Hopefully most readers of TTJ are avid fans of maximising use of timber in construction. The use of effective, quality assured fire retardant (FR) treatments can contribute to that. They mean that timber products become suitable for applications where regulations or sound specification require enhanced fire performance, as the Wood Protection Association (WPA) puts it, making the most of wood.
And there has been good news for the FR treatment industry recently. Firstly, at the development launch of European best practice guidance for treatment plant operation under the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED), industry and UK government representatives successfully reversed a proposal that FR treatments be drawn into scope. This comes hot on the heels of George Osborne’s welcome spending review announcement of a much-needed housebuilding programme. Throw in significant projects like Hinkley Point C, replacement of train rolling stock and Crossrail and the continuing market upturn is clear.
From Koppers’ perspective, we’re delighted to announce approval of our external FR impregnation treatment, Exterior Fire X, by the WPA. This follows scrutiny of our data support package by an independent expert panel, confirming the importance in such safety critical treatments of thorough testing, field experience and final product factory production controls. Designed for all external applications, Exterior Fire X treated wood meets WPA Leach Resistant (LR) class requirements.
Here at Koppers we’re seeing developments across the range of FR treatment markets as more public projects, such as schools, hospitals and transport hubs, are designed with timber in mind. Koppers Exterior Fire X, for instance, was recently used at Gardermoen Airport in Norway.
Exterior FR treated cladding also continues to increase in popularity thanks to timber systems’ excellent insulation properties, versatility and favourable BREEAM credits.
The market for FR protection in interior and semi protected environments is also growing and encompassing prestige and demanding projects. Citing our experience again, Koppers FirePRO (a WPA-approved humidity resistant system), for applications from constructional plywood to decorative timber products, was recently used in the high profile development of the Mall of Scandinavia in Stockholm, and is also approved for London Underground.
Following historic concerns about the vulnerability to fire of timber frame structures under construction, the Structural Timber Association (STA) reacted robustly. They developed a now government-approved risk management scheme, incorporating a range of options for enhancing wood’s fire performance, designed specifically for timber frame’s technical demands.
The wood treatments industry played a major role in this initiative and Koppers’ Frameguard was on the STA tested systems list from the start.
Occasional incidents, such as the recent fire at a University of Nottingham laboratory building, keep the need for effective fire risk management and performance enhancement on everyone’s agenda.
But FR sector issues remain to be tackled. In recent years, some site-applied wood coating products have appeared in the UK with CE marking, claiming compliance with the Construction Products Regulations (CPR) and promising ease of use benefits. However, fitness for purpose must be verified before using any coating purporting to offer extensive fire protection performance and canned products are recommended for brush or spray application on site, a superficial approach lacking factory control.
Levels of performance claimed for these products depend on recommended application rates and/or film thicknesses being achieved consistently. This will always be a challenge when a solution is applied by brush or spray to in-situ vertical or overhead surfaces, such as beams and ceilings. Protection of structural components in a building against fire is a critical factor under CPR.
Thankfully there are independent quality schemes like the WPA’s FR Product Approval and Benchmark FR Schemes (the latter for treaters). Such independent verification of performance is the only way of ensuring the quality and safety of FR treated timber products and market confidence in them.
