“Non-combustible” is not one thing. It is a specific result against a specific test in a specific jurisdiction, and a panel that satisfies the definition in one market has not thereby satisfied it in another. This page sets out what the term means where you are building and what ShapeShift Technologies holds.
The single most important point. Fire compliance is assessed on the complete wall or lining system, including the backing wall, supports, insulation, cavity treatment, fixings, sealants and coatings. A test result on a panel is evidence about the panel, not a verdict on the wall. The pathway for any building is set by its fire engineer and approving authority.
What the term means, market by market
In Australia and New Zealand, non-combustibility is determined by AS 1530.1, a furnace test on the material itself. The NCC uses that result within deemed-to-satisfy provisions for external walls, alongside AS 1530.3 indices, the group number from AS 5637, and AS 5113 for the full-scale facade test on a performance solution pathway.
In Europe the equivalent concept is Euroclass A1 or A2 under EN 13501-1, determined by EN ISO 1182 and related tests. In the United States, ASTM E136 is the non-combustibility test and NFPA 285 is the full-scale wall assembly test the IBC calls up where combustible components are present. In the United Kingdom, limited combustibility is defined in Approved Document B, with BS 8414 tested against the BR 135 criteria.
These are different tests measuring different things. Compare all nine main jurisdictions side by side in the facade fire standards atlas.
What ShapeShift holds
ShapeShell-RC, the glass fibre reinforced concrete panel, holds an AS/NZS 1530.1 non-combustibility result from Ignis Labs. That is the result the term attaches to.
ShapeShell-RT is architectural FRP, a composite with a thermoset resin matrix. It is not non-combustible and is not described that way. It has been independently tested and holds an EN 13501-1 classification of B-s2, d0 from Intertek on the 10 mm laminate, AS 1530.3 indices, and a BS 8414 and AS 5113 large-scale facade test through BRE Global. Those are real results and they are the right ones to quote, but they are not a non-combustibility claim.
The complete evidence, with the testing body and material named against each standard, is on the facade fire test evidence page.
Specifying it properly
Three questions settle most of it. Which jurisdiction governs the building, and therefore which standard applies. Which pathway is being used, deemed-to-satisfy or a performance solution. And whether the evidence being offered is for the panel alone or for the assembly as built, because those are not the same document.
Where a project is in a market ShapeShift has not tested to, say so early. A test programme has a lead time and a cost, and it is far cheaper to know at tender than at shop drawing stage.
The test, by jurisdiction
| Jurisdiction | Non-combustibility or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Australia and New Zealand | AS 1530.1, with AS 1530.3 indices, AS 5637 group number and AS 5113 facade test |
| Europe | EN 13501-1 Euroclass A1 or A2, determined via EN ISO 1182 |
| United States | ASTM E136 for non-combustibility, NFPA 285 for the wall assembly, ASTM E84 for surface burning |
| United Kingdom | Limited combustibility under Approved Document B, BS 8414 against BR 135 |
| Canada | ULC S114 and ULC S134 |
| Transferability | None. Each result is specific to its own test and jurisdiction |
For the panel itself see GFRC panels and ShapeShell-RC. For how the cladding system is built up see GRC cladding, and for how the materials compare on fire and other criteria see cladding panels compared.
Terms explained
Short definitions of the terms on this page, in our facade materials encyclopedia.
Common questions
What does non-combustible cladding mean?
It means the cladding material has passed the non-combustibility test used in that jurisdiction. In Australia that is AS 1530.1. In Europe it is Euroclass A1 or A2 under EN 13501-1. In the United States it is ASTM E136. The term has no meaning independent of a test and a market.
Is ShapeShell-RC non-combustible?
ShapeShell-RC holds an AS/NZS 1530.1 non-combustibility result from Ignis Labs. That result is specific to that standard and that jurisdiction.
Is ShapeShell-RT non-combustible?
No. ShapeShell-RT is architectural FRP and is not described as non-combustible. It holds an EN 13501-1 classification of B-s2, d0 from Intertek on the 10 mm laminate, AS 1530.3 indices, and a BS 8414 and AS 5113 facade test through BRE Global.
Does an Australian result work in Europe or the United States?
No. Results do not transfer automatically between jurisdictions. Each regime has its own test method, its own criteria and its own approval process.
Is the panel or the wall what gets assessed?
The complete wall system, including the backing wall, supports, insulation, cavity treatment, fixings, sealants and coatings. A panel test result is evidence within that assessment, not a substitute for it.
Who decides the compliance pathway?
The project fire engineer and the approving authority. Nothing on this page is a compliance assessment.
Reviewed by Richard Halvorsen, General Manager, ShapeShift Technologies.