Study of Test Method for Evaluation of Fire Propagaion along Façade Wall with Exterior Thermal Insulation

Current Japanese building standards dictate that with regard to fire protection for the exterior facade walls of buildings, the only matter for consideration is “fire-resistive performance,” which is constituted of stability, integrity and insulation. There are no evaluations of fire propagation along combustible material installed on the external sides of walls, even though combustion of external cladding could cause accelerated fire propagation along exterior facade walls. In this study, the authors have proposed a test method for evaluation of fire propagation along combustible cladding, and test specimens produced in reference to facade walls with exterior thermal insulation were burned in order to demonstrate the application of the method.