Nathan White

Effect of construction method on the fire behavior of sandwich panels with expanded polystyrene cores in room fire tests

Room fire tests are conducted, according to the ISO 9705 or ISO 13784-1 protocols, on steel-skinned sandwich panels with expanded polystyrene (EPS) cores. The thickness of the panel cores, grade of EPS, and construction methods of fixing the panels are varied. During the fire tests, the temperature profiles within the panels are measured to determine the onset of EPS melting and possible flame spread within the panels. Temperature profiles within the room, heat release rate from the room, and ceiling heat flux are also measured. It is found that the construction methods that best restrict pyrolysis gases and molten EPS from leaking out of the panel skins into the room enclosure give the greatest resistance to fire spread and prevent the occurrence of flashover.

Existing Research and Mechanisms of Fire Spread

The following section presents an overview of existing research literature on fire performance of exterior combustible wall assemblies. This section also identifies the key mechanisms of fire spread on combustible exterior wall assemblies.

Combustible Exterior Wall Systems in Common Use

The following provides an overview of some of the most common types of exterior wall assemblies containing combustible materials and typical fixing methods. It is noted that the following assemblies can typically be installed as:

Recommended Fire Scenarios and Testing Approach for Phase II

Phase I of this study seeks to collect data about combustible facade systems, review existing research in this area, examine statistics on facade fires, list incidents of facade fires, describe the mechanisms and dynamics of fire spread and review existing test methods and performance criteria. This section presents the main conclusions of Phase I and recommends various options for further testing and research for Phase II.

Fire Incident Case-Studies

A literature review to identify reports for fire incident cases involving combustible exterior wall assemblies has been completed. This review has included