prEN 13381-7

Test methods for determining the contribution to the fire resistance of structural members - Part 7: Applied protection to timber members

This document specifies test methods for determining the contribution of fire protection kits to the fire resistance of structural timber members.
Such fire protection kits include claddings, sprayed fire protection and reactive coatings.
The method is applicable to all fire protection kits used for the protection of timber members. These can be fixed directly, totally or in part, to the timber member and can include an air gap between the fire protection kit and the timber member, as an integral part of its design.
Evaluation of timber constructions protected by horizontal or vertical protective membranes are the subject of EN 13381 1 or EN 13381 2, respectively.
The test method is applicable to the determination of the contribution of fire protection kits to the fire resistance of loadbearing timber structural members including floors, roofs, walls, beams and columns.
This document contains the fire test which specifies the test to be carried out to determine the ability of the fire protection kit at a specified thickness to delay the temperature rise throughout the timber member, to determine the ability of the fire protection kit at a specified thickness to remain coherent and fixed to the timber member and to provide data for determining the charring rate of the protected test member, when exposed to the standard temperature/time curve according to the procedures defined herein. This document is not appropriated to classify the tested assembly according to EN 13501 2.
The test to subject reactive protection material to a smouldering temperature time fire curve and the special circumstances for this are detailed in Annex G.
The fire test methodology makes provision for the collection and presentation of data which can be used as direct input to the calculation of fire resistance of timber members in accordance with the procedures given in EN 1995 1 2.
A description of the relationship of this test method and the assessment of the results obtained therefrom to EN 1995 1 2 and guidelines for the use of this test method in accordance with that standard are given in Annex B.
This document also contains the assessment which indicates how the analysis of the test data should be made and gives guidance to the procedures by which interpolation should be undertaken.
The limits of applicability of the results of the assessment arising from the fire test are defined, together with the direct application of the results to different timber constructions with the specified thickness and fixation of the applied fire protection kit tested.

Prüfverfahren zur Bestimmung des Beitrages zum Feuerwiderstand von tragenden Bauteilen - Teil 7: Brandschutzmaßnahmen für Holzbauteile

Dieses Dokument legt Prüfverfahren zur Bestimmung des Beitrages von Brandschutzsystemen zum Feuerwiderstand von tragenden Holzbauteilen fest.
Derartige Brandschutzsysteme schließen Verkleidungen, aufgesprühte Brandschutzmaterialien und reaktive Beschichtungen ein.
Das Verfahren gilt für alle Brandschutzsysteme zum Schutz von Holzbauteilen. Diese können direkt, sowohl vollständig als auch teilweise, an dem Holzbauteil befestigt sein, oder sie können einen Luftspalt zwischen dem Brandschutzsystem und dem Holzbauteil als festen Bestandteil der konstruktiven Gestaltung enthalten.
Die Bewertung von Holzkonstruktionen, die durch horizontale oder vertikale Brandschutzbekleidungen geschützt sind, ist in EN 13381 1 oder EN 13381 2 behandelt.
Das Prüfverfahren ist zur Bestimmung des Beitrages von Brandschutzsystemen zum Feuerwiderstand von tragenden Holzbauteilen und nichttragenden Teilen des Bauwerks, einschließlich Decken, Dächern, Wänden, Balken und Stützen, geeignet.
Dieses Dokument enthält die Brandprüfung, die die zur Bestimmung der Fähigkeit des Brandschutzsystems mit einer bestimmten Dicke durchzuführende Prüfung festlegt, den Temperaturanstieg im gesamten Holzbauteil zu verzögern. Die Brandprüfung dient der Bestimmung der Fähigkeit des Brandschutzsystems, bei einer bestimmten festgelegten Dicke kohärent und fest mit dem Holzbauteil verbunden zu bleiben, und der Bereitstellung von Daten für die Bestimmung der Verkohlungsrate des geschützten Prüfbauteils, wenn es der Einheits-Temperatur-Zeitkurve nach den hier festgelegten Verfahren ausgesetzt wird. Dieses Dokument ist nicht geeignet, um die geprüfte Zusammenstellung von Bauteilen nach EN 13501 2 zu klassifizieren.
Die Prüfung des reaktiven Schutzmaterials mittels einer Temperatur-Zeit-Schwelbrand-Kurve und die besonderen Umstände dafür sind in Anhang G detailliert beschrieben.
Die Verfahrensweise der Brandprüfung bietet Möglichkeiten zur Erfassung und Darstellung von Messwerten, die direkt als Eingangswerte zur Berechnung des Feuerwiderstands von Holzbauteilen entsprechend den Verfahren nach EN 1995 1 2 verwendet werden können.
Eine Beschreibung des Zusammenhangs dieses Prüfverfahrens und der Beurteilung der daraus erhaltenen Ergebnisse nach EN 1995 1 2 und Anleitungen für die Anwendung dieses Prüfverfahrens in Übereinstimmung mit der genannten Norm sind in Anhang B angegeben.
Dieses Dokument enthält auch die Beurteilung, die angibt, wie die Analyse der Messwerte erfolgen sollte, und gibt Anleitungen zu den Verfahren, mit denen eine Interpolation vorgenommen werden sollte.
Die Anwendbarkeitsgrenzen der aus der Beurteilung der Brandprüfung hervorgehenden Ergebnisse sind zusammen mit der direkten Anwendung der Ergebnisse auf unterschiedliche Holzkonstruktionen mit der angegebenen Dicke und Befestigung des aufgebrachten, untersuchten Brandschutzsystems festgelegt.

