OVERVIEW
BS EN 13823:2020 is a further test used to determine the fire safety of construction products and building elements. This “Single Burning Item” test is the foundation of the Euroclass building product classification system which was introduced to harmonise standards across the EU.
A Single Burning Item test (SBI) is a method of testing that is used to determine the reaction to fire behaviour when a building product it is subject to thermal attack by a single heat source. The product being tested is mounted on a trolley and positioned in a frame beneath an exhaust system. As the item is exposed to flame, the exhaust system collects combustion gases for analysis and the amount of smoke produced is measured. The flame propagation and occurrence of burning particles and droplets are also identified in the specimen’s burning behaviour.
Zenova commissioned Warrington Fire to test its Zenova IR thermal insulation render to the BS EN 13823:2020 test standard.
DESCRIPTION OF TEST
A 9mm thick sheet of dry, untreated plywood had Zenova IR thermal insulation render applied with trowel to a thickness of 5mm and was subjected to the SBI test.
TEST RESULTS
The application of Zenova IR thermal insulation render made the plywood fire resistant. There was no lateral flame spread to the end of the specimen, no falling of flaming droplets, and no flaming of falling particles exceeding 10 seconds. The test concluded that Zenova IR thermal insulation render tested to the BS EN 13823:2020 standard can be used in construction, on a variety of substrates, to improve fire safety.