Fibre Reinforced Facade Encyclopedia: Testing and standards
Reaction to fire describes how a material or product behaves when it is itself exposed to fire: whether it ignites, how fast flame spreads across it, how much heat and smoke it releases, and whether it drops burning particles. Fire resistance describes something different: how long a complete building element, such as a wall, floor or door, continues to contain a fire on one side. Cladding materials are classified by reaction to fire. Walls are rated for fire resistance. Confusing the two is the commonest error in facade specification.
A non-combustible GRC panel has the best possible reaction to fire and no fire resistance rating at all. A plasterboard wall can have a 90 minute fire resistance level while being made of a material that scores Group 1 for reaction to fire. The two properties are measured by different tests on different things.
At a glance
| Property | Typical value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Reaction to fire asks | Does the product burn, and how? | Material or product property |
| Fire resistance asks | How long does the element hold the fire back? | Assembly property |
| Reaction to fire tests | AS 1530.1, AS 1530.3, AS 5637.1, EN 13501-1, ASTM E84, ASTM E136 | Non-combustibility, indices, group number, class |
| Fire resistance tests | AS 1530.4, EN 13501-2, ASTM E119, BS 476 parts 20 to 22 | FRL in minutes, e.g. 90/90/90; EI 60; 2 hour |
| Full-scale facade tests | AS 5113, BS 8414 with BR 135, NFPA 285 | Assess the whole external wall system, a third category |
| Applies to cladding | Reaction to fire and full-scale tests | Not fire resistance |
Reaction to fire: the material side
The sequence of reaction-to-fire tests runs from the most severe to the most descriptive. The combustibility furnace test decides whether a material can burn at all. Small-scale tests such as AS 1530.3, the cone calorimeter and the European SBI test measure ignitability, flame spread, heat release and smoke for materials that can. Group number and EN 13501-1 classes turn those measurements into a grade. Every result is a property of the product as tested, at the thickness and with the surface tested.
Fire resistance: the assembly side
A fire resistance test places a full-size wall, floor or door in front of a furnace following a standard time-temperature curve and records how long it maintains structural adequacy, integrity (no gaps for flame or hot gas) and insulation (limited temperature rise on the cold side). The result is a fire resistance level such as 90/90/90 in Australia, EI 60 in Europe or a two hour rating in the US. It belongs to the whole assembly: framing, lining, insulation, fixings and joints. Change any of them and the rating no longer applies.
External cladding is usually outside the fire-resisting part of the wall. The structural wall behind it carries the FRL; the rainscreen panel, cavity and insulation are assessed for reaction to fire and, in taller buildings, by a full-scale facade test.
The third category: full-scale facade tests
Because a facade is a system, the codes added a third kind of test after the cladding fires of the 2010s. AS 5113, BS 8414 and NFPA 285 build a section of the real external wall, two or more storeys high, and light a fire at its base. They assess flame spread up the face and inside the cavity, burning debris, and in AS 5113 the damage to the system afterwards. These are neither reaction-to-fire tests on a material nor fire resistance tests on an element; they are performance tests on the assembly as installed, and they are the evidence a fire engineer uses for a Performance Solution.
Words to use and words to avoid
- Say non-combustible only for a material with a furnace test pass, and name the standard
- Say Group 1, Class B-s2,d0 or Class A flame spread for reaction-to-fire grades, and name the standard
- Say fire resistance level or FRL only for a tested wall, floor or door assembly
- Do not say fire rated cladding; cladding is classified, walls are rated
- Do not say highest fire rating for a group number or a class
Standards and references
- AS 1530.1, AS 1530.3, AS 5637.1 (reaction to fire, Australia); AS 1530.4 (fire resistance, Australia)
- EN 13501-1 (reaction to fire, Europe); EN 13501-2 (fire resistance, Europe)
- ASTM E84 and ASTM E136 (reaction to fire, US); ASTM E119 and UL 263 (fire resistance, US)
- AS 5113, BS 8414 with BR 135, NFPA 285 (full-scale external wall tests)
- NCC 2022 Volume One, Part C2 and Specification 7 (check the edition adopted in your jurisdiction)
Related terms
Questions specifiers ask
Is cladding fire rated?
Cladding materials are classified by reaction to fire, not rated for fire resistance. A fire rating, or FRL, belongs to a wall, floor or door assembly. The phrase fire rated cladding is imprecise and best avoided in specifications.
Can a non-combustible panel have an FRL?
Not by itself. Non-combustibility is a material property. An FRL is a property of a tested assembly. A non-combustible panel can be part of a wall that has an FRL, but the rating belongs to the wall.
What test does an FRP facade need?
A reaction-to-fire classification such as EN 13501-1 Class B or AS 5637 Group 1, plus a full-scale facade test such as AS 5113, BS 8414 or NFPA 285 for use on taller buildings.
Which is more important for an external wall?
In most codes, reaction to fire and the full-scale test govern the cladding; fire resistance governs the wall behind it. Both are required, on different components.
ShapeShell fire performance is published test by test, standard by standard, so you can put the right result in the right place. See ShapeShell fire test data
Reviewed by Richard Halvorsen, General Manager, ShapeShift Technologies. Last updated September 2026.