EN 13964:2014

• Abstract:

  This European Standard covers membranes, individual substructure components, substructure kits and suspended ceiling kits intended to be placed on the market. It covers suspended ceilings sold as a complete kit, substructures placed on the market as kits, individual components (products) of such substructures, and membrane components. It includes test methods and methods of assessment, as well as provisions for the evaluation of conformity and for the marking of the products to the requirements of this European Standard.; In the absence of any other European Standard, this European Standard specifies dimensions, tolerances and, where relevant, performance requirements, for commonly available ceiling substructures and membrane components.; This European Standard covers the following characteristics:; - reaction to fire;; - fire resistance (suspended ceiling kits only);; - release and/or content of dangerous substances:; - release of asbestos (content) (suspended ceiling kits and membrane components only);; - release of formaldehyde (suspended ceiling kits and membrane components only);; - other dangerous substances;; - shatter properties (safe breakage)/impact resistance (for suspended ceiling kits and membrane components of brittle materials in suspended ceiling kits only);; - flexural tensile strength;; - load bearing capacity, tolerances and dimensions;; - electrical safety (as adequacy of the product to avoid electrocution from installations that may be part of the assembled ceiling, using electricity, such as ventilation devices and lighting);; - direct airborne sound insulation (suspended ceiling kits only);; - sound absorption (suspended ceiling kits and membrane components only);; - thermal conductivity (suspended ceiling kits and membrane components only);; - susceptibility to the growth of harmful micro-organisms;; - resistance to fixings (relevant for components that are mechanically fixed);; - durability of flexural tensile strength and load bearing capacity against moisture.; This European Standard also covers the following requirements:; - colour and light reflectance;; - installation.; This European Standard does not cover the following:; - ceiling substructures and membrane component covered by other harmonised European Standards, for insitu formed ceilings, covered by other European technical specifications, for which it is the installer, not the component manufacturer, who takes responsibility for ensuring that the complete installed suspended ceiling meets any regulatory requirements to which it is subject;; - stretched ceilings covered by EN 14716;; - ceilings in mobile buildings, caravans and other forms of transportation;; - characteristics needed for special applications, for which additional characteristics other than covered by this European Standard would need to be complied with;; - suspended ceilings intended for uses in ceilings subject to water penetration requirements;; - ceilings used externally where requirements other than covered by this standard would apply (tunnels, canopies, petrol stations, arcades, open sports facilities, car parks, etc.);; - heavy duty suspended ceilings or their supporting construction (e.g. ceilings that can be walked on);; - ceilings made from fire protective boards;; - the performance and health and safety requirements of light fittings and other features that, optionally, are included in the suspended ceiling;; - panels from materials covered in other harmonised European standards already prepared by CEN/TC 241 and CEN/TC 112 (see NOTE 2);; - anchors covered by other European technical specifications.; NOTE 1 These standards have been developed by CEN/TC 241 under the Mandate M/106 “Gypsum products” and by CEN/TC 112 under the Mandate M/113 “Wood-based panels”.; This European Standard also gives certain specifications for the installed suspended ceiling system (see NOTE 1).; NOTE 2 There are two reasons for this:

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 11-Mar-2014
• Withdrawal Date: 15-Jun-2016
• ICS: 91.060.30 - Ceilings. Floors. Stairs
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 277 - Suspended ceilings
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 277 - Suspended ceilings
• Current Stage: 9060 - Closure of 2 Year Review Enquiry - Review Enquiry
• Start Date: 02-Sep-2019
• Completion Date: 02-Sep-2019
• Directive: Harmonized Standard305/2011 - Regulation (eu) No 305/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 march 2011 laying down harmonised conditions for the marketing of construction products and repealing council directive 89/106/eec
  OJ Ref: C 126/, C 126/116 OJ Date: 08-Apr-2016
• Directive:

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  Not Harmonized89/106/EEC - Construction products
• Mandate: M/121 - Mandate to CEN/CENELEC concerning the execution of standardization work for harmonized standards on internal and external wall and ceiling finishes
• Ref Project: SIST EN 13964:2014 - Suspended ceilings - Requirements and test methods