Méthodes d'essai pour déterminer la contribution à la résistance au feu des éléments de construction - Partie 7: Protection appliquée aux éléments en bois

Le présent document spécifie des méthodes d’essai permettant de déterminer la contribution apportée par les kits de protection contre l’incendie à la résistance au feu des éléments de construction en bois.
Ces kits de protection contre l’incendie incluent des bardages, des matériaux de protection contre l’incendie appliqués par projection et des revêtements réactifs.
La méthode d’essai est applicable à tous les kits de protection contre l’incendie utilisés pour protéger des éléments en bois. Ils peuvent être fixés directement, entièrement ou partiellement, à l’élément en bois, et peuvent inclure une lame d’air entre le kit de protection contre l’incendie et l’élément en bois, comme partie intégrante de sa conception.
L’évaluation des constructions en bois protégées par des membranes de protection horizontales ou verticales est couverte respectivement par l’EN 13381 1 ou l’EN 13381 2.
La méthode d’essai détermine la contribution à la résistance au feu des kits de protection contre l’incendie des éléments de construction porteurs en bois, y compris les planchers, les toitures, les murs, les poutres et les poteaux.
Le présent document spécifie l’essai au feu qui doit être effectué afin de déterminer l’aptitude du kit de protection contre l’incendie, pour une épaisseur donnée, à retarder l’augmentation de la température sur l’ensemble de l’élément en bois et à rester cohérent et fixé à l’élément en bois, et de fournir des données afin de déterminer la vitesse de combustion de l’élément protégé lorsque ce dernier est exposé au feu suivant la courbe température/temps normalisée selon les modes opératoires spécifiés dans le présent document. Le présent document n’est pas adapté pour le classement du montage soumis à l’essai selon l’EN 13501 2.
L’essai visant à soumettre le matériau de protection à une courbe température/temps de feu couvant et les circonstances particulières dans lesquelles l’utiliser sont décrits à l’Annexe G.
La méthodologie des essais au feu comporte des dispositions concernant le recueil et la présentation de données susceptibles de servir d’entrées directes pour le calcul de la résistance au feu d’éléments en bois conformément aux modes opératoires définis dans l’EN 1995 1 2.
Une description de la relation entre cette méthode d’essai et l’évaluation des résultats obtenus, et l’EN 1995 1 2 et les lignes directrices à utiliser dans cette méthode d’essai conformément à cette norme est donnée à l’Annexe B.
Le présent document comprend également l’évaluation qui indique la façon dont il convient d’effectuer l’analyse des données d’essai et donne des recommandations concernant les modes opératoires selon lesquels il convient d’entreprendre une interpolation.
Les limites d’application des résultats de l’évaluation obtenus lors de l’essai au feu sont définies, ainsi que l’application directe des résultats aux différentes structures en bois, avec l’épaisseur et la fixation données du kit de protection contre l’incendie appliqué soumis à l’essai.

