ISO 13784-1:2014

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 13784-1
Second edition
2014-02-01
Reaction to fire test for sandwich
panel building systems —
Part 1:
Small room test
Essais de réaction au feu des systèmes de fabrication de panneaux de
type sandwich —
Partie 1: Essais pour des chambres de petite taille
Reference number
©
ISO 2014
© ISO 2014
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ii © ISO 2014 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 2
4 Principle . 2
5 Types of systems . 3
5.1 General . 3
6 Test specimen . 3
7 Test method . 4
8 Ignition source . 9
9 Instrumentation .11
9.1 Thermocouples .11
9.2 Heat flux meter .11
9.3 Additional equipment .11
9.4 Heat and smoke release measurement .11
10 Test procedure .16
10.1 Initial conditions .16
10.2 Procedure .17
11 Precision data .18
12 Test report .19
Annex A (normative) Heat and smoke release measurement procedure according to ISO 9705.21
Annex B (normative) Heat release and smoke release measurement procedure using method 2 .24
Annex C (normative) Calculations .25
Annex D (informative) Laser smoke photometer .31
Bibliography .32
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions related to conformity
assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the WTO principles in the Technical Barriers
to Trade (TBT) see the following URL: Foreword - Supplementary information
The committee responsible for this document is ISO/TC 92, Fire safety, Subcommittee SC 1, Fire initiation
and growth.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 13784-1:2002), which has been technically
revised.
ISO 13784 consists of the following parts, under the general title Reaction-to-fire tests for sandwich panel
building systems:
— Part 1: Test method for small rooms
— Part 2: Test method for large rooms
iv © ISO 2014 – All rights reserved

Introduction
Fire is a complex phenomenon; its behaviour and effects depend upon a number of interrelated factors.
The behaviour of materials and products depends upon the characteristics of the fire, the method of use
of the materials, and the environment in which they are exposed. The philosophy of reaction to fire tests
is explained in ISO/TR 3814.
The need for improved insulation of buildings has led to the increased use of insulating sandwich panel
systems in different parts of the building industry.
Sandwich panel systems are applied as external cladding of factory buildings, in internal envelopes
with controlled atmospheres, and in cold stores which can vary from small rooms to large cool houses.
Another application is the use for modular building rooms and sometimes for retail premises. They can
also be used for roof applications in a traditional construction. Multi-layered panels with other facings
(for example, plasterboard) or sandwich panel systems can be applied to walls as internal linings or
insulation but this is not within the scope of this part of ISO 13784.
With free-standing or frame supported types of sandwich panel systems, there are three primary fire
threats to the insulated walls and ceilings/roofs of the building:
a) an interior compartment fire impinging directly onto the joints of the wall (typical ignition sources
are welding torches, burning items near the wall, fire in an adjacent room);
b) an external fire of combustibles accumulated near the wall, i.e. rubbish, vegetation, vehicles, etc.;
c) fire spread to outside spaces.
Fire can spread in several ways:
— over a combustible exterior surface;
— fire travelling vertically and horizontally through the combustible cores of cavities within the
external wall or ceiling/roof;
— through combustible gases which have developed due to the pyrolysis of the combustible components
and which will ignite on the surface;
— burning debris or flaming droplets.
This part of ISo 13784 deals with a simple representation of one fire scenario with this type of product,
such as that typified by a local fire impinging directly on the internal face of a sandwich panel building
construction.
This part of ISO 13784 provides a test method which should be used to provide a small-room scale, end-
use evaluation of all aspects of sandwich panel systems, which include constructional techniques such
as supporting frameworks, jointing detail etc.
This method is intended to evaluate products which, due to their nature, are not normally used as
internal linings and are not suitable to be assessed using ISO 9705, which evaluates fire growth from a
surface product. This part of ISO 13784, however, provides a method by which a free-standing or frame
supported sandwich panel building construction may be built and evaluated within the room.
Tests of this type may be used for comparative purposes or to ensure the existence of a certain quality
of performance considered to generally have a bearing on fire performance.
These tests do not rely on the use of asbestos-based materials.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 13784-1:2014(E)
Reaction to fire test for sandwich panel building systems —
Part 1:
Small room test
WARNING — So that suitable precautions can be taken to safeguard health, the attention of all
concerned in fire tests is drawn to the possibility that toxic or harmful gases can be evolved during
the combustion of test specimen. The test procedures involve high temperatures and combustion
processes, from ignition to a fully developed room fire. Therefore, hazards can exist for burns,
ignition of extraneous objects or clothing. The operators should use protective clothing, helmet,
face-shield, and equipment for avoiding exposure to toxic gases. Laboratory safety procedures
shall be set up which ensure the safe termination of tests on sandwich panel products. Specimen
with combustible content burning inside metallic facings may be difficult to extinguish with
standard laboratory fire fighting equipment. Adequate means of extinguishing such a fire shall be
provided. When tests are conducted using the free-standing room construction, specimens can
emit combustion products from their back face, especially if joints open up. Specimen collapse
can also occur into the laboratory space. Laboratory safety procedures shall be set up to ensure
safety of personnel with due consideration to such situations.
1 Scope
This part of ISO 13784 specifies a method of test for determining the reaction to fire behaviour of
sandwich panel building systems, and the resulting flame spread on or within the sandwich panel
building construction, when exposed to heat from a simulated internal fire with flames impinging
directly on the internal corner of the sandwich panel building construction.
The test method described is applicable to free-standing, self-supporting, and frame-supported
sandwich panel systems. This part of ISO 13784 is not intended to apply to sandwich panel products
which are glued, nailed, bonded, or similarly supported by an underlying wall or ceiling construction.
For products used as internal linings, the ISO 9705 test method should be used.
This part of ISO 13784 provides for small room testing of sandwich panel building systems. For large-
room testing of sandwich panel building systems, ISO 13784-2 should be used.
This method is not intended to evaluate the fire resistance of a product, which should be tested by other
means.
NOTE Because of their design, some systems may be unsuitable for testing with this part of ISO 13784. These
systems may be suitable for testing with ISO 13784-2 and the latter test method should be considered. In this case
application area of the test report is restricted.
2 Normative references
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and are
indispensable for its appl
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