Fibre Reinforced Facade Encyclopedia: Testing and standards
NFPA 285 is the US standard fire test for evaluating the fire propagation characteristics of exterior wall assemblies that contain combustible components. A two-storey section of the real wall, about 5.5 metres high, is built on a test rig and exposed to a room fire and a window burner for 30 minutes. The International Building Code requires the test for most exterior walls with combustible materials on buildings of Type I to IV construction.
NFPA 285 does not test a material. It tests the whole assembly: cladding, air gap, insulation, weather barrier, sheathing, framing and fire stopping, in the configuration that will be built. Change a layer and the test may no longer apply.
At a glance
| Property | Typical value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | NFPA 285 Standard Fire Test Method for Evaluation of Fire Propagation Characteristics of Exterior Wall Assemblies Containing Combustible Components | |
| Rig | Two-storey test structure, about 5.5 m high by 4 m wide, with a window opening in the lower storey | |
| Fire exposure | Room burner inside the lower storey plus a window burner | 30 minutes total |
| Pass criteria | Flames do not extend more than 3.05 m (10 ft) above the window head; no flame into the upper room; temperature limits in the wall cavity and on the second-storey interior are not exceeded | |
| Required by | IBC Chapter 14 and material sections including 1402.5, 2603 (foam plastics), 2612/2613 (FRP) | Height and material thresholds apply |
| Comparable tests | AS 5113 (Australia), BS 8414 with BR 135 (UK), CAN/ULC S134 (Canada) | Different rigs and criteria; not interchangeable |
Why the IBC requires it
The IBC allows combustible components in the exterior walls of non-combustible construction types only if the assembly is shown not to propagate fire up the face of the building. NFPA 285 is that demonstration. It is triggered by foam plastic insulation, by metal composite material and by fiber-reinforced polymer cladding above set heights, and by water-resistive barriers and other combustible layers in most tall buildings. The specific triggers and exemptions sit in the material chapters, and they have changed between the 2015, 2018 and 2021 editions, so the edition adopted by the local jurisdiction matters.
How the test runs
The assembly is built full scale on the rig with the window opening in the first storey. A gas burner inside the first-storey room runs for the full 30 minutes; a second burner in the window opening starts at five minutes and ramps up. Thermocouples on the face of the wall, inside the cavity and inside the second-storey room record temperatures. Observers record flame height. The assembly passes if flames stay below 3.05 metres above the window head, no flames enter the upper room, and the temperature limits are met. Damage to the cladding is not itself a failure.
Engineering judgements
Because every variation of an assembly cannot be tested, the US system accepts engineering judgements from fire protection engineers that extend a tested assembly to similar configurations, for example a different cladding thickness or a different insulation brand of the same class. Judgements are written documents referencing specific tests and are reviewed by the authority having jurisdiction. A cladding supplier entering the US market needs both an NFPA 285 test on a representative assembly and a programme of engineering judgements to cover the assemblies architects actually draw.
What it means for GFRC and FRP
A GFRC cladding that passes ASTM E136 is non-combustible and does not itself trigger NFPA 285, though the insulation or barrier behind it may. An FRP cladding is a combustible component and, under IBC Section 2612 (2018) or 2613 (2021), requires ASTM E84 Class A flame spread and, above 40 feet in most cases, an NFPA 285 test of the assembly, in addition to other conditions on thickness, area and fire blocking.
Standards and references
- NFPA 285 (current edition 2023)
- International Building Code 2021: Sections 1402.5, 1403, 1404, 2603, 2613; IBC 2018 Section 2612
- ASTM E84 (flame spread, required alongside NFPA 285 for FRP)
- ASTM E136 (non-combustibility)
- AS 5113, BS 8414 and BR 135, CAN/ULC S134 (comparable full-scale tests elsewhere)
Open the fire standards atlas to see how NFPA 285 lines up with AS 5113.
Related terms
Questions specifiers ask
Does GFRC need NFPA 285?
A GFRC panel that is non-combustible under ASTM E136 does not itself trigger NFPA 285. The assembly behind it, particularly foam insulation or a combustible water-resistive barrier, may still require the test.
Does FRP cladding need NFPA 285 in the US?
Yes in most cases above 40 feet on Type I to IV construction, under IBC Section 2612 or 2613, together with ASTM E84 Class A flame spread and other conditions. Below that height the code allows FRP with fewer requirements.
Is NFPA 285 the same as BS 8414 or AS 5113?
No. All three are full-scale facade tests but the rigs, fire sources, durations and pass criteria differ, and each code references its own test. A pass in one is evidence of behaviour but not compliance with the other.
What is an NFPA 285 engineering judgement?
A written assessment by a fire protection engineer that a tested assembly’s result extends to a similar untested configuration. Judgements are accepted by many US authorities and are how suppliers cover the range of wall build-ups architects specify.
Has ShapeShell been tested to NFPA 285?
ShapeShell-RT has passed the full-scale BS 8414 and AS 5113 facade test at BRE Global. Whether an NFPA 285 test has been completed should be confirmed with ShapeShift for US projects.
Working on a US or Middle East project? Ask ShapeShift for the current full-scale test file and the pathway for your assembly. Contact the technical team
Reviewed by Richard Halvorsen, General Manager, ShapeShift Technologies. Last updated September 2026.