What Is Resistance to Fire?
Fire resistance test is carried out in an oven heated by the standard temperature-time curve of a carrier or dividing structural element; It is the test that determines how many minutes it lasts in terms of carrying capacity (R), integrity (E) and insulation (I) criteria.
Purpose of Resistance to Fire
The aim is to verify that the structural element maintains its function during the time required for evacuation and intervention in a fire.
Which Products Is Resistance to Fire Applied To?
- Fire doors and shutters
- Wall and floor systems
- Channel and installation transitions
- Bearing columns and beams
In Which Sectors Is Resistance to Fire Used?
Standards Related to Resistance to Fire
- EN 1363-1
- EN 1363-2
- EN 13501-2Fire resistance class in building elements test
- ISO 834
- EN 1634-1 (doors)
- UL 94flammability class in plastic materials test
- EN 13501Fire classification of building products test
- ASTM E84flame spread on the surface test
- ASTM E119Fire resistance in building elements test
Resistance to Fire Conditions
- temperature curve
- Standard temperature–time curve (ISO 834 / EN 1363-1); hydrocarbon curve if necessary
- Criteria
- R (carrying capacity), E (integrity), I (insulation); applied according to product type
- Pressure
- The pressure inside the oven is defined in the standard
- Classification
- In minutes; e.g. EI 60, REI 120, E 30
Equipment for Resistance to Fire
- Vertical and horizontal fire resistance furnaces
- Thermocouple and deformation measurement systems
- Loading frame (for load-bearing elements)
- Cotton pad and spacing sticks (for completeness)
Sample Requirements for Resistance to Fire
- The sample must be installed in actual size and with actual assembly detail
- Fasteners, shims and gaskets must be the final product
- Sample conditioning and curing period must be completed
- For directional products, testing may be required from both directions.
Duration of Resistance to Fire
8–16 weeks depending on sample preparation and oven order.
Resistance to Fire Procedure
- 1The sample is installed on the furnace frame with actual assembly detail.
- 2Thermocouples and deformation measurements are placed.
- 3The standard temperature curve applies.
- 4Integrity is monitored with cotton pads and spacing measures.
- 5Insulation is monitored by temperature rise.
- 6The times when the criteria are exceeded are recorded and a classification is given.
Resistance to Fire Acceptance Criteria
Acceptance criteria are those defined in EN 13501-2; The classification is given with a separate minute value for each criterion.
Evaluation of Results
The classification applies only to the assembly detail and size range tested; If the door size, wall type or fixing method changes, additional testing or extended application (EXAP) evaluation is required. For directional products, one-way testing does not cover all uses.
Resistance to Fire Report
- Applied standards
- Sample size and assembly detail
- Temperature curve and furnace pressure
- Duration times based on criteria
- Classification and scope of validity
Accreditation
EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.
Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Scope and authorisationsRelated Regulations
- Construction Products Directive (EU) 305/2011
- Regulation on Fire Protection of Buildings
Fire Testing — What Does This Testing Field Cover?
The section below describes the field that the Resistance to Fire test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Fire testing measures two different concepts, and confusing them is the most common mistake in the field. REACTION to fire describes how much a material contributes to the start and growth of a fire. RESISTANCE to fire is the ability of a building element to hold a fire back for a defined period. One is a material property, the other a property of an element.
On the reaction side, ignitability, flame spread, heat release, smoke production, flaming droplets and toxic gas release are measured. The result is translated into an EN 13501-1 class in Europe, ASTM E84 indices in North America and a UL 94 class for appliance plastics. These three systems cannot be converted into one another; their scales and set-ups differ.
On the resistance side, furnace tests are carried out. The element is exposed to a defined temperature-time curve and it is measured how long it maintains three functions: load bearing (R), integrity (E) and insulation (I). For a fire door, the designation EI 60 says the element maintains its integrity and insulating function for sixty minutes.
SCALE is decisive in this family and directly affects cost. Small flame tests are suitable for screening materials and are fast and inexpensive. But real fire behaviour changes with scale: a material that self-extinguishes on a small specimen may sustain a flame over a large surface. Large-scale set-ups such as the room corner test and full-scale facade tests are therefore indispensable in critical applications.
Facade systems have become the most sensitive subject in the field in recent years. The rapid spread of facade fires in tall buildings has led national regulations to require large-scale facade testing. What is assessed here is not a single material but the SYSTEM: insulation, cladding, air cavity, fixings and fire barriers are tested together.
Smoke and toxicity form a separate body of work, because most deaths in a fire are caused by smoke rather than flame. In rail systems and on ships, smoke density and gas toxicity measurements are mandatory items; in an enclosed space the time available for evacuation depends on these values.
Cables have a sub-body of their own. A cable bundle inside a building can form a serious path for fire to spread between floors; flame spread, smoke production, halogen content and circuit integrity are therefore assessed for cables under separate standards, and in Europe the EN 13501-6 classification is used.
Method groups in this field
Non-combustibility and calorific value
The EN ISO 1182 non-combustibility furnace and EN ISO 1716 gross calorific value; the determinants of classes A1 and A2.
Single burning item (SBI)
EN 13823; heat release, flame spread and smoke production are measured together in a medium-scale corner set-up.
Small flame
Ignitability with a single flame source to EN ISO 11925-2; UL 94 horizontal and vertical burning; needle flame and glow wire.
Cone calorimeter
ISO 5660 / ASTM E1354; heat release rate, total heat release and smoke production are measured. The most informative test in material development.
Fire resistance
Furnace tests with the standard temperature-time curve; separate set-ups for doors, walls, floors, glazing and service penetrations.
Large scale
Room corner test (ISO 9705, NFPA 286), facade fire tests and vertical flame spread tests on cable bundles.
Smoke and toxicity
Optical smoke density, smoke gas analysis and toxicity indices; mandatory in rail systems and marine.
Commonly confused in this field
- Reaction to fire and resistance to fire are different concepts; the specification must be explicit about which is required.
- UL 94, ASTM E84 and EN 13501-1 results cannot be converted into one another.
- A small-scale result is not evidence of large-scale behaviour; large-scale testing is required in critical applications.
- A class is valid together with the end-use installation of the product; a different substrate or air cavity changes the result.
- For facade systems a result for a single material is not sufficient; the system must be tested as a whole.
- The fire class of a product does not show the fire resistance of an assembly made from it.
Which decisions these results support
- The fire class in the declaration of performance for construction products
- Regulatory compliance in the selection of cables, flooring and interior linings
- Approval of interior materials for rail vehicles, ships and aircraft
- Approval of the facade system design
- Meeting insurance and project specification requirements
Related Tests
Frequently Asked Questions About Resistance to Fire
Will the EI 60 door last 60 minutes on each wall?
No. The classification is valid for the wall type and installation detail tested. For mounting on a different wall, either that combination must be tested or an extended application evaluation must be carried out.