Preskusne metode za ugotavljanje prispevka k požarni odpornosti konstrukcijskih elementov - 7. del: Zaščita lesenih elementov

General Information

• Status: Not Published
• Publication Date: 27-May-2025
• ICS: 13.220.50 - Fire-resistance of building materials and elements
• ICS: 91.080.20 - Timber structures
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 127 - Fire safety in buildings
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 127/WG 1 - Structural and separating elements
• Current Stage: 4060 - Closure of enquiry - Enquiry
• Start Date: 14-Mar-2024
• Due Date: 03-Apr-2024
• Completion Date: 14-Mar-2024
• Directive: 305/2011 - 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
• Mandate: M/117 - Horizontal complement to the mandates to CEN/CENELEC concerning the execution of standardization work for the valuation of construction products and elements in respect of their resistance to fire
• Ref Project: oSIST prEN 13381-7:2024 - Test methods for determining the contribution to the fire resistance of structural members - Part 7: Applied protection to timber members

Relations

• Revises: EN 13381-7:2019 - Test methods for determining the contribution to the fire resistance of structural members - Part 7: Applied protection to timber members
• Effective Date: 28-Jul-2021

Overview

The European Standard prEN 13381-7 specifies test methods to evaluate the contribution of applied fire protection kits to the fire resistance of structural timber members. Published by CEN and set to supersede EN 13381-7:2019, this standard focuses on assessing how claddings, sprayed fire protection, and reactive coatings enhance the fire resistance of timber elements such as floors, roofs, walls, beams, and columns.

The standard defines procedures to measure the ability of applied fire protection systems to delay temperature rise, maintain adhesion and coherence with timber, and provide essential data for calculating the charring rate of protected timber under standard fire exposure conditions. It complements related standards addressing protective membranes applied horizontally or vertically and provides guidance for practical use in accordance with structural fire design code EN 1995-1-2.

Key Topics

• Scope and Application
  Applies to all types of fire protection kits installed fully or partially on timber structural members, regardless of fixation method or inclusion of air gaps as part of design.

• Test Procedures

  • Fire testing uses a standard temperature/time curve to evaluate performance.
  • Reactive protection materials undergo specialized testing under smouldering temperature-time fire curves (Annex G).

• Specimen Types and Construction
  Tests apply to large-scale specimens including walls, floors, beams, and columns, as well as model-scale specimens for specific fire protection systems.

• Instrumentation and Measurement
  Includes detailed procedures for measuring furnace temperature, specimen temperature, pressure, deformation, and applied load for accurate data capture.

• Data Analysis and Assessment
  Guidance on assessing charring start times, charring rates, system stickability, and time to failure enhances reliability of test results. Procedures for data interpolation and reporting are specified.

• Limits of Applicability
  Defines conditions such as thickness of applied fire protection, multiple layering, timber type, panel size, and construction orientation that affect interpretation and applicability of results.

• Integration with Structural Fire Design
  Provides input data for fire resistance calculations per EN 1995-1-2, reinforcing the standard’s role in holistic timber construction fire safety assessment.

Applications

prEN 13381-7 is crucial for manufacturers, fire engineers, and construction professionals involved in the design, testing, and certification of fire protection solutions for timber structures. Its practical application includes:

• Fire Protection Kit Development
  Enables creation and validation of claddings, coatings, and sprayed fire protection systems for timber, ensuring compliance with safety performance requirements.

• Design Verification
  Supports verification of fire resistance performance for loadbearing timber members within buildings, helping architects and engineers incorporate validated fire protection methods.

• Code Compliance and Certification
  Assists testing laboratories and certification bodies in conducting standardized fire resistance tests, supporting conformity with European building regulations.

• Fire Safety Engineering
  Provides reliable data for fire safety assessments, aiding in risk analysis and structural fire design optimization for timber construction.

Related Standards

• EN 13381-1 and EN 13381-2
  Address the contribution to fire resistance by protective membranes applied horizontally and vertically to timber members, complementing this standard’s scope.

• EN 1995-1-2 (Eurocode 5: Design of Timber Structures - Part 1-2: Fire design)
  Provides the methodology for calculating fire resistance of timber structural members using data generated per prEN 13381-7 procedures.

• EN 13501-2
  Defines fire classification for construction products and building elements; while prEN 13381-7 specifies test methods, classification is outside its scope.

