Siderise FIP – High Performance Acoustic Panel – Know-how

Reaction to fire

National Class: Historically products were tested to BS 476-6 and 7 and then classified as Class 0, Class 1 etc. dependant on their performance.

Reaction to fire national classes have now been removed from Approved Document B for England & Wales (2019 edition).

European Class: Products should now be classified to European Class A1, A2 etc. under EN 13501-1.

Resistance to fire

National Class: BS 476-20 is a furnace test to prove fire resistance performance in terms of integrity (E) and insulation (I) in minutes.

For example, a product may achieve 120 minutes integrity and 90 minutes insulation.

European Class: Products should be tested to the relevant EN standard such as EN 1364-4 or EN 1366-4. The fire resistance in terms of integrity and insulation is then classified to EN 13501-2.

For example, a product may achieve 120 minutes integrity (E 120) and 90 minutes insulation (I 90), this would receive a classification of EI 90.

Approved Document B for England & Wales (2019 edition) now lists classification to EN 13501-2 as the primary route to compliance. BS 476-20 is listed as an alternate route to compliance.