Fire Performance of the Thermo Insulant Facade Systems of the Buildings

Abstract

The purpose of this research: The large-scale use of the external cladding systems with polystyrene thermal insulation, for rehabilitation of existing and new buildings, requires the experimental determination of the fire performance of these thermal insulating systems, both as wholes, and from the materials point of view, which they are constituted from. This study aims to present the evaluation of the fire performance of some polystyrene thermosystems and of the elements that make up these systems. Methodology: Experimental tests are carried out related to the fire behavior of polystyrene thermal insulation systems used in building renovation, in order to determine the mechanisms of flames initiation and propagation on the surface of combustible facades under natural ventilation conditions, the behavior of thermosystems in different fires scenarios and determining the fire performance of the constituent elements of these thermosystems. As a result of the performed tests, it was found that the overall performance of the thermal system against the fire action during the testing was mainly influenced by the value of the thermal load density parameter, and by the way the thermosystem is built and put into operation. The contribution of the components of the thermal system to the ignition, burning, development and propagation of flames and smoke differed on a case-by-case basis, depending on the materials used to cover the polystyrene, and the time elapsed, since they were put into operation. In the direct fire area of the fire test, temperatures above 1000 ° C have been recorded that have led, in some cases, to complete damage to the thermosystem. It is intended to establish a concordance between the parameters resulting from the tests on the facades of buildings, and those measured during the fire reaction tests of the elements which the facades were made from. This highlights the need to introduce the requirement of performing fire performance tests for building façade systems, following a harmonized testing methodology across the European Union.