Since the Lacrosse Dockland Fire in November 2014, scrutiny over building façades materials has significantly increased. The Victorian Building Authority released several practice notes clarifying the requirements of the Building Code of Australia regarding the construction of building façades.
In accordance with the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions of the Building Code of Australia, combustible cladding may be used on external façades of a building in restricted circumstances.
The recent focus on external building façade cladding has created confusion regarding the Building Code requirements and the actual fire performance of the façade cladding available on the market.
Wood & Grieve Engineers’ fire engineering team wanted to gain a better understanding of how different cladding materials perform, and decided to put them to the test at the RMIT University fire testing facilities.
A simple test procedure was developed, utilising a blow torch, a timer, samples of cladding material to burn and the RMIT university fire testing facilities. The team tested six cladding material samples with a blow torch flame for 30 seconds and recorded the results.
Whilst these tests were by no means deemed official they provided valuable insights into the way certain cladding reacts to flame. The following table summarises the test results for each product:
The polycarbonate products tested did ignite when the blow torch was applied, with flaming droplets being observed. However, fire spread was limited once the blow torch was removed, with the panels self-extinguishing.
The aluminium composite panels did deform and delaminate when exposed to the blow torch. However, ignition of the panels was not observed.
The tests undertaken demonstrate that although a product may not be classified as non-combustible by the Australian Standards, it may achieve some resistance to ignition and fire spread. Should you have any façade related fire concerns, please feel free to get in contact with WGE and we would be happy to assist you.
