The Benefits of Fire Resistance Testing of 5m Specimens

Minimum test dimensions meet the standard. They don’t always meet the real world.

Most fire resistance testing in the UK is conducted in a 3x3m furnace. Perfectly valid, but it can leave a gap between laboratory evidence and the way wall systems, facades, and insulated panel constructions actually behave in a building. Testing at 5 meters starts to close that gap.

In an industry where architects and specifiers are building upwards with complex and innovative designs, relying on assessments from old testing may not be deemed acceptable. Testing at a height of 5m allows specifiers and manufacturers to prove concepts work safely whilst achieving the necessary test evidence.

What a 5m Test Can Reveal

Fire and heat rise. As a result, it creates pressure differentials, drives hot gases into cavities and subjects joints and fixings to cumulative stress far beyond what a 3m test could replicate.

At 5m, a fire resistance test can reveal:

• Flame spread and cavity barrier performance over realistic heights.

• Bowing, joint opening and fixing failures under sustained thermal attack.

• Chimney effects within cavities.

• Panel joint behaviour across multiple courses of construction.

• Structural movement that only develops at scale.

These behaviours are conditions that wall systems and facades face in commercial and industrial buildings every day. It is crucial that manufacturers can prove their systems work, and that can only be done through testing. 

Stronger Evidence for Extended Field of Application (EXAP)

Testing at 5m also supports Extended Field of Application reports. Broader evidence results in less uncertainty when applying test data to configurations and heights beyond those directly tested.

In a regulatory environment shaped by increasing scrutiny of fire performance claims, test evidence that more closely reflects real installation conditions is not a bonus. It is increasingly expected.

What fire tests can be done at 5m tall?

UKTC’s combination furnace allows tests to be carried out at 5m tall to the following standards:

• BS EN 1364-1:2015 (Non-Loadbearing Walls & Partitions)

• BS EN 1634-2:2008 (Door, Shutter and Openable Window Assemblies and Hardware)

By using UKTC, tests to the above standards will be accompanied with UKAS accredited reports; crucial for proving performance to the marketplace.

A Laboratory Built for Manufacturers

For manufacturers of wall systems, sandwich panel, cladding, and facades, large-scale test evidence supports:

• Product differentiation

• Insurer and client confidence

• Broader application of results

UKTC’s 5m fire resistance test capability is available now. If you’re developing or validating a system that needs to perform at height, or you want to extend your scope, contact our team for a confidential chat.