IFSECInsider-Logo-Square-23

Author Bio ▼

IFSEC Insider, formerly IFSEC Global, is the leading online community and news platform for security and fire safety professionals.
January 30, 2014

Download

Whitepaper: Enhancing security, resilience and efficiency across a range of industries

A Worrying New Fire Risk in Timber-Framed Buildings

Fires have been able to spread into combustible wall cavities from outside the building, worrying new tests by the FPA have shown.

Following a number of significant fires in occupied light timber-frame buildings where it appeared the fire had entered from outside, the FPA was asked to help investigate contributing factors. Whilst it seems extraordinary that a fire could get into the combustible cavity from outside of the building, the resilience of the external envelope to fire ingress is barely addressed in building codes, which focus on the combatting and control of fires emanating from within.

Common to these fires were plastic “air bricks” inserted into the masonry skin to provide ventilation to under-floor cavities.

In a remarkable demonstration at the FPA’s laboratory open day on Friday, technical director Dr Jim Glockling demonstrated how quickly one of these vents — which are commonly used in timber-framed homes — can catch fire using nothing more than a cigarette lighter. Within between three to five seconds the vent was alight, with the flames gradually being pulled inwards and causing a much larger fire to take hold within the timber-framed wall cavities.

Click on the image below to see a full gallery from the FPA demo:

The plastic air bricks that were tested at the FPA’s laboratory.
The plastic air bricks that were tested at the FPA’s laboratory.

This is a worrying new discovery, and the FPA is now in initial steps to work with the UK Timber Frame Association, CFOA, HSE, and British Standards Institution to try and control it. Currently this style of plastic venting brick is not subject to flammability tests or requirements, something the FPA and other stakeholders are keen to see resolved. Experiments with other plastic fittings such as domestic waste pipes, bathroom vents, and dryer outlets, demonstrated them to be equally ignitable and likely to transmit fire into the timber frame.

Dr Glockling told the audience of fire safety experts and professionals, as well as insurers and builders, that if the knowledge of how potentially flammable these items are became widely known, that would provide a risk to consider for home and building owners who could be vulnerable to arsonists. He is keen to see a change to the guidance given on product selection for all fixtures and fittings that could form a fire “weak-spot” in the external envelope of these and other combustible structures, he said.
Firefighting robot
Dr Glockling also demonstrated the result of a research programme that the FPA has undertaken on behalf of the Royal Navy to try to adapt existing technologies to the task of robotically fighting fires aboard ships.

Using basic CCTV cameras in association with a flame recognition system, Dr Glockling demonstrated how two cameras, with a known location, could be used to pinpoint the seat of a developing fire and — combined with a steerable firefighting branch — quickly and automatically provide a targeted jet of water to the seat of the fire before it was able to develop significantly.

The cameras in the test were combined with a video flame detection system, SigniFire, to identify the presence of flames. The results were impressive, with videos showing a fire being extinguished using water with no direct human interference.

The Akron Brass FireFox controllable branch used in the research.

The Akron Brass FireFox controllable branch used in the research.

The project to develop a Shipboard Intelligent Fire Suppression System (SIFSS) was shown by Dr Glockling and his team to be practically possible, and the use of CCTV cameras shows that this technology could be retrofitted to existing surveillance cameras.

Other means of accurately pinpointing fire location are being tested, including IR devices, which, unlike cameras, will be resilient to smoke logging, and fiber optic systems for use in highly cluttered spaces. These systems have the potential of keeping their sailors out of harm’s way by reducing the incidence of their having to fight fires on board the Royal Navy’s vessels.

 

2023 Fire Safety eBook – Grab your free copy!

Download the Fire Safety in 2023 eBook, keeping you up to date with the biggest news and prosecution stories from around the industry. Chapters include important updates such as the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and an overview of the new British Standard for the digital management of fire safety information.

Plus, we explore the growing risks of lithium-ion battery fires and hear from experts in disability evacuation and social housing.

FireSafetyeBook-CoverPage-23

Related Topics

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
1 Comment
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
JamesSimon1
JamesSimon1
February 6, 2015 4:47 am

In our construction class, we recently learned about fire breaks in walls. It’s a simple concept, but it can help to reduce the spread of fire. The insulation you use can also be fire-resistant if you get the right type. Of course, fire breaks only serve to slow the spread, not stop it entirely.
http://www.trussesandframe.com.au/products-and-services

Topics: