Fire Testing of Building Systems
Regulations and classifications
Section E7 of the National Building Code of Finland is concerned with the fire safety of ventilation installations. The aim is to prevent the fire spreading from one fire compartment to another via ventilation ducts.
According to Part E1 of the National Building Code of Finland, building systems are classified in accordance with classification standard SFS-EN 13501-3 in terms of their fire resistance. Fire dampers are classified as E/EI 15 – E/EI 240, and fire classes E 30 and E 60 and EI 15 – EI 240 are applied for ventilation ducts. The classification standard SFS-EN 13501-1 applies to ventilation duct materials. The minimum material requirement is usually A2-s1,d0.
The fire class of a building system is expressed in minutes that the element shall retain its separating function. Class requirements in Finland consist of integrity (E) and insulation (I), if relevant. The smoke leakage (S) class with a stricter leakage criterion can be required in other countries, too.
Accredited testing methods
The general requirements for fire resistance tests are presented in the standard EN 1363-1. There are specific EN test standards for building systems.
Fire dampers are tested according to the standard EN 1366-2. The tests are performed separately for a rigid and flexible wall or floor. Depending on the type of installation and the structure of the damper, several tests are often necessary to perform. Mechanical tests according to product standard EN 15650, Annex C, are also offered by us.
The operation of the thermal release mechanism is examined in Finland in accordance with the standard ISO 10294-4 and the air tightness of the damper casing according to the standard EN 1751. We can test many dampers simultaneously. Ask for our test plan!
The testing method for ventilation ducts is presented in the standard EN 1366-1. Only the internal fire exposure presented in the test standard is required in Finland.
It is also possible to test bigger supporting constructions, which enables testing several test specimens in a single test. With custom-made arrangements the vertical supporting construction may be even 4 m high or 5 m wide.
Fire classification and EXAP-reports for building systems
We produce Extended Application (EXAP) and Classification reports for building systems as requested. These services are accredited, too.
Accredited Services
Our testing services are accredited in compliance with SFS-EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005 by FINAS (Finnish Accreditation Service). Our competence scope of Fire Safety is presented in FINAS decision T001, Appendix 1.11. Read more about our accreditations
We also function as a Notified Body. Our experts possess strong expertise in approval testing using various methods.
