Reaction to fire (according to EN 13501-1) of a "single product"

  • The study examines the consequences of igniting the product with a small flame, such as that from a lighter, or in scenarios where a waste bin containing these products ignites.
  • The following factors are checked: combustion rate, amount of heat and smoke released, falling off burning particles.
  • Possible classes: A to F (A is the best).
  • For example, the termPIR® AL or Izoproof insulation board obtains class E, i.e. after applying a small flame (for 15 seconds) to a vertically positioned sample, the surface layer may ignite, but it goes out relatively quickly, and the flame does not spread beyond a line of 15 cm from the place where the flame is applied. No flaming falling particles are observed either.

Reaction to fire (according to EN 13501-1) of a product in its final application

  • This is a simulation of a burning trash can standing in the corner of the room.
  • The test method is identical to that in the above-mentioned case of a ‘single product’, however in this case a finished partition (wall or ceiling) in which the given insulating material is built into is tested.
  • Possible classes: A to F.

Accompanying parameters:

s – smoke production scale [1 – small, 2 – medium, 3 – large]

d –  flaming particles falling off [0 – none, 1 – present but dying out, 2 – present and burning

  • For example, a termPIR® AL or Izoproof insulating board on a trapezoidal sheet substrate achieves class B-s2, d0, and a termPIR® ETX board in the Gór-Stal facade system achieves class B-s1, d0.

The amount of heat released and the rate of flashover did not exceed the values ​​required by class B (i.e. the amount of heat released THR600s ≤ 7.5MJ, and the heat release rate FIGRA0.2MJ ≤ 120 W/s); the test generated a medium (s2) or small (s1) amount of smoke, and no flaming particles fell off the samples (d0).

For formal reasons, class B-s1,d0 is the highest possible class for systems with PIR insulation material.

Fire resistance (wg EN 13501-2)

  • This simulation models a large-scale fire within a room, evaluating the conditions under which fire, smoke, or embers may penetrate through partitions, such as ceilings or walls equipped with thermal insulation, into adjacent rooms or external areas. The test involves a wall with dimensions of at least 3 x 3 m or a roof of 3 x 4 m. The temperature inside very quickly reaches 800 oC and is constantly increased during the test.
  • It is assessed:

- Load-bearing capacity parameter "R" (after what time the roof will exceed the permissible deflection or collapse)

- Fire integrity parameter "E" (after what time the flames will penetrate the roof or wall, e.g. through leakage)

- Insulation parameter "I" (after what time the temperature on the surface on the other side of the partition will exceed the established value - 180oC at a point or 140oC on average).

  • REI classes with time parameter in minutes (e.g. 15, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120).
  • For example, a termPIR® AL insulation board built into the roof covering (PVC membrane, TPO…, on a trapezoidal sheet substrate - details in the classification) achieves the RE 30 / REI 15 parameter, i.e. the R, E parameters were not exceeded before 30 minutes of the test, and the I parameter before 15 minutes.

External fire spread of roofs (according to EN 13501-5)

  • This simulation evaluates a scenario in which burning material is present on the roof, assessing the depth of fire penetration and the potential for surface spread. Depending on the chosen methodology, the test simulates various conditions, including burning material (t1), wind exposure (t2), and additional thermal radiation (t3).
  • Possible classes are: Broof/Froof with method specified; t1, t2, t3.
  • For example, termPIR® AL insulation boards with an appropriate PVC membrane are mostly Broof(t1) class. In this test, the most important is the top layer of the roof – i.e. waterproofing.

Fire spread from the facade (according to PN-B-02867:2013)

  • This simulation examines a scenario in which fire and wind impact the facade of the building, specifically measuring the spread of fire during the initial phase of its development
  • Possible classes are:

- NRO(i.e. a product that does not spread fire or
- SRO (i.e. a product with "medium flame spread")

  • For example, termPIR® ETX insulation boards in the Gór-Stal facade system have the NRO class.

The outer layers are also very important in the test – they are the most exposed to fire, but the thermal insulation material itself is also very important, because compared to the Broof(t1) test, the attacking fire is much more aggressive, quickly destroys the plaster layer and attacks the thermal insulation.

National flammability regulations

  • Each country in the EU may have, and most often does have, its own requirements regarding the "flammability" of materials used. In Poland, such requirements are specified in the Regulation of the Minister of Infrastructure on the technical conditions that buildings and their location should meet (i.e. the so-called Technical Conditions).
  • Possible requirements and definitions of flammability of products are: non-flammable, flammable, non-combustible, hardly flammable, easily flammable, non-flammable, self-extinguishing, intensely smoking, non-spreading fire, poorly spreading fire.
  • The link between these terms/requirements and the product parameters provided by manufacturers is explicitly specified in Annex No. 3 to the aforementioned Technical Conditions.


Each of the aforementioned fire tests is significantly more complex than described, and this text includes certain simplifications intended for clarity in presenting the topic. We encourage those interested to explore more comprehensive articles available on our website.