Reaction to Fire Testing

Jensen Hughes offers a comprehensive range of reaction to fire testing services at our NATA accredited laboratory in Melbourne, Victoria.

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Experts in Fire Resistance Testing

Our NATA accredited Reaction to Fire testing examines material combustibility and ignitability, focusing on fire spread and development rather than fire resistance. Conducted on specific components or materials, reaction to fire testing is often required by codes and regulations in both the building and transport sectors. Our expert fire testing engineers and technicians offer comprehensive reaction to fire testing services, including customised test programs tailored to meet your project and compliance needs.

Jensen Hughes Staff conducting reaction to fire testing at Melbourne Laboratory

Our Reaction to Fire Testing Capabilities

Reaction to fire testing is a critical component in evaluating how materials contribute to the growth and spread of fire and are essential for meeting safety standards mandated by building and transport sector regulations. Our advanced testing facilities are equipped to analyse various fire-related properties, including ignition potential, flame spread, heat release, and smoke generation.

We perform a wide range of tests, from small-scale sample assessments to large-scale evaluations like façade tests for external walls and room burn tests for interior wall and ceiling linings. These tests provide comprehensive data on material behaviours in fire scenarios, ensuring that your products meet the highest safety standards.

Small-Scale Reaction to Fire Tests

Small-scale fire tests assess product samples in controlled environments to measure properties like flammability, heat release, and smoke production. Our small-scale reaction to fire capabilities include:

AS 1530.1: This test determines the combustibility of materials, which is crucial for understanding whether a material will ignite and contribute to a fire under specific conditions.
AS 1530.2: A bench-scale test that determines the flammability index of flexible membranes and sarking-type materials, essential for evaluating materials used in construction.
AS ISO 1716: The bomb calorimeter test used to determine the heat of combustion of a material, which helps in understanding the energy release during a fire.
AS/NZS 3837 / ISO 5660-1: The cone calorimeter test measures heat and smoke release rates, providing detailed data on a material's fire properties in controlled conditions.
ASTM D5630: This test procedure measures the inorganic content of plastics by subjecting them to a destructive heating process, offering insights into material composition and fire behaviours.

Full-Scale Reaction to Fire Tests

Full-scale fire tests evaluate how materials perform in a real-world fire scenario, examining factors like heat transfer, smoke movement , and fire spread. Our full-scale reaction to fire capabilities include:

AS ISO 9705: This full-scale room burn test evaluates the fire performance of internal wall and ceiling linings, simulating real-world conditions to determine their contribution to fire spread.
AS 5113: A full-scale façade test for the classification of external walls, providing insights into how exterior building components perform under fire exposure.