Summary

prEN 13381-7 is an essential European standard providing rigorous and harmonized test methods to quantify how applied fire protection kits improve the fire resistance of timber structural members. It ensures reliable measurement and assessment of fire protection performance, enabling safer timber constructions supported by scientifically validated fire resistance data. This standard supports fire safety innovation and regulatory compliance in the timber building sector across Europe.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-marec-2024
Preskusne metode za ugotavljanje prispevka k požarni odpornosti konstrukcijskih
elementov - 7. del: Zaščita lesenih elementov
Test methods for determining the contribution to the fire resistance of structural members
- Part 7: Applied protection to timber members
Prüfverfahren zur Bestimmung des Beitrages zum Feuerwiderstand von tragenden
Bauteilen - Teil 7: Brandschutzmaßnahmen für Holzbauteile
Méthodes d'essai pour déterminer la contribution à la résistance au feu des éléments de
construction - Partie 7: Protection appliquée aux éléments en bois
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 13381-7
ICS:
13.220.50 Požarna odpornost Fire-resistance of building
gradbenih materialov in materials and elements
elementov
91.080.20 Lesene konstrukcije Timber structures
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
December 2023
ICS 13.220.50; 91.080.20 Will supersede EN 13381-7:2019
English Version
Test methods for determining the contribution to the fire
resistance of structural members - Part 7: Applied
protection to timber members
Méthodes d'essai pour déterminer la contribution à la Prüfverfahren zur Bestimmung des Beitrages zum
résistance au feu des éléments de construction - Partie Feuerwiderstand von tragenden Bauteilen -
7: Protection appliquée aux éléments en bois Brandschutzmaßnahmen für Holzbauteile
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 127.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, 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.

This draft European Standard was established by CEN 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, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.

Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2023 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 13381-7:2023 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 6
Introduction . 8
1 Scope . 9
2 Normative references . 9
3 Terms, definitions, symbols and units. 10
3.1 Terms and definitions . 10
3.2 Symbols and units . 13
4 Test equipment . 15
4.1 General . 15
4.2 Furnace . 15
4.3 Loading equipment . 15
5 Test conditions . 15
5.1 Test procedure . 15
5.2 Support and restraint conditions . 15
5.3 Loading conditions . 16
6 Test specimens . 17
6.1 General . 17
6.2 Number . 17
6.2.1 General . 17
6.2.2 Fire protection system variations . 17
6.3 Dimension of test specimens . 17
6.4 Construction . 18
6.4.1 General . 18
6.4.2 Charring specimens . 18
6.4.3 Large scale wall test specimen . 20
6.4.4 Large scale floor test specimen . 20
6.4.5 Large scale beam test specimen . 21
6.4.6 Model scale test specimen . 21
6.4.7 Application of the fire protection materials to the test specimen . 21
6.4.8 Insulating materials . 22
6.5 Composition of the test specimen components . 22
6.5.1 Timber . 22
6.5.2 Fire protection system . 23
6.6 Properties of test materials . 23
6.7 Verification of the test specimen . 23
7 Installation of the test specimen . 24
7.1 Large scale wall test . 24
7.2 Large scale floor test . 24
7.3 Large scale beam test . 24
7.4 Model scale test . 24
7.5 Installation patterns . 24
8 Conditioning of the test specimens . 25
9 Application of instrumentation . 25
9.1 General . 25
9.2 Instrumentation for measurement of furnace temperature . 25
9.2.1 General . 25
9.2.2 Large scale wall test . 25
9.2.3 Large scale floor test . 25
9.2.4 Large scale beam test . 25
9.2.5 Model scale test . 26
9.3 Instrumentation for measurement of test specimen temperature . 26
9.3.1 General . 26
9.3.2 Charring specimen . 26
9.3.3 Large scale wall test specimen . 26
9.3.4 Large scale floor test specimen . 27
9.3.5 Large scale beam test specimen . 27
9.3.6 Model scale test specimen . 28
9.4 Instrumentation for measurement of pressure . 28
9.5 Instrumentation for measurement of deformation . 28
9.6 Instrumentation for measurement of applied load . 28
10 Test procedure . 28
10.1 General . 28
10.2 Furnace temperature and pressure . 29
10.3 Application and control of load . 29
10.4 Temperature of test specimen . 29
10.5 Deformation . 29
10.6 Observations . 29
10.7 Termination test . 29
11 Test results . 29
11.1 Acceptability of test results . 29
11.1.1 General . 29
11.1.2 Charring specimen . 29
11.1.3 Loaded members in Large scale tests . 30
11.2 Presentation of test results . 30
12 Test report . 30
13 Assessment . 31
13.1 General . 31
13.2 Assessment of the start of charring . 32
13.3 Assessment of the charring rate . 32
13.4 Correction for stickability of the fire protection system . 33
13.5 Assessment of failure time . 33
13.5.1 General . 33
13.5.2 Large scale wall test and large scale floor test . 33
13.5.3 Large scale beam test . 34
14 Report of the assessment . 34
15 Limits of applicability of the results of the assessment . 35
15.1 General . 35
15.2 Limits of applicability of the assessment results . 35
15.2.1 General . 35
15.2.2 Thickness of fire protection material . 35
15.2.3 Multiple layers . 35
15.2.4 Board or panel size . 35
15.2.5 Orientation of test . 35
15.2.6 Timber . 36
15.2.7 Insulation materials . 36
15.2.8 Fixtures and fittings . 36
15.3 Additional limits of applicability of the assessment results for specific
construction types . 36
15.3.1 Walls and floors - type of construction . 36
15.3.2 Beams and columns - type of construction . 37
Annex A (normative) Model scale test . 57
A.1 General . 57
A.2 Test equipment, installation of the specimen and test load . 57
A.3 End of the model scale test . 57
Annex B (informative) Overview of available methods of EN 13381-7 . 60
B.1 General . 60
B.2 Fire protection systems for intended use applied timber frame walls, timber
beams and timber columns: . 60
B.3 Fire protection systems for intended use applied on timber frame floors,
timber frame walls, timber beams and timber columns: . 60
B.4 Fire protection systems for intended use applied on timber beams and
timber columns: . 61
Annex C (normative) Measurement of properties of fire protection materials . 65
C.1 Introduction . 65
C.2 Thickness of fire protection materials . 65
C.2.1 General . 65
C.2.2 Board or slab/mat fire protection materials . 65
C.2.3 Coatings with reactive and non-reactive fire protection materials and
systems. 65
C.2.3.1 General . 65
C.2.3.2 Measuring positions for Fire Protection Materials . 66
C.3 Density of applied fire protection materials . 67
C.4 Moisture content of applied fire protection materials . 67
Annex D (normative) Fixing of thermocouples to timber members and timber frame
assemblies and routing of cables. 69
D.1 General . 69
D.2 Types of thermocouples . 69
D.3 Fixing of thermocouples . 69
D.3.1 General . 69
D.3.2 Internal thermocouples . 69
D.3.3 Thermocouples at the surface of the timber member . 70
D.3.4 Thermocouples in the interlayer of the fire protection system and the cavity
insulation . 70
D.4 Routing of thermocouple wires. 70
D.4.1 General . 70
D.4.2 Internal thermocouples . 70
D.5 Connection of thermocouples . 71
D.6 Thermocouple failures . 71
Annex E (informative) Calculation of load to be applied on the large scale test
specimen . 74
E.1 General . 74
E.2 Example 1: Load calculation for a large scale wall test specimen . 74
E.3 Example 2: Load calculation for the large scale beam test. 76
Annex F (informative) Examples of assessment of fire protection system
performance . 77
F.1 General . 77
F.2 Assessment of the start of charring behind the fire protection system . 77
F.3 Assessment of the charring rate behind the fire protection system . 78
F.4 Correction for the stickability of the fire protection system . 79
F.5 The time of loss of stickability of the fire protection system . 80
Annex G (normative) Test method to the smouldering fire or slow heating curve . 84
