Experimental investigations of the fire behaviour of facades with EPS exposed to different fire loads

Abstract

In context of recent fire damages to façades and the related discussion about the safety of façade systems in case of fire, there is a need for discussion about the boundary conditions and the phenomena of façade fires based on fundamental investigation. On behalf of the European Institute for Fire Protection (EIFP) four major fire tests were carried out on a flat facade with external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS) based on polystyrene with fire loads at the ground in front of the façade [1]. The tests were conducted at the Materialprüfanstalt Dresden based in Freiberg. The tests differ to the fire tests of the German building ministers in case of different fire loads and the corner-situation of the studied façade. The four fire tests are a step in systematic investigations to study examination criteria of the fire phenomena at façades. Further experimental and numerical investigations will follow.