Fire protection

Resize image

Fire has always posed a hazard to humans.
In the history of civilization, fire assumed a whole new importance once ways of harnessing it became known. People first learnt how to preserve fires, later learning how to produce them independently. Fire was a source of heat and light. At the same time, the dangers of fire created a requirement for protection from its destructive power. This became ever more important as people started living closer together and cities arose. At a very early stage, it became clear that compliance with certain rules can reduce the danger of fire. Accordingly, various fire protection systems have been developed over time.

Despite comprehensive fire protection, the costs of fire damage continue to rise from year to year. The main reasons for this are:

• Building materials with higher fire hazards
• Large offices, workshops, factories and warehouses
• Expensive equipment and facilities.

The rising extent of fire damage underscores the need for effective fire prevention. Three measures are involved here essentially:

• Fire protection for safety of life and health: Personal protection
• Fire protection for preservation of buildings and their contents: Property protection
• Fire protection to preserve the environment and nature: Environmental protection

Adherence to fire safety measures falls into the categories mentioned next, both during construction and usage.

• Structural fire prevention: Building materials, construction
• Fire fighting: Fire alarm systems, fire department

Structural fire prevention is considered more closely in the following, fire fighting being a completely separate topic.

From the perspective of fire protection, the VST permanent formwork system involves solid constructions comprising in-situ concrete. The reinforcement is built in at the factory - the concrete cover is secured in accordance with specifications based on structural analysis. In terms of fire protection, the VST permanent formwork system can generally be considered as being of a very high quality and accurately constructible.

Fire behaviour of the employed, cement-bonded, particle board
The basic element of the VST permanent formwork system is a cement-bound, particle board generally approved by construction supervision authorities (according to EN 13986).
The employed boards are assigned to fire behaviour class A2-s1, d0.

Fire behaviour:
According to their fire behaviour, building materials are assigned among classes A1, A2, B, C, D and E. Decisive classification criteria include, in particular, flammability, flame propagation and heat release. Classes A1 to E are in order of increasing flammability.
-> A2

Smoke production:
In accordance with their smoke generation characteristics, building materials of classes A2, B, C and D are assigned additionally among classes s1, s2 or s3.

Classes s1 to s3 are in order of increasing smoke production.
->s1
Flaming droplets / edgeways flame propagation:

In accordance with the occurrence of flaming droplets / edgeways flame propagation, building materials of classes A2, B, C and D assigned additionally among classes d0, d1 and d2.

Classes d0 to d2 are ordered as mentioned next.

a) d0: No flaming droplets / edgeways flame propagation
b) d1: Occasional occurrences of flaming droplets / edgeways flame propagation
c) d2: Persistent occurrences of flaming droplets / edgeways flame propagation
-> d0

Fire resistance of the VST permanent formwork wall construction
This aspect undergoes an expert appraisal based on tests of the cement-bound, particle board as well as a description of the VST system and production process.

Expert appraisals are performed by:

IBS Institute for Fire Protection and Safety Research
Government-accredited testing and inspection agency
Petzoldstrasse 46
A 4017 Linz

Performance criteria (the load-bearing capacity R is ignored in the case of non-bearing walls):

Load-bearing capacity R
Load-bearing capacity and room closure RE
Load-bearing capacity, room closure and thermal insulation REI
Load-bearing capacity, room closure, thermal insulation and mechanical action REI-M

Load-bearing walls
VS D=175mm (allowance for concrete thickness d=120 mm) ... REI 120
VS D=200mm (allowance for concrete thickness d=150 mm) ... REI 120
VS D=215mm (allowance for concrete thickness d=160 mm) ... REI 120
VS D=230mm (allowance for concrete thickness d=180 mm) ... REI 120
VS D=250mm (allowance for concrete thickness d=200 mm) ... REI 120
VS D=300mm (allowance for concrete thickness d=250 mm) ... REI 120

EI 90 and REI 90 qualify as "fire resistant" according to Austrian standard F 90.

VS D = 250 mm and VS D = 300 mm qualify as "highly fire resistant" according to Austrian standard F 180.