Whilst fire testing and classification methods for individual products are harmonised in the EU, building regulations for an overall structure- including fire safety requirements – are the responsibility of each individual EU Member State. Hence, Member States determine their own fire safety level and use a mix of products that – used together – correspond to that level.
Depending on the building type and height, the requirements for the products used will vary. Because of the challenge of evacuation patients, a hospital will often have the strictest requirements. The taller the building, the more complicated it is to escape. High-rise buildings are therefore subject to stricter fire requirements than low-rise buildings or family homes.
As you can see 2 countries in the table below – The Netherlands and Belgium – have no requirements for individual products used in the façade system, they only focus on the performance of the entire system. However, they do not have a fire-safety test for facades based on real-life, large-scale situation.
Two countries – England and Sweden – allow the use of products not fulfilling the product requirement if the entire system passes a national large-scale test. The other countries have strict requirements for the combustibility of the products used in the façade from limited combustibility (B-s3, d0) to Non-combustible (A2-s1, d0) .