G.1 Introduction . 84
G.2 Test equipment . 84
G.3 Test conditions . 84
G.4 Test specimens . 84
G.5 Installation of the test specimens . 84
G.6 Conditioning of the test specimens . 84
G.7 Application of instrumentation . 84
G.8 Test procedure . 85
G.9 Test results . 85
G.10 Evaluation of the results . 85
Annex H (informative) Calculation of the dimensions of the charring specimen
dimensions and the model scale specimen . 87
H.1 Introduction . 87
H.2 Calculation of the thickness of the charring specimen . 87
H.3 Calculation of the number or thermocouples . 88
H.4 Calculation of the charring specimen length . 88
H.5 Calculation of the charring specimen width . 88
H.6 Calculation of the dimensions of the model scale test specimen . 88
Bibliography . 90
European foreword
This document (prEN 13381-7:2023) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 127
“Fire safety in buildings”, the secretariat of which is held by BSI.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
This document will supersede EN 13381-7:2019.
This European Standard is one of a series of standards for evaluating the contribution to the fire
resistance of structural members by applied fire protection materials. Other parts of this standard
are:
Part 1: Horizontal protective membranes.
Part 2: Vertical protective membranes.
Part 3: Applied protection to concrete members.
Part 4: Applied protection to steel members.
Part 5: Applied protection to concrete/profiled sheet steel composite members.
Part 6: Applied protection to concrete filled hollow steel columns.
Part 8: Applied reactive protection to steel members.
Part 9: Applied fire protection systems to steel beams with web openings.
Part 10: Applied protection to solid steel rods.
EN 13381-7:2019:
a) New test procedures have been introduced to address the different fields of applications of
fire protection systems on solid timber products and timber frame assemblies in horizontal
and vertical position and the design models available in EN 1995-1-2.
b) Loaded tests are performed using large-scale test specimens depending on their intended use
on beams, walls or ceilings.
c) The start of charring and the stickability is measured with thermocouples on the timber
member(s) surface of a beam specimen or a timber frame specimen.
d) Charring behind a fire protection system is measured using charring specimens embedded
in the cavity insulation of a timber frame specimen.
e) EN 1995-1-2:2004 (3.4.3.1) specifies: “At the time t when the charring depth equals either
a
the charring depth of the same member without fire protection or 25 mm whichever is the
lesser, the charring rate reverts to the value in table 3.1.” Based on experience from fire tests
done in accordance with previous versions of EN 13381-7, it has appeared that this clause is
too restrictive for some passive fire protective systems, which can provide protection also
beyond a charring depth of 25 mm. Therefore, in this test standard the 25 mm limit is not
applied.
f) Interpolation of results for different thicknesses of fire protection system is not allowed.
g) The use of test results for different orientations obtained in tests in one orientation is
specified.
Introduction
WARNING — The attention of all persons concerned with managing and carrying out this fire
resistance test, is drawn to the fact that fire testing can be hazardous and that there is a possibility
that toxic and/or harmful smoke and gases can be evolved during the test. Mechanical and
operational hazards can also arise during the construction of test elements or structures, their
testing and the disposal of test residues.
An assessment of all potential hazards and risks to health should be made and safety precautions
should be identified and provided. Written safety instructions should be issued. Appropriate
training should be given to relevant personnel. Laboratory personnel should ensure that they
follow written safety instructions at all times.
The specific health and safety instructions contained within this document should be followed.
1 Scope
This document specifies test methods for determining the contribution of fire protection kits to
the fire resistance of structural timber members.
Such fire protection kits include claddings, sprayed fire protection and reactive coatings.
The method is applicable to all fire protection kits used for the protection of timber members.
These can be fixed directly, totally or in part, to the timber member and can include an air gap
between the fire protection kit and the timber member, as an integral part of its design.
Evaluation of timber constructions protected by horizontal or vertical protective membranes are
the subject of EN 13381-1 or EN 13381-2, respectively.
The test method is applicable to the determination of the contribution of fire protection kits to
the fire resistance of loadbearing timber structural members including floors, roofs, walls, beams
and columns.
This document contains the fire test which specifies the test to be carried out to determine the
ability of the fire protection kit at a specified thickness to delay the temperature rise throughout
the timber member, to determine the ability of the fire protection kit at a specified thickness to
remain coherent and fixed to the timber member and to provide data for determining the charring
rate of the protected test member, when exposed to the standard temperature/time curve
according to the procedures defined herein. This document is not appropriated to classify the
tested assembly according to EN 13501-2.
The test to subject reactive protection material to a smouldering temperature time fire curve and
the special circumstances for this are detailed in Annex G.
The fire test methodology makes provision for the collection and presentation of data which can
be used as direct input to the calculation of fire resistance of timber members in accordance with
the procedures given in EN 1995-1-2.
