Fibre Reinforced Facade Encyclopedia: Testing and standards
Non-combustibility is the property of a material that does not ignite, burn or release significant heat when exposed to a furnace at about 750 °C under a standard test. It is the strictest reaction-to-fire property a building material can have, and in Australia, the UK, the US and most other jurisdictions it is the default requirement for the external walls of taller and higher-risk buildings.
Three furnace tests decide non-combustibility around the world: AS 1530.1 in Australia and New Zealand, EN ISO 1182 in Europe and the UK, ASTM E136 in the US and Canada (CAN/ULC S114). They are similar in principle and not interchangeable in law.
At a glance
| Property | Typical value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Test principle | Small specimen in a furnace at about 750 °C | Temperature rise, flaming and mass loss are measured |
| AS 1530.1 outcome | Combustible or Not Deemed Combustible | NCC uses Not Deemed Combustible as non-combustible |
| EN ISO 1182 outcome | Contributes to Class A1 or A2 under EN 13501-1 | A1 has tighter limits than A2 |
| ASTM E136 outcome | Pass or fail | Referenced by IBC Section 703.5 |
| Materials that typically pass | Concrete, GRC, steel, glass, mineral wool, fibre cement, gypsum products | Product specific; coatings and cores can change the result |
| Materials that cannot pass | Polymers including FRP, ACP with polyethylene core, timber | These are classified by other tests |
What the test measures
A small cylindrical specimen is placed in an electrically heated furnace and held there for a set period, typically 30 minutes. Thermocouples record the furnace and specimen temperatures, an observer records any flaming, and the specimen is weighed before and after. A material is non-combustible if it does not raise the furnace temperature by more than a set amount (50 °C in AS 1530.1, 30 °C for Class A1 and 50 °C for A2 under EN ISO 1182), does not flame for more than a few seconds, and in the European test does not lose more than half its mass.
The test is deliberately severe. It does not ask whether a material will help or hinder a real fire; it asks whether the material itself can burn at all.
Deemed non-combustible without testing
The NCC also lists materials that may be used wherever a non-combustible material is required without a test: plasterboard, fibre-reinforced cement sheeting, pre-painted or coated steel, and bonded laminates that meet specific criteria on facing thickness and adhesive. This list is short and specific. GRC is not on it, which is why a GRC product used on a Type A or B external wall needs its own AS 1530.1 report.
What non-combustible does not mean
It does not mean fire resistant. Fire resistance is a property of a wall or floor assembly, measured in minutes under AS 1530.4, EN 13501-2 or ASTM E119, and a non-combustible panel can sit in a wall with no fire resistance rating at all.
It does not mean the whole cladding system is safe. Fixings, cavity barriers, insulation, membranes and sealants are all part of the external wall, and each is subject to its own provisions.
It does not transfer between jurisdictions. An AS 1530.1 result is not an EN ISO 1182 result. A product sold in several markets needs the test each market’s code references, which is why the same GRC panel may hold an Australian report, a European Class A1 classification and a US ASTM E136 pass.
Why it matters for facades
After the Lacrosse fire in Melbourne in 2014 and Grenfell Tower in London in 2017, non-combustibility became the central requirement for external walls of buildings above modest heights. The NCC requires it for Type A and Type B construction, the UK bans combustible materials in the external walls of relevant buildings above 18 metres, and the IBC restricts combustible components in the exterior walls of Type I to IV construction. Non-combustible cladding materials, principally GRC, fibre cement, terracotta, stone, glass and metal with mineral cores, are the Deemed-to-Satisfy route; everything else is a performance solution.
Standards and references
- AS 1530.1-1994 Methods for fire tests on building materials, components and structures, Part 1: Combustibility test for materials
- NCC 2022 Volume One, C2D10 (non-combustible building elements) and Schedule 1 definition of non-combustible (check the edition adopted in your jurisdiction)
- EN ISO 1182 Reaction to fire tests for products: non-combustibility test; EN 13501-1
- ASTM E136 Standard Test Method for Assessing Combustibility of Materials Using a Vertical Tube Furnace at 750 °C; IBC 703.5
- CAN/ULC S114 Standard Method of Test for Determination of Non-Combustibility in Building Materials
Related terms
Questions specifiers ask
Is GRC non-combustible?
A GRC product can be classified non-combustible when tested. ShapeShell-RC has an AS/NZS 1530.1 result of Not Deemed Combustible from Ignis Labs. The result belongs to the tested product and thickness.
Is FRP non-combustible?
No. FRP has a polymer matrix and cannot pass a combustibility test. It is classified by reaction-to-fire tests and full-scale facade tests instead.
Is non-combustible the same as fire rated?
No. Non-combustibility is a material property from a furnace test. A fire rating, or fire resistance level, is a property of a wall or floor assembly measured in minutes. A non-combustible material can be part of an assembly with no fire rating.
Does an Australian AS 1530.1 result count in the UK or US?
Not automatically. The UK references EN ISO 1182 and EN 13501-1; the US references ASTM E136. Products sold internationally are tested to each standard.
What is Deemed-to-Satisfy non-combustible cladding?
Cladding that either passes AS 1530.1 or is on the NCC’s list of materials deemed non-combustible without testing, such as fibre-reinforced cement sheeting and plasterboard.
Need a moulded facade that is non-combustible under the Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions? ShapeShell-RC holds an AS/NZS 1530.1 result of Not Deemed Combustible. See ShapeShell fire test data
Reviewed by Richard Halvorsen, General Manager, ShapeShift Technologies. Last updated September 2026.