Minimising Risk
Name:
Larry Cody
Job Title: Corporate Affairs
Fire Manager
Rockwool Brand Positioning – March, 2012, Company Briefing, UK
Content
1.
An overview of the relevant legislation and guidance
2.
Reaction to fire characteristics of construction products
3.
Principles of Designing Out Fire Risk in Buildings:
a)
Choose non-combustible building products, where possible
•
•
Develop an understanding of how products may contribute to the severity of a fire
Learn how to minimise fire risk using reaction-to-fire classification data
b)
Ensure building products are suitable for their intended end use
•
Gain an overview of the different types of construction and their implications for fire
safety
Develop an understanding of the importance of appropriate third party product and
installer certification, especially for passive fire protection products.
•
c) Ensure the products are installed by an adequately trained person
•
•
Recognise the benefits of the ‘competent person’ for assessing risk and installing fire
protection products
Understanding of the benefits of reducing fire risk in the built environment to a
reasonable and acceptable level
2
2
1.
Legislative drivers and guidance
3
Fire Risk Management throughout the building
process
Design and Build
Approved Document B (ADB)
During Construction
The Construction (Design and Management)
Regulations 2007 (CDM)
Occupied Building
The Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order
(RRFSO)
4
4
Life Safety – Approved
Document B (ADB)
 Approved Document B states the
regulatory requirements to ensure life
safety in the event of a fire in respect of
the building design
 Provides prescriptive guidance and
information for:
 Means of warning and escape
 Internal fire spread
 Structural performance
 External fire spread
 Access for fire and rescue service
 Offers guidelines on selecting the right
products and ensuring correct
installation
*Alternative approaches available to designers –
Fire design codes and fire engineering
5
5
Life Safety - The Construction (Design and
Management) Regulations 2007 (CDM).
 Statutory requirements covers:
• Health and safety of workers, neighbours and
environment
• Fire protection during the construction phase
 Duties of Client (project owner), Designer,
Builder and Individuals
• Site preparation & management including:Site Access and security.
• Fire detection and fighting
• Emergency procedures (evacuation and
provision of safe areas)
• Provision of information
 Guidance provided by Health and Safety
Executive
6
6
Life Safety – The Regulatory
Reform (Fire Safety) Order

Places a duty of care on owners, managers,
employees, designers and contractors

The RR(FS)O requires a proactive and
continuous review of fire risk for the lifetime of
the building

The “Responsible Person” must ensure an
adequate fire risk assessment is performed for
the premises by a “Competent Person”,

It must consider how the building is designed,
the materials used, what is it’s intended
purpose and how it should be managed

The fire risk assessment must be acted upon
to maintain fire safety. Failure to do so could
result in criminal action

