Fire resistance testing

The objective of determining fire resistance is to assess the behaviour of a specimen of a building element when subjected to defined heating, pressure and – if relevant – loading conditions. The experimental methods provide a means of quantifying the ability of an element to withstand exposure to such stresses. More precisely, the issue is to quantify the separating and/or loadbearing capacity of a building element in order to ensure the separating function and/or structural stability of a building.

A representative sample (called "test specimen") of the building element is exposed to a specified scheme of heating and – where relevant – of loading. The tests are carried out on specimens in full size or on small-scale models for elements exceeding the dimensions of the furnaces.

The performances of the test specimen are determined by assessing criteria described in test methods. Fire resistance of the test specimen is expressed as the times for which the appropriate criteria have been satisfied. The times so obtained are a measure of the adequacy of the construction in a fire, but they have no direct relationship with the duration time of a real fire.

In Europe, about 50 laboratories currently perform fire resistance tests.