A description of the relationship of this test method and the assessment of the results obtained
therefrom to EN 1995-1-2 and guidelines for the use of this test method in accordance with that
standard are given in Annex B.
This document also contains the assessment which indicates how the analysis of the test data
should be made and gives guidance to the procedures by which interpolation should be
undertaken.
The limits of applicability of the results of the assessment arising from the fire test are defined,
together with the direct application of the results to different timber constructions with the
specified thickness and fixation of the applied fire protection kit tested.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies.
For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any
amendments) applies.
EN 301, Adhesives, phenolic and aminoplastic, for load-bearing timber structures — Classification
and performance requirements
EN 338, Structural timber — Strength classes
EN 823, Thermal insulating products for building applications — Determination of thickness
EN 1995-1-1, Eurocode 5: Design of timber structures — Part 1-1: General — Common rules and
rules for buildings
EN 1995-1-2:2004, Eurocode 5: Design of timber structures — Part 1-2: General — Structural fire
design
EN 1363-1, Fire resistance tests — Part 1: General Requirements
EN 1363-2, Fire resistance tests — Part 2: Alternative and additional procedures
EN 1365-1, Fire resistance tests for loadbearing elements — Part 1: Walls
EN 1365-2, Fire resistance tests for loadbearing elements — Part 2: Floors and roofs
EN 1365-3, Fire resistance tests for loadbearing elements — Part 3: Beams
EN 12467, Fibre-cement flat sheets — Product specification and test methods
EN 13162, Thermal insulation products for buildings — Factory made mineral wool (MW) products
— Specification
EN 13381-8, Test methods for determining the contribution to the fire resistance of structural
members — Part 8: Applied reactive protection to steel members
EN 14080, Timber structures - Glued laminated timber and glued solid timber — Requirements
EN 14081-1, Timber structures — Strength graded structural timber with rectangular cross section
— Part 1: General requirements
EN 15425, Adhesives — One component polyurethane (PUR) for load-bearing timber structures —
Classification and performance requirements
EN ISO 2808, Paints and varnishes — Determination of film thickness (ISO 2808)
EN ISO 13943, Fire safety — Vocabulary (ISO 13943)
ISO 8421-2, Fire protection — Vocabulary — Part 2: Structural fire protection
ISO 834-12, Fire resistance tests — Elements of building construction — Part 12: Specific
requirements for separating elements evaluated on less than full scale furnaces
3 Terms, definitions, symbols and units
3.1 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in EN 1363-1, EN ISO 13943
and ISO 8421-2, together with the following, apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
3.1.1
board
part of a building assembly of typically not reactive material, used as a part or as fire protection
material
3.1.2
cavity insulation
3 3
stone wool insulation in batts of reaction to fire class A1 and a density of 30 KG/m (±5 KG/m ) to
be placed between timber joists or studs over their full depth in timber frame assemblies tested
according this document to achieve a loading of and heat accumulation in the fire exposed fire
protection kit
3.1.3
char line
border-line between char layer and the residual cross section assumed to be equal with the
position of the 300 degree Celsius isotherm
3.1.4
charring depth
distance from the original surface of the timber member to the char line
3.1.5
charring specimen
non-load bearing, instrumented, laminated timber specimen containing one temperature
measurement station incorporated into a large scale test specimen, into a large scale test or a
model scale test specimen to follow the charring behind a fire protection kit
3.1.6
failure time
time at which failure of the fire protection kit occurs, due to detachment of a significant area or
sudden significant temperature rise upon the initially protected timber surface
3.1.7
fire protection material
material or combination of materials applied to the surface of a timber structural member for the
purpose of increasing its fire resistance
3.1.8
fire protection kit
fire protection material together with a prescribed method of attachment to a timber structural
member for which the fire protection kit may include multiple layers of materials and multiple
combinations of materials
Note 1 to entry: A fire protection kit may comprise passive or reactive materials.
3.1.9
model scale test
test to determine the charring rate during the protected charring phase on a furnace of full scale
or less than full scale depending on the dimension of the model scale test specimen
3.1.10
passive fire protection materials
materials which do not change their physical form upon heating, provide fire protection by virtue
of their physical or thermal properties, and they may include materials containing water which,
on heating, is removed to produce cooling effects
3.1.11
reactive fire protection materials
materials which are specifically formulated to provide a chemical reaction upon heating such that
their physical form changes and in so doing provide fire protection by thermal insulative and
cooling effects
3.1.12
timber structural member
element of building construction which may be loadbearing or non-loadbearing and which is
mainly constructed from solid timber and/or other wood based products
3.1.13
fire protection
protection afforded to the timber member by the fire protection kit such that the rise of
temperature of the timber and fixings is limited or delayed throughout the period of exposure to
fire
3.1.14
stickability
ability of a fire protection material to remain sufficiently coherent and in position without failure
due to detachment of a significant area or sudden significant temperature rise upon the initially