If death or injury result in the event of a fire in
a building, the responsible parties could face
imprisonment
7
7
Property and Business risk protection - FPA and LPC Design Guides
 Intended for use by the UK
insurance industry
 Aimed at commercial and
industrial buildings but contains
12 ‘Essential Principles’ which
can be applied to all buildings.
 Adopting the ‘Essential
principles can reduce risk from
fire and may also reduce
insurance premiums
8
8
2.
Reaction to Fire and behaviour of products
9
FUEL
Flammable gasses
Flammable liquids
Flammable solids
OXYGEN
IGNITION SOURCE
Always present in the air
Additional source from
oxidising substances
Hot surfaces
Electrical equipment
Static electricity
Smoking and naked lights
Standard fire heat curve and stages
Reaction to fire
Resistance to fire
decay
decay
600°C
Ignition period
TEMP
600²C
Flashover
Growth
period
Fully developed fire
TIME
Decay
11
RELEVANCE OF FLASHOVER
 At Flashover, the fire threatens to leave the room
of origin and spread to rest of compartment
 Death rate increases by 300%
 Life safety benefits if fire contained within room of
origin
12
REACTION TO FIRE
(applies to products & materials)
 Ignitability
 Flame spread across surface
 Heat emission
 Smoke & toxic gas emission
 Character changes - melting, dripping, charring
13
Designing out risk
Principle 1: Choice of products
14
1
4
EU Reaction to Fire Classification - EN 13501-1
(The new tool on the block, based on tendency to flashover in RCT test)
A1
No contribution to a fire
A2
No significant contribution to fire growth
B
Very limited contribution to fire growth
C
Limited contribution to flashover
D Contribution to flashover
E Significant contribution to flashover
F Not tested or incapable of achieving class
* Additional classifications for smoke production and flaming droplets/particles for
classes A2 to E
15
IFE AGM and Conference, Cardiff (6th / 7th July 2011)
Importance of smoke, toxicity and flaming droplets
 Should be a major factor when considering the choice of building
products
 Effects of smoke toxic gas inhalation are now the greatest single
factor in fire related deaths
 Fire fighters are concerned that they are faced with far greater
smoke densities in modern buildings – maybe a combination of
contents and construction products
 Asphyxiation and disorientation can critically affect safe escape
and fire fighting
 Standards now available to Fire Engineers for calculating
Available Safe Escape Times (ASET) but the vulnerability of
occupant population must be carefully considered.
 Flaming droplets can lead to downward spread of fire
16
The three principles of
Designing Our Risk
Designing Out Risk is easy.
Ensure:
1.You specify non-combustible
building products where possible
2.You use the right product for the
right application
3.The products are installed by a
trained and competent person.
17
1
7
Selecting the right building
materials and products
There are a number of factors that
should be considered during the
selection process in relation to fire:
1.The construction method and design
2.The anticipated end-use of the
premises
3.The potential contribution to a fire from
the chosen products.
4. Whether the products are Third Party
Approved for their chosen use
18
1
8
Traditional Methods of
Construction
Masonry and concrete based used extensively in for 200 years
Readily fulfills structural
requirements for walls and floors
Mainly utilizes non-combustible
construction products
Typically provides fire resistance
of up to four hours*
When elements are modified or
altered, attention needs to be paid
to fire-stopping of penetrations
*Fire Service Manual, Vol 3: Basic principles of building
construction, p87
19
1
9
Modern Methods of Construction
 Term refers to construction processes
that utilise new technology, composite
and traditional processes such as :
•
•
•
•
Steel or timber frame
Panellised constructions
Modular buildings
Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPs)
 Many modern buildings are constructed
using a hybrid of modern and traditional
methods
 Generally use more combustible
construction products, especially
insulation
 Loss Prevention Standards provide
specific fire test methods for performance
assessment
Rockwool’s RockShell system is an innovative, low
energy modular solution for the construction of load
bearing walls in low-rise buildings
20
2
0
Refurbishment and Retrofit

Thermal upgrading should not be at the
expense of fire performance, especially if the
building remains occupied during refurbishment.

The choice of insulation products may influence
the extent of fire spread if left exposed. If the
building remains occupied during the
refurbishment period, additional safety
considerations may be required to minimise risk.

Provides an opportunity to re-assess the fire
performance of the building including structural
protection, fire stopping and active systems –
alarms and sprinklers etc.