• Replaces: EN 13964:2004/A1:2006 - Suspended ceilings - Requirements and test methods
• Effective Date: 19-Mar-2014
• Replaces: EN 13964:2004 - Suspended ceilings - Requirements and test methods
• Effective Date: 19-Mar-2014
• Refers: ISO 7724-2:1984 - Paints and varnishes — Colorimetry — Part 2: Colour measurement
• Effective Date: 25-Aug-2026
• Refers: ISO 1006:1983 - Building construction — Modular coordination — Basic module
• Effective Date: 25-Aug-2026
• Refers: ISO 7724-3:1984 - Paints and varnishes — Colorimetry — Part 3: Calculation of colour differences
• Effective Date: 25-Aug-2026
• Refers: EN 312:2010 - Particleboards - Specifications
• Effective Date: 22-Jul-2026
• Refers: EN 1998-1-2:2026 - Eurocode 8 - Design of structures for earthquake resistance - Part 1-2: Buildings
• Effective Date: 25-Mar-2026
• Refers: EN 573-3:2026 - Aluminium and aluminium alloys - Chemical composition and form of wrought products - Part 3: Chemical composition and form of products
• Effective Date: 25-Mar-2026
• Refers: EN 1991-1-4:2026 - Eurocode 1 - Actions on structures - Part 1-4: Wind actions
• Effective Date: 25-Mar-2026
• Refers: EN ISO 11925-2:2026 - Reaction to fire tests - Ignitability of products subjected to direct impingement of flame - Part 2: Single-flame source test (ISO 11925-2:2026)
• Effective Date: 04-Feb-2026
• Refers: EN 13245-1:2010 - Plastics - Unplasticized poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC-U) profiles for building applications - Part 1: Designation of PVC-U profiles
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Refers: EN 335:2013 - Durability of wood and wood-based products - Use classes: definitions, application to solid wood and wood-based products
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Refers: EN ISO 10140-5:2021 - Acoustics - Laboratory measurement of sound insulation of building elements - Part 5: Requirements for test facilities and equipment (ISO 10140-5:2021)
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Refers: EN 599-2:2016 - Durability of wood and wood-based products - Efficacy of preventive wood preservatives as determined by biological tests - Part 2: Labelling
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026
• Refers: EN 1998-1-1:2024 - Eurocode 8 - Design of structures for earthquake resistance - Part 1-1: General rules and seismic action
• Effective Date: 28-Jan-2026

Overview

EN 13964:2014 - Suspended ceilings: Requirements and test methods is the European standard that specifies requirements, test methods, conformity evaluation and marking for suspended ceiling systems placed on the market. It applies to complete suspended ceiling kits, substructure kits, individual ceiling substructure components, and ceiling membrane components. The standard defines dimensions, tolerances and where relevant, performance requirements in the absence of other harmonised standards.

Key topics and technical requirements

The standard covers a broad range of characteristics and associated test methods, including:

• Reaction to fire and, for complete kits, fire resistance testing
• Release/content of dangerous substances (asbestos, formaldehyde and other hazardous constituents)
• Mechanical properties: flexural tensile strength, load-bearing capacity, resistance to fixings, impact/shatter properties for brittle materials
• Durability: performance under moisture, corrosion protection, and service-life classifications
• Acoustics and thermal: direct airborne sound insulation (kits), sound absorption (kits and membranes), and thermal conductivity (kits and membranes)
• Electrical safety (for installed items like integrated lighting or ventilation)
• Hygiene: susceptibility to growth of harmful micro-organisms
• Appearance and lighting performance: colour, light reflectance and gloss factor
• Installation guidance, marking, labelling, packaging and technical documentation
• Conformity assessment: initial type testing and factory production control (FPC) requirements

The standard also provides normative test procedures (e.g., impact resistance, flexural tensile tests) and assessment/reporting formats.

Practical applications - who uses this standard

EN 13964:2014 is essential for:

• Manufacturers of suspended ceiling kits, substructure profiles and membrane components - for product design, factory production control and CE marking
• Test laboratories and certification bodies - to perform standardised type testing and conformity assessment
• Architects, specifiers and consultants - to select compliant ceiling systems for building projects requiring defined fire, acoustic, thermal or durability performance
• Installers and contractors - for following manufacturer and standardised installation guidance to ensure in-service performance
• Procurement and building regulators - to verify that products placed on the market meet harmonised European requirements

Use cases include product development, third‑party testing, procurement specifications, and compliance documentation for construction projects.

