also improved significantly as shown in the temperature plots.

 

It would be advisable that the concrete-to-steel cover must conform to the structural design code for required fire-resistance rating. The design code (SANS 10100) also mentions that 15mm thickness plaster to the underside of the soffit is required for rib slabs with a cross-sectional area of less than 50% concrete.

 

Unquote Firelab report

 

NOTE: The soffit of the lipped channels used as permanent shutters in the Insudek system can be plastered on the underside together with the Insudek blocks, however, if not plastered an additional 15 mm concrete-to-steel cover would be required to replace the required plaster layer. According to the standard 20mm concrete-to-steel cover is required for ribs slabs with 50% or more concrete in cross-section, and therefore the required concrete-to-steel cover for a 2hour FRR should be 35 mm.

 

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