Practical experience with new European fire testing standards and European technical approval

U. Wörsdörfer +H. Haselmair

Hilti Corporation, Schaan, FL

This presentation is given in commemoration of my dear colleague Udo Wörsdörfer who should have

given the presentation but died unexpectedly some weeks ago

• Limited practical experience:– ETAG 018 (FPP) published in 2006 (part 4) and 2007 (part 2 and 3)– ENV 13381-4: 2002 EN 13381-8 (intumescent coatings): Formal Vote

EN 13381-4 revised (boards, renderings): Inquiry

– ETAG 026 (FSSP) published early 2008– EN 1366-3 (penetration seals): 09/2004, revision 03/2009– EN 1366-4 (linear joint seals): 08/2006– EN 1364-4 (curtain wall, part configuration): 06/2007

Introduction

FPP = Fire Protective Products, FSSP = Fire Stopping and Fire Sealing Products

How to show compliance for FPP and FSSP in Europe?

FPP = Fire Protective Products, FSSP = Fire Stopping and Fire Sealing Products

European route National route

Depending on national rules:• Fire test report (UK, IRL, …)• + national approval of fire test report (ES, FR, PL, …)• Approval (DE)

• Approval testing + AoC procedure • ETA• Certificate of Conformity• Declaration of Conformity• CE Marking

What is the difference?

European route National route• Only resistance to fire is assessed *)• No 3rd party control *)• Accepted in other countries only when mutual agreement in place

• All regulated properties related to the Essential Requirements (CPD) to be assessed• Durability, Serviceability• 3rd party control• Must be accepted throughout Europe *) Apart from DE

• European classification– Possible in all Member States – EN Testing in many Member States

obligatory for new tests– Deadline for validity of national

test reports between 2010 and 2012

– First complete obligation in AT (05/2010)

EN + national in parallelEN testing mandatorynot yet decided

tbc

2006 / 2010

2008 / ?

2004 / 2012

2007 / 2012

2006 / 2011

2007

unlimited 2007 / 2011

unlimited

unlimited

Status of introduction of European Fire Classification

Status of obligation - ETA’s

ETA voluntaryETA mandatory by law

• Product with ETA must be accepted in all Member States

• ETA at present voluntary in most Member States

• Only with ETA a fire test result must be accepted all over Europe

• ETA includes all regulatory requirements not only fire

1.2.2010 / 1.4.2012

1.4.2010 PS 1.11.2010 JSDraft!

– ETA’s perceived voluntary– No driving force for ETA’s from legal side– Only a few ETA’s issued so far– Harmonisation de facto stopped!!

Impact of legal situation for ETA’s

European Level:CPD

From November 2006 on no coexistence period defined for

ETAG’s by EC anymore

National Level:Building Regulations

Only minimum performance (fire resistance, noise protection etc.)

defined

Market distortion

because of

• Differences between European and national test results• Less effort when using only fire test/classification report compared to a

full ETA assessment

What is the reason for reluctance of industry to use ETA’s?

• Safety margins unrealistic high for reactive coatings => not competitive => Revision of EN 13381-4 and separation in 2 parts

• Hollow sections not covered

Difference EN – National testing: Steel protection

• Fire test at joint extension equal to 100% movement capability: movement not considered in national standards => disadvantage when EN testing

• Test equipment for fire tests including movement not available before spring 2009 –

Difference EN – National testing: Linear joint seals

• Only 1 laboratory in Europe equipped so far• Detailed classification: e.g. EI 30 – H – M25 – B – W 30 to 90 =

Linear joint seal with 30 minutes fire resistance, horizontal orientation, movement capability of 25%, with pre-fabricated and on-site made splices for joint widths of 30 to 90 mm

• Special test for curtain wall perimeter seals (EN 1364-4)

Special test standard for curtain wall perimeter joint (EN 1364-4)

• To be tested together with façade element *)

• Minimum 3 m joint length• Strict field of application rules related to use

of standard configurations• ETAG requires cycling before fire test (no

equipment available in Europe so far)

