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New Fire Tests Push Up Partition Specifications

Proposed changes to fire performance testing standards – bringing UK building regulations into line with Europe-wide criteria – will make houses and other buildings even safer by requiring higher specifications for drywall partitions, says James Leaning, Technical Services Manager at Knauf Drywall. The new minimum specifications are unlikely to be dramatically different from present standards, but many partitions are going to be affected. However, he says the overall impact of change will be reduced if specifiers and installers follow the manufacturers’ lead and start preparing now.

Fire performance of UK drylining systems – currently rated according to the results of tests prescribed by BS476 – will be tested in future under the new European standard for non-loadbearing walls, EN1364-1. The date of withdrawal of BS476 has still to be announced, but Knauf Drywall and other manufacturers are EN-testing products and systems in readiness. James Leaning says the EN tests use new systems to control furnace temperatures and air pressures within the test chamber. “This produces a more intense application of heat in the early stages of the test – simulating a more violent fire scenario. Initial results have confirmed that this additional thermal shock accelerates the breakdown of gypsum board which starts naturally when temperatures exceed 50oC.”

The new tests are indicating that higher specifications – including upgrades to thicker boards or high-performance boards – will be needed for some drywall partitions to meet existing 30, 60, 90 or 120 minute fire ratings. In some cases, an additional layer of plasterboard may be necessary to provide adequate protection. James Leaning says: “There will be a cost implication in notching-up partition specifications, but it will be small in relation to the total cost of building. More significant is the need for designers, specifiers and drywall installers to be aware that some common partition thicknesses will change.” These possible changes in partition specifications will be largely unnoticed by the public, because they will not encroach significantly on living or working space.

James Leaning says the industry has already anticipated aspects of the changes, with manufacturers increasing their focus on high performance plasterboards that offer added protection against fire, sound, moisture and impact. For instance, Knauf Drywall is confident that plasterboard from its high performance range will enable specifiers to avoid the need for additional board layers in certain key applications. Other changes to building regulations, such as the most recent version of Part E, have already led to higher specifications. As an example, the simplest construction of 12.5mm wallboard on either side of 50mm steel studs falls below the minimum 40dB airborne sound reduction requirement and is no longer suitable for use between rooms in a dwelling. The sound rating is achieved – and with a 30 minute fire rating – by using a 12.5mm high performance acoustic board such as Knauf Soundshield, or by using 15mm wallboard on 70mm studs.

Knauf Drywall manufactures a full range of plasters, plasterboards, insulating laminates, drywall accessories, metal sections and steel building systems, for domestic and commercial applications, from factories at Sittingbourne in Kent and Immingham on Humberside.

Email: bstark@knauf.co.uk

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