Technical Ecstasy
Questions surrounding timber and fire protection never seem to be far apart. Answers are now at hand from www.fireretard.com – a non-profit organisation founded by a number of leading players in the European wood industry to spread best practice and technical know-how.
TODAY, ARCHITECTS specify timber because it is nature’s most versatile building material, and the only one which is truly sustainable. Renewable, easily workable, warm in use and aesthetically pleasing, timber and wood products have a range of excellent physical and mechanical properties which can be fit for almost any purpose.
As with all construction materials, building regulations and requirements are vital to ensure design and development is as safe as possible. With potentially devastating and deadly consequences, fire in buildings and infrastructure is a crucial but complex issue, and one that attracts close regulatory scrutiny.
This emotive subject is one of the first issues raised when significant specification of wood products or timber frame construction is discussed. However, timber and wood products used in construction or interiors must meet the same fire regulations as all other types of building, and subsequently pose no greater risk to their inhabitants.
As buildings become more complex and architects push design ever further, it is vital to consider fire safety implications of new buildings or other construction or refurbishment projects at the concept design stage. Fire safety design might be perceived as constraint to innovative design, but this needn’t be the case. Architects and interior designers now have access to a full range of fire retardant coatings and wood products which can help facilitate safety, be they innovative or traditional designs, and www. fireretard.com is an essential reference for those responsible for the design, specification and purchase of fire retardant wood, and wood products and treatments.
Use of untreated wood is restricted by fire safety requirements and regulations in all types of public buildings from hotels and hospitals to offices, public libraries and schools. The wood industry continues to make substantial investments to develop, test and carefully select fire retardant wood products and formulations which meet and exceed these regulations. This development means that almost every type of wood-based product, including solid timber, MDF, particle board, OSB and plywood, has options available - including ones covered by environmental and sustainable forest certification - which comply with even the most stringent national and international fire regulations. Meeting all safety, design, aesthetic and ecological requirements in this way, means that the market use of this most natural of building materials has been greatly extended.
Under strict testing conditions, the fire retardant treatment of wood has consistently demonstrated first delayed ignition for a meaningful time and second, lower heat release rate after ignition. Together these effects strongly affect the potential for the spread of fire beyond the location of original ignition. In a room fire test (ISO 9705), untreated wood goes to ‘flashover’ in about 3 minutes, but FR (fire or flame retardant) wood can prevent flashover for 20 minutes or more.
www.fireretard.com is a non-profit organisation founded by a number of leading players in the European wood industry. Their aim is to provide a single, comprehensive knowledge-base, which contains detailed information relating to fire retardant treatments and developments for wood.
Fireretard.com is the only organisation of its kind to offer such a high level of technical expertise from the industry, and is supported by the assistance of institutes and companies from eleven countries across Europe. The information available on the site covers a wide variety of issues, ranging from specific product options and fit-for-purpose application methods, through to fire test data and European regulatory considerations, and all information is available free of charge. The website also provides contact information for state-of-theart suppliers of fire retardant wood products, FR chemicals and fire test institutes across Europe.
Fireretard.com’s technical content is written and monitored by a number of respected leading scientists of European Institutes, and regulatory information is supplied by experts from national organisations. This level of support ensures that fresh information and knowledge is updated regularly, offering assurance for professional visitors to the site that they are right at the forefront of new developments and findings on FR products and treatments. A dedicated case study section supplements the website’s technical resources, provides tangible evidence of fire treatments in use, and offers design and specification inspiration for the possibilities of fire retardant treated wood.
For more information visit: www.fireretard.com