*) DIN standard similar to EN

• More severe test conditions (e.g. furnace pressure)• Strict field of application rules related to use of standard configurations

(e.g. maximum cable diameter of 80 mm – although more severe cable configuration)

• Pipe end configuration as part of classification:

Difference EN – National testing: Penetration seals

e.g. EI 120 U/C: Penetration seal with 90 minutes fire resistance for closed piping systems (test condition: capped outside the furnace)

Difference EN 1366-3:2004 and revised version 2009

• Furnace Pressure – Specimen location (5.2): simpler approach

• Distances: no obligation for 200 mm between pipes (6.1)

• Strut system as modern alternative for standard service support construction introduced, also for pipes (6.3.3.2, Fig. A.8 and E.10)

• Blank penetration seal necessary for definition of maximum seal size; definition of thermocouple location added (Fig. 3)

• New definition of standard supporting constructions (7.2)

• New insulation pad for thermocouples (9.1.2.1): simpler to install

EN 1366-3:2009: Furnace pressure – Specimen location

old:

new:

• New Cables

• New Grouping

• Split depending on Seal Size

• Special Seal Types

A1A3

B

C1

C2

C3D1

D2

D3

E

G2

F

EN 1366-3:2009: Cable penetration seals – What is new?

EN 1366-3:2009: CablesThe new selection of cables for the standard configuration considers all known influencing parameters and is thought to be representative for all cables used in buildings in Europe.

Des. Type Size Material *) Ø

A1 S 5 x 1,5 PVC/PVC 14

A2 S 5 x 1,5 EPR / PO 14

A3 S 5 x 1,5 XLPE / EVA 14

B S 1 x 95 PVC / PVC 21

C1 S 4 x 95 PVC / PVC 47

C2 S 4 x 95 EPR / PO 61

C3 S 4 x 95 XLPE / EVA 46

E S 1 x 185 PVC/PVC 27

D1 S 4 x 185 PVC/PVC 52

D2 S 4 x 185 EPR / PO 80

D3 S 4 x 185 XLPE / EVA 63

F T 20x2x0,6 18

G1 W 1 x 95 PVC / - 17

G2 W 1 x 185 PVC / - 23

S = Sheathed

*) Insulation / Sheath

cSmall Sheathed

Large Sheathed

Telecommunication Cable

Wires

W = Wire

T = Telecommuni-cation cable

Medium Sheathed

EN 1366-3:2009: Standard configuration – Large seals

"Small"

"Large"

Options

"Cable bundle"

„Wires"

"Conduits"

"Medium"

EN 1366-3:2009: Field of application – Cable seals

Small Cables (A1, A2, A3, B)

all Sheathed Cables (including

Telecommunication / Data Cables)

≤ 21 mm Ø

Small Cables (A1, A2, A3, B)

+Medium Cables (C1, C2, C3, E)

all Sheathed Cables(including

Telecommunication / Data Cables)

≤ 50 mm Ø)

"Small" "Medium" "Large"

Small Cables (A1, A2, A3, B)

+Medium Cables

(C1, C2, C3, E)+

Large Cables (D1, D2, D3)

all Sheathed Cables (including

Telecommunication / Data Cables)

≤ 80 mm Ø)

EN 1366-3:2009: Standard configuration – Small seals

Proposal for Standard configuration to cover all sheathed cables:

maximum seal size minimum seal size

+ + or +

B- or E-cable, depending on seal size

EN 1366-3: Pipe penetration seals - New definition of "Insulation"

sustained interrupted

loca

lco

ntinu

ed

Case CS Case CI

Case LS Case LI

EN 1366-3:2009: Pipe penetration seals

• Maximum seal size to be determined by testing a blank seal (b or h x l), except for mortar seals and seals made from rigid boards or mineral wool boards with a density of ≥ 150 kg/m3

l

b or h

• Pipe end configuration U/C (capped outside!) covers all situations => different to pipe end configuration commonly used in the past!

