Minimising Risk Name: Larry Cody

Job Title: Corporate Affairs

Fire Manager

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Content

Rockwool Brand Positioning – March, 2012, Company Briefing, UK

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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

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1. Legislative drivers and guidance

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Fire Risk Management throughout the building process

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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

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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

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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

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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

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2. Reaction to Fire and behaviour of products

FUELFlammable gassesFlammable liquidsFlammable solids

OXYGENAlways present in the airAdditional source from oxidising substances

IGNITION SOURCEHot surfaces

Electrical equipmentStatic electricity

Smoking and naked lights

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Standard fire heat curve and stages

TIME

Reaction to fireResistance to fire

Ign

itio

n

peri

od

Growth period

Flashover

Fully developed fire Decay

decaydecay

600²C

600°C

TE

MP

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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

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REACTION TO FIRE(applies to products & materials)

Ignitability

Flame spread across surface

Heat emission

Smoke & toxic gas emission

Character changes - melting, dripping, charring

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Designing out risk

Principle 1: Choice of products

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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 fireA2 No significant contribution to fire growthB Very limited contribution to fire growthC Limited contribution to flashoverD Contribution to flashover E Significant contribution to flashoverF Not tested or incapable of achieving class

* Additional classifications for smoke production and flaming droplets/particles for classes A2 to E

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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

IFE AGM and Conference, Cardiff (6th / 7th July 2011)

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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.

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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

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Traditional Methods of Construction

*Fire Service Manual, Vol 3: Basic principles of building construction, p87

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

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Modern Methods of Construction

Rockwool’s RockShell system is an innovative, low energy modular solution for the construction of load bearing walls in low-rise buildings

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

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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

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Selection of Insulation Products

Primary reasons:• Thermal performance• Acoustic benefits• Fire protection ability

Secondary considerations:• Combustible characteristics• Weight• Mechanical strength

Sustainability credentials

IFE AGM and Conference, Cardiff (6th / 7th July 2011)

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Designing out risk

Principle 2: Ensuring products are suitable for end use

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INSULATION TYPES & USES

Stonewool• Thermal, Acoustic & Fire Resistance

Glass wool & Foam Glass• Thermal, Acoustic & Fire (until melting)

Foamed plastics, Cellulose and fleece• Thermal

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INSULATION MATERIAL FOR CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

DENSITY THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY

EXPECTED REACTION-to-FIREPERFORMANCE

(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 Non-combustible

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

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External facades in residential tower blocks

Fire can spread through an external cladding system via the material or the cavities

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

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Fig. 2: Mechanisms for external fire spread by way of the external cladding system

Fig. 1: Fire Spread through Cavities

Source: “Fire performance of external thermal insulation for walls of multi-storey buildings”, BRE & FRS, 2003

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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**

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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

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RESISTANCE CATEGORIES

1. Structural protection

2. Ductwork protection

3. Penetration seals and large barriers

4. Linear fire-stops and cavity barriers

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1. STRUCTURAL FRAME PROTECTION

WHY?

PREVENT BUILDING COLLAPSE

MAINTAIN COMPARTMENTATION

ALLOW ESCAPE

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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

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STEELALLOY OF STEEL AND CARBONCRYSTALLINE STRUCTURE

FERRITE - Plain crystalsPERLITE - Plated crystals

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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

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Concrete – beams, columns and floors

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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

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Protection of 150mm x 50mm stud side faces(Before and after filling with non-combustible insulation)

Stone wool insulation

Stone wool insulation

FIRE ATTACK

Un-filled studs -87.5% surface area exposed

to direct fire attack

Studs filled with non-combustible Insulation12.5% surface area exposed to fire attack

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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

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3. PENETRATION SEALS & LARGE CAVITY BARRIERS TO MAINTAIN COMPRTMENTATION

Fire floorsFire walls

FW FW

FWFW

FF

FF

FF

FF

FF

FF

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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”

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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

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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

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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”

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Third Party Product Approval Schemes

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Designing out risk

Principle 3: Ensure the products are installed by an adequately trained person

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Installer Scheme Certification Bodies for Passive fire protection

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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.

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ROCKWOOL®

Thermal, Fire & Acoustic solutions

Thank you & any Questions?

ROCKWOOL®

Thermal, Fire & Acoustic solutions

Thank you & any Questions?

4848

ROCKWOOL®

Thermal, Fire & Acoustic solutions

Thank you & any Questions?