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End-use testing crucial for fire safety
Largo Swisspearl Carat Ivory 7099 applied at Tagus Gas in Lisbon.

End-use testing crucial for fire safety

Practically non-combustible fiber cement wall panels

There is still much to learn about the fire safety of building materials, and specifically cladding. Harold van Coesant, account manager at Swisspearl, knows this better than anyone else. "Over the past six years I have studied intensively all aspects of precast fire safety. I notice that there is still a lot of ignorance around this subject and, as a result, mistakes are unconsciously made." 

Cembrit Windstopper Extreme open joint home
Windstopper Extreme has been used successfully in Scandinavian countries for twenty years.

The issue of fire safety has become much more complex because of the new way of building. "In the past, buildings were constructed traditionally, often with brick. Today we are seeing a shift to innovative biobased materials such as cellulose, wood fiber, flax and straw, in highly ventilated façade structures. They are combined with several other materials in today's construction methods, including wood-frame walls. The interaction between these materials strongly influences the fire rating of the facade and the fire penetration of the element."

Swisspearl Production 1
Swisspearl production. (Image: Andrea Badrutt)

Not getting stuck on the wrong choice

As a result, the "bare" fire rating of a material, in combination with the other materials used, does not provide enough information, according to Harold. "It is the combination of products and materials that determines the fire class. I notice that parties still often think they are fine if they choose materials that all have fire class B. Yet this is not the case. Ultimately, contractors are responsible for fire safety in accordance with the building code, so it is very important that they are aware of this. Moreover, a construction process can get bogged down by the wrong choices."

To support architects and contractors, Swisspearl is taking over a significant part of the responsibility. "We test our cladding materials in an end-use situation, according to the regulations of the building code. By testing as we build, you can take into account the risks of a cavity fire. Only then you get a reliable result and we can reduce the number of errors and improve safety." 

Swisspearl has studied as many as 14 different scenarios in recent years. Although this entailed significant costs, Harold emphasizes that everyone benefits. "Through these tests, we provide our customers with the right information, but also allow us to further develop our own products."

REF SNL Windstopper Nesselande Jongeneel 04
The Windstopper protects the underlying insulation.

Fire-safe alternative to vapor-open films

In a general sense, Swisspearl's fiber cement panels fall into fire class A2 and are virtually non-combustible. "Our products can also contribute to fire safety in the application of other cladding. A specific example is the use of Swisspearl Windstopper fiber cement board. This is a water-resistant, vapor-permeable and fire-resistant fiber cement board for use on the cavity side of a ventilated facade." 

Windstopper Extreme has been used successfully in Scandinavian countries for 20 years, because in 9 mm thickness it protects every possible underlying insulation from fire, rain and wind. "We found out during our test series that even the 4.5mm version of this board meets 60 minutes of fire protection, in an element filled with cellulose insulation."

Finally, Harold points out the versatility of fiber cement cladding from Swisspearl. "Our extensive range includes products that are mass colored, without black core, for example. They offer a lot of aesthetic freedom in addition to fire safety. In addition, we are even working on a combination of cladding and in-house developed solar panels, for a fire-safe, sustainable and energy-saving solution."    

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