Related standards and exclusions

• Excludes stretched ceilings (see EN 14716), ceilings in mobile buildings/transport, heavy-duty walkable ceilings, and products covered by other harmonised CEN standards (CEN/TC 241 “Gypsum products” and CEN/TC 112 “Wood-based panels”).
• The standard was prepared under Mandates M/106 and M/113 and supersedes earlier editions (EN 13964:2004).

Keywords: EN 13964:2014, suspended ceilings standard, suspended ceiling kits, ceiling substructures, membrane components, requirements and test methods, fire resistance, acoustic performance, load bearing capacity, durability, conformity assessment.

2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.Unterdecken - Anforderungen und PrüfverfahrenPlafonds suspendus - Exigences et méthodes d'essaiSuspended ceilings - Requirements and test methods91.060.30Stropi. Tla. StopniceCeilings. Floors. StairsICS:Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z:EN 13964:2014SIST EN 13964:2014en,fr,de01-april-2014SIST EN 13964:2014SLOVENSKI
STANDARD
EUROPEAN STANDARD NORME EUROPÉENNE EUROPÄISCHE NORM
EN 13964
March 2014 ICS 91.060.30 Supersedes EN 13964:2004English Version
Suspended ceilings - Requirements and test methods
Plafonds suspendus - Exigences et méthodes d'essai
Unterdecken - Anforderungen und Prüfverfahren This European Standard was approved by CEN on 29 August 2013.
CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre:
Avenue Marnix 17,
B-1000 Brussels © 2014 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CEN national Members. Ref. No. EN 13964:2014 ESIST EN 13964:2014

Guidance for installation . 57 A.1 Introduction . 57 A.2 Manufacturer’s instructions . 57 A.3 Site conditions . 58 A.4 Supply and storage of materials . 58 A.5 Measurement and maximum deviations . 58 A.5.1 Level mark . 58 A.5.2 Flatness . 58 A.5.3 Squareness . 58 A.5.4 Alignment of linear components . 58 A.5.5 Cut to size membrane components . 58 A.5.6 Fire resistant ceilings . 59 A.5.7 Top fixing and perimeter trim fixing . 59 A.6 Mechanical resistance and stability of load bearing components . 59 Annex B (informative)
Selection of top fixing and perimeter trim fixing . 61 Annex C (informative)
Wind load resistance . 63 Annex D (normative)
Impact resistance . 64 D.1 Scope . 64 D.2 Definitions . 64 D.3 Test apparatus . 64 D.3.1 Balls . 64 D.3.2 Ball gun. 64 D.4 Mounting of structural elements . 65 SIST EN 13964:2014

Formaldehyde classes and associated test methods . 68 Annex F (normative)
Membrane components – Flexural tensile strength test . 70 F.1 General . 70 F.2 Test equipment . 70 F.2.1 General . 70 F.2.2 Test frame . 70 F.2.3 Loading equipment . 71 F.2.4 Test room/chamber. 72 F.2.5 Balance . 72 F.3 Test conditions . 72 F.3.1 Environmental conditions . 72 F.3.2 Restraints/boundary conditions . 72 F.4 Test specimen . 73 F.4.1 Size and characteristics . 73 F.4.2 Number of specimens . 73 F.4.3 Conditioning . 73 F.5 Test procedure . 73 F.5.1 Types of loading of the specimen . 73 F.5.2 General . 73 F.5.3 Test without loading (minimum normative requirement) . 73 F.5.4 Test with additional load . 74 F.6 Test report . 75 F.7 Extended field of application . 76 Annex G (normative)
Suspension component – Functional test . 77 Annex H (normative)
Perimeter trim component- Functional test, determination of load bearing capacity . 80 H.1 General . 80 H.2 Basic test for perimeter trims . 80 H.2.1 Test installation . 80 H.2.2 Fixing the perimeter trims . 81 H.2.3 Test load . 81 H.2.4 Number of tests . 82 H.2.5 Application of the load . 82 H.2.6 Perimeter trim thickness . 83 H.2.7 Alternative testing. 83 H.2.8 Test report . 83 Annex I (normative)
Reaction to fire test - Mounting and fixing . 85 I.1 Dimensions of the test rig in accordance with EN 13823 . 85 I.2 Ceiling membrane components . 85 I.2.1 Mounting and fixing in accordance with EN 13823 . 85 I.2.2 End use application rules . 92 I.3 Substructure components . 92 I.3.1 General . 92 I.3.2 Mounting and fixing in accordance with EN 13823 . 93 I.3.3 End use application rules . 94 I.4 Reaction to fire requirements for small products and components . 95 I.4.1 Principles . 95 I.4.2 Small kit components . 95 I.4.3 Small constituents . 95 I.4.4 Linear joint kit components . 96 I.4.5 Embedded constituents . 96 SIST EN 13964:2014