Preference should always be given to the use of
third part approved products and installers
21
2
1
IFE AGM and Conference, Cardiff (6th / 7th July 2011)
Selection of Insulation Products
 Primary reasons:
• Thermal performance
• Acoustic benefits
• Fire protection ability
 Secondary considerations:
• Combustible characteristics
• Weight
• Mechanical strength
 Sustainability credentials
22
Designing out risk
Principle 2: Ensuring products are suitable
for end use
23
2
3
INSULATION TYPES & USES
 Stonewool
• Thermal, Acoustic & Fire Resistance
 Glass wool & Foam Glass
• Thermal, Acoustic & Fire (until melting)
 Foamed plastics, Cellulose and fleece
• Thermal
24
INSULATION MATERIAL FOR
CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
DENSITY
THERMAL
CONDUCTIVITY
EXPECTED REACTION-to-FIRE
PERFORMANCE
(kg/m³)
(W/m.K)
EN 13501-1 class
UK REGS
Phenolic foam
30 – 40
0.021 – 0.024
B-C
Combustible
Polyurethane foam
30 – 80
0.022 – 0.028
D–E
“
Polyisocyanurate foam
30 – 80
0.022 – 0.028
C–D
“
Extruded polystyrene foam
20 – 80
0.029 – 0.039
E-F
“
Expanded polystyrene foam
10 – 50
0.031 – 0.038
E–F
“
Multi-Foils
20 - 30
0.032 – 0.034
(polyester core)
E-F
“
Rock Mineral Wool
22 – 180
0.034 – 0.044
A1 – A2
Noncombustible
Glass Mineral Wool
10 – 100
0.031 – 0.044
A1 - A2
“
Cellular glass
100 - 120
0.040 – 0.050
A1 – A2
“
Cellulosic fibre
20 - 65
0.035 – 0.040
E
Combustible
Sheep’s wool
23 - 30
0.038 – 0.040
E
“
Cork
100 - 250
0.037 – 0.048
E
“
Reed thatch
240 - 270
0.070 – 0.090
E
“
Base material: Oil, Oil & mineral, Mineral, Plant and Animal
25
External facades in residential tower blocks
 Fire can spread through
an external cladding
system via the material
or the cavities
Source: “Fire
performance of
external
thermal
insulation for
walls of multistorey
buildings”, BRE
& FRS, 2003
 Where the external
cladding system is not
significantly contributing
to the spread of fire from
one storey to the next,
then intervention by
emergency services
should prevent continued
fire propagation by way
of the building envelope
Fig. 1: Fire Spread through Cavities
Fig. 2: Mechanisms for external fire spread by way of the
external cladding system
26
2
6
ETIC systems consisting of insulation with a classification of A2 or
better (Limited Combustible) and a surface finish with a classification
of B, S3,d0 or better (National class 0) have no height or boundary
proximity restrictions under Approved Document B guidance.
For other ETIC systems wishing to prove a similar compliance, large
scale testing is necessary. Test performance is only valid for the
complete system, including fire breaks. Any change to the tested
system would require re-assessment.
**Careful checking of test reports is essential**
27
RESISTANCE TO FIRE
(applies to systems / structures)
 Primary criteria:
• Stability: Load-bearing capability & structural collapse
• Integrity - flame puncture
• Insulation - heat transfer
 Secondary criteria:
• Smoke leakage
• Heat radiation
28
RESISTANCE CATEGORIES
1.
2.
3.
4.
Structural protection
Ductwork protection
Penetration seals and large barriers
Linear fire-stops and cavity barriers
29
1. STRUCTURAL FRAME PROTECTION
WHY?
PREVENT BUILDING COLLAPSE
MAINTAIN COMPARTMENTATION
ALLOW ESCAPE
30
BEHAVIOUR OF STRUCTURAL MATERIALS
(under fire attack)
Steel
Quite predictable
Crystalline structure changes when heated
Concrete
Relatively unpredictable
Sudden and explosive spalling exposing reinforcement
Timber
Steady charring rates, leading to reduced size,
Softwood: 0.67mm/min, Hardwood: 0.5mm/min
31
STEEL
ALLOY OF STEEL AND CARBON
CRYSTALLINE STRUCTURE
FERRITE - Plain crystals
PERLITE - Plated crystals
32
EFFECT OF HEATING
 IRON MOLECULES SLOWLY
ABSORB CARBON
 NEW CRYSTALS FORMED AUSTENITE
 LOSS OF STRENGTH
 AT 550°C - LOAD-BEARING
STRENGTH REDUCED BY 50%
 WEAKNESS ACCELERATES
UNTIL MELTING
33
Concrete – beams, columns and floors
34
CAUSES of FAILURE
 Heat transfer through element
• failure temperature on unexposed face: 140°C+ ambient
 Type of concrete