protected timber surface
3.1.15
temperature measurement station
number of thermocouples in different depths which are installed within the charring specimen
and are representative for a limited area
3.1.16
test specimen
assembly of the timber or wood based test member with its fire protection kit
3.1.17
spreader beam
stiff beam with a height width ratio of equal or less than 1,0 used in large scale tests to distribute
the load uniformly placed on the top of the large scale floor test specimen or the large scale wall
test specimen over the whole width of the specimen
3.1.18
start of charring
point in time when the temperature measurement at an initially fire protected timber surface
reaches or exceeds 300 °C
3.1.19
wood defect
knot, bark pocket, resin pocket, pith or crack
3.1.20
large scale test
loaded test to determine the start of charring behind the fire protection kit and the stickability of
a fire protection kit (applied to a horizontal or vertical timber framed assembly or to a timber
beam) on a full scale furnace
3.2 Symbols and units
For the purposes of this document, the following symbols and units apply.
Symbol Unit Description
A mm Area
E N/mm Fifth percentile value of modulus of elasticity
0.05
I mm Second Moment of area about the z-axis
z
L mm Length of the specimen exposed to the heating
exp
L mm Length of the specimen between centres of supports
sup
T °C Temperature
TC  Thermocouple
b mm Width of the large scale test specimen
c mm Centre distance of loaded joists
d mm Vertical distance between horizontal joints
d mm Charring depth
char
d mm Distance of the thermocouple from the exposed side of the timber member
TC
f N/mm Design compressive strength along the grain
c,0,d
f N/mm Characteristic compressive strength along the grain
c,0,k
h mm Depth of the timber member;
The height of a large scale test specimen;
The depth of the model scale test specimen;
The height of the joists in a large scale wall test
h mm Depth of the aerated concrete member
c
h mm Thickness of the decking of the large floor element
D
h mm Thickness of the fire protection kit. In the case of two or more layers of fire
p
protection material h is the sum of the thicknesses.
p
h mm Thickness of the decking at the non-exposed side for large scale wall test
D
specimens and large scale floor test specimens
i mm Radius of inertia about the z-axis
z
k  Modification factor for duration of load and moisture content
mod
k  Protection coefficient
l mm Length of the large scale wall specimen
l mm Length of the aerated concrete members
c
mm Length of the mechanical fixation penetrating in the virgin wood
l
a
Symbol Unit Description
mm Anchorage length of the mechanical fixation in the wood at t= 0
l
a,0
l mm Measurement length. Length where thermocouples are distributed
m
l mm Measurement length where thermocouples of one temperature
m,i
measurement station are distributed; i from 1 to 3
l mm Length of the model scale test specimen
s
s mm Distance between thermocouples
s mm Minimum distance to the furnace walls
f
t min Time
t min Start of charring at the surface of a timber member
ch
t min Time when the average temperature of the surface TC attached to the model
ch,model
scale specimen reaches 300 °C
t min Assumed start of charring based to calculate the charring depth specimen
ch,1
depth and the number of thermocouples needed
t min Time at which the temperature indicated by a thermocouple placed at the
surface of the timber test member or at a specified point within a protected.
timber test member, reaches 300 °C
t min Failure time of the protection for stickability
f
t min Time of termination of test
test
w mm Width of the aerated concrete members
c
w mm Width of the opening to which the tested element is mounted
f
w mm Width of the charring specimen
s
x mm Centre distance between first 2 outer joists or studs of a large scale wall test
specimen or a large scale floor test specimen
Length of a defect
β mm/min charring rate
β mm/min One-dimensional charring rate according to EN 1995-1-2
o
β mm/min Notional charring rate according to EN 1995-1-2
n
β mm/min Charring rate behind a fire protection kit according to EN 1995-1-2
γ  Partial factor for material properties, also accounting for model uncertainties
M
and dimensional variations
λ W/mK Declared thermal conductivity according to EN 13162
D
λ  Slenderness ratio corresponding to bending about the y-axis
y
λ  Relative slenderness ratio corresponding to bending about the y-axis
rel,y
λ  Slenderness ratio corresponding to bending about the z-axis
z
4 Test equipment
4.1 General
The furnace and test equipment for the tests shall be as specified in EN 1363-1.
4.2 Furnace
The furnace shall permit the dimensions of the test specimens to be exposed to heating, as
specified in Clause 6 and their installation upon or within the test furnace to be as specified in
Clause 7.
4.3 Loading equipment
Loading equipment shall conform to that specified in EN 1363-1. The loading system shall permit
loading of the magnitude defined in 5.3 to be applied.
5 Test conditions
5.1 Test procedure
The procedures given in EN 1363-1 shall be followed in the performance of this test unless
specific contrary instructions are given in this document.
Large scale tests shall be performed on timber walls or timber floors or on timber beams.
The charring behind a fire protection system shall be determined by incorporating minimum 3
charring specimens in the large scale test specimen or in the model scale test specimen (see
Annex A).
The EN 1365-1, EN 1365-2 or EN 1365-3 test method(s) and test specimen(s) appropriate to the
use of the fire protection material, specified by the sponsor, shall be followed with the following
additional provisions:
— the surface temperature of the timber members;
— the temperature throughout the depth of the charring specimens;
— the general behaviour of the fire protection system; and
— its failure, under fire load in conjunction with deflection during the test
shall be examined by additi
...