Confidence in fire retardant treatments for wood products has been boosted by the successful results of a 21-year trial by the Wood Protection Association (WPA).
Testing found that a variety of components had fully maintained their fire protection effectiveness throughout 21 years of service exposure.
Three sets of solid softwood and plywood samples were used in the WPA’s three product use classifications – dry interior (DI), humidity resistant (HR) and leach resistant (LR), with Chiltern International Fire and Warringtonfire conducting tests at the start in 1986, and after five and 21 years.
The final tests confirmed the samples had maintained their original 1986 surface spread of flame classification.
“Long-term testing is the definitive means of establishing if fire protection performance can be maintained throughout the life of a building,” said WPA director Dr Chris Coggins.
“The 21-year test results are a powerful endorsement of the WPA recommendations on classifying and specifying the fire retardant treatment of timber and plywood used in construction.”
Samples covering the HR and LR classifications were treated with Hickson products, while the DI was a generic product.
The WPA testing results come as moves intensify to develop a new European Standard on fire retardant treatments.
The standard, expected to include specification of product by end-use application and rigorous testing to establish product durability, could be implemented by 2011.
“The new standard will challenge all fire protection product types to demonstrate their durability and, thanks to our long term trial data, the WPA can assist UK specifiers right now to make informed fire protection decisions,” added Dr Coggins.
The WPA is developing a checklist for building control officers and specifiers who specify fire-treated products.
