Material Properties
The material fire properties in a fire depend on many factors. Firstly, materials can be divided into two groups, non-combustible and combustible. Non-combustibility does not, however, tell the whole truth of the material on the fire. The material may not be burning or melting - it can shrink or brittle when temperature rises. It may lose its shape and load capacity. It is also important to know if the material creates smoke or toxic compounds when burning. Some materials can also have a high thermal conductivity transferring heat from one room to another, where other materials can be ignited. In these cases the fire safety of materials can be improved with fire protection.
PAROC stone wool products are made of natural stone and only a small amount of binder is added in the production process. PAROC stone wool is a non-combustible material.
Standard fire curve
Normal residential fire can smolder for hours before flaming. When the temperature in the top of a room rises hundreds of degrees, other surface temperatures in the room start to rise as well. The spread of fire is accelerating at 400 ºC and at 500-600 ºC all combustible surfaces in a room light up and flashover takes place. In apartments it generally takes 13-15 minutes from the start to flashover. After flashover in a fully developed fire, the temperature can rise up to 1000-1200 ºC.
In the first phase of a fire we can see that the surfaces of materials play a very important role. With good fire protection of combustible materials, people have more time to leave the building. Also the smoke production properties of materials have to be considered; toxic gases and bad visibility can kill before fire.
In the second phase of a fire the structural fire protection plays a more important role. The second phase lasts as long as there is burning material available.
PAROC Stone wool retains its properties even in 1000ºC temperature.
Fire protection
The consequences of a fire occurring in a building can lead to serious loss of life and property. Insurance companies pay about half their annual payments for fire damages. Water damages amount to about 30% and burglary to 20% of annual claims. Buildings as well as their contents contribute to the spreading of fire. By building sensibly using fire protection, the risk for fire can be considerably reduced.
Fire protection in a building is divided into 'passive' and 'active' protection. Passive fire protection is generally built into the structure so that the building can withstand fire for the designed period. The purpose is to protect the structure and the lives of people inside the building in the event of a fire by reducing or preventing internal and external fire spread, maintaining the stability of the building and the safety and escape routes for the occupants.
Passive fire protection includes compartmentalization and structural fire protection, the provision of good access to buildings for firefighters, and the provision and protection of safe and effective means of escape.
Active fire protection is designed to operate when a fire breaks out, and includes the provision of detection and alarm systems, automatic sprinklers, fusible link doors and shutters, emergency lighting and smoke ventilation systems. Any vandalism of the water feed mechanism, damage to the operating valves, or simply ignorance, can render the system inoperative. It would be unwise therefore, to construct a building's fire defense around a single system that cannot always be guaranteed.
The choice of building materials and how they are used to provide the required level of passive fire control depends on two factors - their 'reaction to fire' and their 'fire resistance'.
The high melting point makes PAROC stone wool an ideal material for the use in fire protection applications. |