 Spalling
• Due to rapid heating of residual water in the structure
• Critical where cover thickness exceeds 40 – 50mm
 Cracking - Expansion of steel reinforcement
35
Protection of 150mm x 50mm stud side faces
(Before and after filling with non-combustible insulation)
Un-filled studs 87.5% surface area exposed
to direct fire attack
Studs filled with non-combustible Insulation
12.5% surface area exposed to fire attack
Stone wool
insulation
FIRE ATTACK
Stone wool
insulation
36
2. DUCTWORK PROTECTION
 Non-fire rated or unprotected ductwork is a
common route for fire compromising
compartmentation
 Type A fire rated ductwork considers fire
breaking in and then back out
 Type B ductwork considers that fire has
already entered the duct
 Kitchen extract ductwork considers the
passage of fire through the ductwork via any
internal grease build-up
37
3. PENETRATION SEALS & LARGE CAVITY
BARRIERS TO MAINTAIN COMPRTMENTATION
Fire walls
Fire floors
FW
FW
FW
FF
FF
FF
FF
FF
FF
FW
38
The Requirement of the Secretary of State:
“In the Secretary of States view,
the requirements of B3 will be
met if…..
… the building is sub-divided by
elements of fire-resisting
construction into
compartments;
… any openings in fire-separating
elements.. are suitably
protected in order to maintain
the integrity of the element;
… hidden voids.. are sealed and
subdivided to inhibit the
unseen spread of fire and
products of combustion”
39
Effective Fire Stopping
 Integrity - Effective firestopping helps stop
the passage of fire and smoke between
internal walls and floors
 Insulation – Effective firestopping restricts
the transfer of heat to the non-fire side of
the internal wall
40
4
0
Type of products
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Coated or faced stone wool slabs
Reinforced stone wool curtains
Stone wool strips and blocks
Fabric curtains
Gypsum based compounds
Intumescent pipe collars, wraps
and sleeves
Intumescent pillows
Intumescent sealants, movement
and expansion joints
41
Choosing the Right Products?
ADB 0.20
“Third party accredited product
conformity certification schemes not only
provide a means of identifying ….
products…. which have demonstrated that
they have the requisite performance in
fire, but additionally provide confidence
that the ... products .. actually supplied are
provided to the same specification or
design as that tested/assessed”
RRO Guidance – Section 8
“Third-party certification schemes for fire
protection products and related services
are an effective means of providing the
fullest possible assurances, offering a
level of quality, reliability and safety that
non-certificated products may lack.”
Essential Principles Document
“Principle 10: As a minimum, all fire
protection products shall be third party
certified to an appropriate product or
performance based standard”
42
Third Party Product Approval Schemes
43
Designing out risk
Principle 3: Ensure the products are
installed by an adequately trained person
44
4
4
Installer Scheme Certification Bodies for Passive
fire protection
45
4
5
Extract from Report to the Secretary of State by
the Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser on the
emerging issues arising from the fatal fire at
Lakanal House, Camberwell on 3 July 2009
www.communities.
5.4.2 Areas for consideration: The Passive Fire protection industry
produces a comprehensive range of guidance and technical information on
passive Fire protection products, installation and standards. Consideration
should be given to reminding specifier’s, main contractors and installers, and
those responsible for building safety management of the need to use
available information when undertaking works where measures that form
passive Fire protection are removed altered or replaced.
46
ROCKWOOL®
ROCKWOOL®
Thermal, Fire & Acoustic solutions
Thermal, Fire & Acoustic solutions
Thank you & any Questions?
Thank you & any Questions?
47
ROCKWOOL®
Thermal, Fire & Acoustic solutions
Thank you & any Questions?
48