Fire safety of EPS insulated facades in residential multi-storey buildings

Abstract

Effect of EPS ETICS system on fire safety has been studied by using fire safety engineering methods for residential multi-storey buildings up to eight floors. The probabilities of fire spread to apartments above the room-of-fire-origin were assessed by calculating heat exposures and consequences caused by the external flaming both for the EPS ETICS facade and for facade made of at least A2-s1, d0 materials. Concerning consequences for life safety, the fire death probability for EPS ETICS system was found to be within tolerable limits of F-N-curve which illustrates the probability of an event and consequences in terms of number of deaths. Special concern should be paid to fire safety during installation phase when EPS is unprotected without reinforced rendering.