Fire protection

Our solutions are fire resistant according to BS 476: Part 22 which offers up to 4 hours of fire protection depending on the system configuration and requirement.

Three criterias are taken into account to assess the fire protection performance of a product or solution:

Non-combustibility

In order to help provide maximum fire safety in buildings, certain building elements will need to be made of non-combustible materials. A building material is considered non-combustible if it satisfies performance criteria when tested in accordance with:

• BS 476: Part 4: 1970 (1984) Non-combustibility test for materials.
• BS 476: Part 11: 1982 (1988) Method for assessing the heat emission from building materials.

Surface spread of flame

BS 476: Part 7: 1987 is a test method for the classification of the surface spread of flame of products. The spreading of flames over wall and ceiling surfaces can be controlled by using materials that are either non-combustible or have limited combustibility. Combustible materials or materials with limited combustibility are tested based on the standards below. They are then classified as Class 1, 2, 3 or 4. Class 1 provides the greatest resistance to surface spread of flame.

Fire propagation

BS 476: Part 6: 1989 is a method to test for the propagation of fire on products. This test takes into account the amount and rate of heat evolved by a specimen whilst subjected to a specified heating regime in a small furnace. This then helps determine whether a particular material is then suitable to be used for areas which require maximum safety.

Keeping in line with these regulations, Gyproc gypsum boards, plasters and ceiling tiles are all made using non-combustible materials which provide Class 1 level of resistance to surface spread of flame. Furthermore, when gypsum-protected building elements are exposed to fire, dehydration by heat (calcination) occurs at the exposed surface and proceeds gradually through the gypsum layer. Once the gypsum layer is fully calcined, the residue acts as an insulating layer while it remains intact.