FIRE RESISTANT BOARDS

Fire resistant boards are designed to do just that: they are resistant against the heat and radiation of the fire. Boards are suitable for a variety of applications offering from 30 up to 240 minutes fire resistance. They can be used either in the construction of electrical and mechanical ductwork enclosures, fire rated bulkheads, walls or ceilings where space is limited. Fire boards provide fire protection and robust finish while protecting structural steel columns and beams with a pleasing squared finish. Thanks to their low thermal conductivity and high heat absorption, combined with low shrinkage to keep their integrity, they make sure that on the other side of the board, the temperatures remain low for a long period of time. Fireproof boards are lightweight and can be processed with traditional wood tools. They can be cut, drilled and ground, which greatly facilitates the construction process. Fire stopping board can be used for many applications, such as compartmentation of buildings, encasement of electrical cables and ventilation and smoke extraction ducts. In all these applications, the fire board fulfills the same function - on one side of the board there is the heat of a raging fire, on the other side the temperature remains low. By keeping the fire and heat locked up behind fire resistant boards, the fire does not propagate through the building and doesn’t increase too much the temperature on load bearing structures. People have time to escape to a safe place, fire and rescue services can intervene, the building structure does not collapse. 

FIRE RATING CLASSIFICATION

The fire resistance is always expressed in minutes, usually in classes that are multiples of 30 minutes. Before you choose your product, it’s important to understand the classification process and what each level means in terms of fire resistance and protection. The BS EN 13501-1 classification comprises three ratings. The first is the main Euroclass rating, which will be the letter A1, A2, B, C, D, E or F. A1 is the highest level of performance, while F is the lowest. Flooring materials are followed by the abbreviation ‘fl’ (for example, A1fl). Linear pipe thermal insulation products are followed by the abbreviation ‘L’ (for example, A1L). A1 products are classified as non-combustible. A2 products are classified as limited combustibility, and B to F are classified as combustible in ascending order. The second classification relates to smoke emission during combustion. This is indicated by a rating of s1, s2 or s3, from highest to lowest performance. Smoke emission classifications are not provided for products with an E or F overall rating. The third classification relates to the level of production of flaming droplets/particles during combustion. This is indicated by a rating of d0, d1 or d2, from highest to lowest performance. E-rated products receive a d2 flaming droplet classification. F-rated products receive none. A1-rated products are not given smoke emission or flaming droplet ratings, on the assumption that they make no contribution to fire growth or spread. Occasionally, a building insulation product may focus on a Class 0 or Class 1 rating. However, these classifications do not indicate the combustibility of the product, referring only to limited surface fire performance characteristics. Class 0 is a rating defined in Approved Document B of the Building Regulations 1991. It combines two tests in the British Standard BS 476. The first assesses a surface’s contribution to fire propagation (BS 476-6) and the second assesses the spread of flames across a surface, including distance and time (BS 476-7). Class 1 is a limited classification based on the test in BS 476-7 only. It is important to recognise the limited application of these classifications.

FIRE BOARDS MANUFACTURERS | PRODUCTS

Fire protection boards are manufactured by leading brands and are suitable for use in any project where additional fire proofing measures might need to be taken. In terms of  fire protection boards, Promat, Kemwell, British Gypsum, Rockwool, Vitcas and Knauf are the commonly recognised brands. 

MASTERBOARD

Masterboard is a Class O building board with limited combustibility providing up to 30 minutes fire protection. This board is also suitable for external use in semi-exposed applications, whilst adding its fire rating qualities. 

SUPALUX

Supalux is Class O fire rated for surface spread of flame as well as being a non-combustible, high performance board. Providing up to 240 minutes fire protection to any project, Supalux also provides moisture resistance in damp and humid environments. Supalux is commonly used for internal partitions, external walls, internal walls, ceilings and non-combustible linings. 

CEMBRIT FR

Cembrit FR is a versatile, Class A1 fire rated internal lining board suitable for partition walls, ceilings and floors. Cembrit FR will provide up to 120 minutes of fire resistance when used on the structure with insulation or 60 minutes when used without insulation. Cembrit FR building boards are lightweight and robust, making them ideal for offsite construction. 

YWALL

Ywall is a non-combustible cement/calcium building board that can be used for applications that require a slightly lighter board with improved fire properties. Ywall offers very similar properties to that of cement particle board, however due to the calcium additives, it offers a much greater fire resistance. This fire protection board has a smooth surface on the front and rough face on the back. 

GLASROC F

Glasroc F FireCase Fire Protection Board British Gypsum is a highly versatile, non-combustible, Class A1 and Class 0 glass-reinforced gypsum based plasterboard used mostly as part of the FIRECASE frameless structural steel encasement system, giving up to 120 minutes fire protection and in the GypLyner ENCASE system, achieving up to 180 minutes fire protection.

MONOLUX-500/800

Promat MONOLUX-500 (MST-500) is a robust low thermal conductivity rigid fire protection board specifically formulated without asbestos and mineral fibres for use in constructions and insulation linings. Monolux 500 High Performance Board is a tough and durable, resistant to impact damage fire panel providing up to 240 minutes fire resistance.

KNAUF FIRE PANEL

Knauf Fire Panel is a high-quality gypsum based plasterboard with additives for fire performance that is suitable for Fire-Rated partitions and any other drylining application where fire rating is crucial.

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