EN 1366-3:2009: Plastic pipes - Selection of specimens• Determination of “Length Groups" and "Design Groups" (thickness and length of the active component of the pipe closure device is

equal for varying device sizes / pipe diameters)• The maximum device size per design group is tested in combination with maximum and minimum pipe wall thickness• Design groups in the middle of the size range may be omitted, if the relevant parameters are located above the connection line (see

diagram)

EN 1366-3:2009: Plastic pipes - Selection of specimens

EN 1366-3:2009: Rules for plastic pipes – Pipe wall thickness

• The range between the wall thicknesses tested is covered for a particular device size• The maximum wall thickness, tested with the largest device, covers all smaller sizes within a "Design-

Group"• Interpolation allowed for "Design-Groups" not tested (see diagram)

Length-Group 1

EN 1366-3:2009: Rules for plastic pipes – Pipe end configuration

• All field of application rules valid for the pipe end configuration tested• Application of test results: see Table.

test using

U/U C/U U/C C/C

covers U/U Y N N N

C/U Y Y N N

U/C Y Y Y N

C/C Y Y Y Y

Y = covered; N = not covered

• Different to rules in the past!! Capped outside (U/C) normally used in the past! Considerable difference in test results!

EN 1366-3:2009: Rules for plastic pipes – Pipe material• Similar approach like German “Stellvertreterprüfung” but only very limited number of materials covered when PVC-U or PE-HD pipes are tested• Pipe standard to be considered and recorded! • Reaction to fire behaviour of pipes may be different in Germany and other Member States (minimum requirements in DE) => different behaviour in fire test?• More experience necessary to extend the rules => common research project?

EN 1366-3:2009: New - Mixed Penetration Seals

• Combination of cables, metal pipes and plastic pipes or other services• Test goal: are there interactions between cables/cable trays and pipes?

• Standard Mixed Module

Option 1 (no test results available for the product):• Standard cable configuration +• Standard Mixed Module +• Pipes depending on intended field of application

cables of the Standard Mixed Module:A1, B, C1, D3, E

G2

EN 1366-3:2009: Mixed Penetration Seals - Options

EN 1366-3:2009: The "Critical Pipe" Approach

• May save considerable test effort on pipe variations• Critical pipes are:

– Pipes with integrity failure within 5 minutes after the intended classification time

– Pipes that are closest to the 180K threshold

EN 1366-3:2009: Standard flexible wall

• Error in table of 2004 version corrected• Smaller width possible, restrained only top and bottom• New approach developed

– Varying stud widths considered– Insulation of wall related to aperture framing: “one stop shop” test situation

possible to cover both insulated and non-insulated walls– Number and thickness of boards only relevant when no aperture framing is

used

• Sandwich panel constructions are not covered!

• Constructions with uncovered studs are not covered (e.g. shaft walls)

• Applications in rigid walls (≥ thickness, ≥ density) are covered (exception pipe closure devices within the wall)

EN 1366-3:2009: What to do with old test results?

• 2009 version offers more options (e.g. mixed penetration seals) but is more detailed and restrictive in standard configurations and field of application rules

• The difference has to be considered when test results from 2004 version are planned to be used: – e.g. only rubber cables of 2004 version may be considered => tests to be

repeated to get full cable coverage!– Classical max/min size approach for collars/wraps not sufficient: more tests

necessary

• Tests laboratories have to make sure that a common approach is used throughout Europe: training necessary also for lab staff!

• First reading in Parliament passed with considerable number of amendments

• Discussion in Council Working Group not yet finished• Current draft not consistent in itself• Obligation for products with European Approvals under discussion: high

number of Member States in favour but no qualified majority so far

The Future? - CPR (Construction Products Regulation)

• The bizarre situation that harmonisation for highly safety relevant construction products for applications with a special European classification system should be voluntary must be changed!!

Highly safety relevant products excluded from harmonisation?

hEN ETA (ETAG, CUAP, EAD)

1 - 3

4, 5

CE Marking: mandatory - voluntary

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Many thanks for your attention