Resistance to Fire
Laws and classifications
The old Italian MI.SA. Circular No. 91 of 14/09/61 has now been superseded by the Ministerial Decree of 16 February 2007 “Classification of fire resistance of products and construction elements in building works” and by the Ministerial Decree of 9 March 2007 ‘Fire resistance performance of buildings in activities subject to the supervision of the National Fire Brigade’ and the subsequent Ministerial Decree of 3 August 2015, the Fire Prevention Code, which has completely revolutionised active and passive fire protection. The framework standard is EN 13501-2 “Fire classification of construction products and elements – Part 2: Classification based on the results of fire resistance tests, excluding ventilation systems”. This standard covers all load-bearing and non-load-bearing structural elements, such as walls, beams, floor slabs, columns, suspended ceilings, paints, plasters, raised floors, fire doors, external façades, etc. The relevant Eurocode standard is EN 199x-1-7 “Design of structures made of steel, concrete, timber, masonry and aluminium in accordance with the test procedures specified in standards EN 13381-1-7”.
Safety measures
R = Stability
The ability of a building component to retain its mechanical strength when exposed to fire
E = Held
I = Insulation
The ability of a building component to limit, within a specified limit, the transfer of heat from the opposite side to the one exposed
Load-bearing walls or beams (structures designed to withstand an applied load): REI requirement.
Non-load-bearing walls or fire doors (elements or structures not subject to any load other than their own weight): EI requirement.
There are many different materials that can be used, ranging from steel to wood; of course, from a structural point of view, wood remains the best material. As well as offering unrivalled aesthetic appeal, it is extremely flexible, lightweight and a poor conductor of heat.
Although flammable, the organic composition of wood remains the best protection in the event of a fire. In fact, surface charring acts as a barrier against flames and high temperatures.
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