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Fire consultant

Prescribing the correct fire class without a class of use is directly inappropriate

 Prescribing the correct fire class without a utility class is directly inappropriate, as an expert fire consultant or advisor, you have gained the client's trust to prescribe the fire class in the best way and the opportunity to refer manufacturers with the right properties, based on certifying documentation. But unfortunately, prescribed properties do not become what is procured because of the concept "or equivalent" as many stakeholders have no idea what the change of make can mean. For you as an expert fire consultant, you bear a very large overall responsibility to mark right and wrong if you discover that a prescribed product is being replaced by another.

The Construction Products Ordinance is a basic requirement (CPR 305/2011)

Solid wood is subject to requirements for a performance declaration, where fire-impregnated wood ends up in control system 1, as distinct from unprocessed wood that is declared according to system 4. It is important to remember that all wood that is modified in any way to such an extent, that it has changed performance, must be tested and declared based on the result. For example, ordinary untreated spruce that is painted with ordinary paint does not necessarily meet D-s2,d0 as the regulations mean according to CWFT. Under the same condition, heat treatment, acetylation, oil impregnation can affect the performance from D class to E class or worse.

Cederhusen_1

 

  The same fire class, e.g. wood and SP FIRE 105 The entirety of the system's structure approved
CE-certificate Type approval certificate
Utility class EN16755 ISO 9001 Utility class, natural aging without surface treatment
Utility class, natural aging with surface treatment
Brand A Yes Yes Yes, legal Yes Yes Yes Yes, according to EN16755 EXT Yes, according to EN16755 EXT
Brand B Yes Yes Yes, legal No, not legal No, not legal No, not legal Only according to BS-EN16755 EXT which is not an approved European standard Only according to BS-EN16755 EXT which is not an approved European standard

 

Five valuable pieces of advice

To you as a fire consultant

  • 1Ensure that fire-treated wood is covered by a declaration of performance according to the requirements of CPR 305/2011 and EN14915. Remember to check the properties against the area of use itself and that the product properties are declared according to AVCP system 1, which is the level of control required.
  • 2Remember that CE marking is not a certificate of approval, it is a declaration of the product's performance, which necessarily does not meet national regulations according to the Swedish Housing Agency's building regulations, Plans, and the Building Act (SFS 2010:900).
  • 3Take the help of document control systems, Appendix-E, Appendix-C and Question and Answer, which provide a clear overview of different manufacturers' characteristics and certification.
  • 4Fire-impregnated wood can achieve several different fire classes. But this does not mean that the fire retardant has suitable properties to be installed in an exterior environment as facade cladding. Utility class EN16755 EXT is not a legal requirement, but a matter of course to check for sustainable construction with fire-resistant wood.
  • 5Check the entirety of the manufacturer's documentation, which notified authority issued the certificates and the availability of associated documentation.

Tip

Our advice is that if you want to feel secure in your regulations and work professionally, then you should use products with a type approval certificate that establishes that the product's technical properties comply with the requirements of the Swedish Housing Agency's BBR and the Planning and Building Act (SFS 2010:900) PBL .

Prescriptive text

B-s1,d0 Solid wood

K210/B-s1,d0

B-s1,d0 Plywood

SP FIRE 105

Appendices (in Swedish)

WOODSAFE® Exterior WFX copy warning

Important information about the SP FIRE 105

The same performance is not the whole truth

Type approval certificates provide the answers you need

Do not let yourself be fooled

Why should I prescribe WOODSAFE®?