Mechanical strength, safety against failure – baffles . 97 J.1 General . 97 J.2 Test equipment . 97 J.2.1 Loading brackets . 97 J.2.2 Conditioning chamber . 97 J.2.3 Loading device . 97 J.3 Test specimen . 97 J.4 Number of specimen . 97 J.5 Conditioning . 97 J.6 Test set up (see Figure J.1) . 98 J.7 Test procedure . 99 J.8 Performance criteria, assessment, evaluation and expression of the test result . 100 J.9 Test report . 100 Annex K (informative)
Reaction to fire performance - Classified without the need for further testing (CWFT) . 101 Annex L (informative)
Guidance on the choice of attestation of conformity system . 102 Annex M (informative)
Significant technical changes between this European Standard and the previous edition . 105 Annex ZA (informative)
Clauses of this European Standard addressing essential requirements or other provisions of EU Directives . 106 ZA.1 Scope and relevant clauses . 106 ZA.2 Procedure for attestation of conformity . 111 ZA.2.1 Systems of attestation of conformity . 111 ZA.2.2 EC certificate of conformity and EC declaration of conformity . 117 ZA.3 CE marking . 119 ZA.3.1 General . 119 ZA.3.2 Examples of CE marking for suspended ceilings products according to EN 13964. 119 ZA.3.3 Examples of CE marking for products according to EN 13964 and at the same time according also to (an)other harmonized technical specification(s). 126 Bibliography . 128
Diagram 1
There are two reasons for this:  the individual components and kits may have to meet certain requirements in order for the installed system to be able to meet the requirement when the system is installed, and
 it is appropriate, for ease of reference, to give both component/kit requirement and installed system requirement in the same document, given the relationship between them. This European Standard provides information for the various parties responsible for designing, manufacturing and specifying/selecting suspended ceilings used for interior applications in general building and civil engineering structures. 2 Normative references The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and are indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies. EN 120, Wood based panels — Determination of formaldehyde content — Extraction method called the perforator method SIST EN 13964:2014

EN 622-1, Fibreboards — Specifications — Part 1: General requirements EN 717-1, Wood-based panels — Determination of formaldehyde release — Part 1: Formaldehyde emission by the chamber method EN 717-2, Wood-based panels — Determination of formaldehyde release — Part 2: Formaldehyde release by the gas analysis method EN 1396:2007, Aluminium and aluminium alloys — Coil coated sheet and strip for general applications —Specifications EN 1912, Structural Timber — Strength classes — Assignment of visual grades and species EN 1991-1-41), Eurocode 1: Actions on structures — Part 1-4: General actions — Wind actions EN 1995-1-12), Eurocode 5: Design of timber structures — Part 1-1: General — Common rules and rules for buildings EN 1998-13), Eurocode 8: Design of structures for earthquake resistance — Part 1: General rules, seismic actions and rules for buildings EN 10143, Continuously hot-dip coated steel sheet and strip — Tolerances on dimensions and shape EN 10152, Electrolytically zinc coated cold rolled steel flat products for cold forming — Technical delivery conditions EN 10169, Continuously organic coated (coil-coated) steel flat products — Technical delivery conditions EN 10346, Continuously hot-dip coated steel flat products — Technical delivery conditions EN 12600, Glass in building — Pendulum test — Impact test method and classification for flat glass
1) Superseded ENV 1991-2-4 in 2005. 2) Superseded ENV 1995-1-1 in 2004. 3) Superseded ENV 1998-1-3 in 2004. SIST EN 13964:2014

Key 1 load bearing structure 4 supporting member 2 top fixing 5 ceiling memb
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