FR Cladding - Fire Retardant Timber - Contra-Burn®

FR timber and plywood is material that has been treated to slow the spread of fire propagation and prevent ignition. The spread of flame is measured against a known standard of EN 13501-1.

Increases the available time to safely evacuate a burning building

Reduces the rate of fire spread

Reduces smoke

By using FR Timber or FR Plywood you are using material that has passed and been approved to a measured standard as outlined in the Building Regulations. Treated material behaves and reacts to fire in a known and quantifiable way.

Class 1 and 0 were British standards BS476-7 which had started to be phased out in 2008 and completed by 2013. The standards were replaced by a harmonised European Standard. Document B refers to this harmonisation.

Building Regulations and Fire Safety Standard (2010 and 2013 amendments) - Fire Safety: Approved Document B

Volume 1 - Dwelling Houses. Volume 2 - Buildings other than Dwelling Houses.

This is a government document that specifies building regulations concerning fire. Public and private buildings 3m or 4m high.

This document outlines how to build a structure to achieve building “sign-off” from the building inspector. A Fire Officer is also involved.

The Architect and Structural Engineer will refer to Document B:

External Link to Document B

Resistance is measured in time (e.g. a 30 minute fire door) and usually relates to a composite, an assembled product or a constructed setup.

Reaction usually relates to individual material components, such as timber and plywood, where they are sold with a known and measured reaction to fire.

These are two different tests.