[GSBN] FASBA Fire test 8th January 2014: 8mm Lime plastered straw infill wall successful >90min

Wed Jan 29 12:45:41 UTC 2014

Congratulations to this successful test!

all the best from Austria
Herbert
-----------------
asbn - austrian strawbale network
www.baubiologie.at

Am 29.01.2014 um 13:21 schrieb Frank Tettemer:

> Compliments from Canada, to you and your team, Dirk.
> Yes, that is some good news to share,
> My one-sided-thinking has always put straw bales up on a pedestal,  
> when considering their burning emissions to the emissions apparent  
> from burning polyisocyanurate foil-backed foam, vynyl siding,or EPX  
> foam. That comparison seems to have obvious results.
>
> I had never thought to consider the emission of carbon monoxide, as  
> a result of the incomplete combustion of the straw. A headache is a  
> very visceral response. That is a very good awareness.
>
> Frank Tettemer
> Living Sol ~ Building and Design
> www.livingsol.com
> 613 756 3884
>
>
> On 28/01/2014 11:12 AM, Dirk Scharmer wrote:
>> I sent this mail on 9th of January but I didn't get it via the list  
>> by myself, so I'm afraid, it didn't go through, or did anyone of  
>> you already receive it?
>>
>> Something to share:
>> Yesterday FASBA- Germany tested a straw insulated timber frame wall  
>> plastered on both sides with "lightened" lime plaster (graefix 73  
>> pajalith declared to be 8mm thick), successful over 90 min  
>> according to DIN EN 1365-1 : 1999-10. Some weeks ago, we had an  
>> unsuccessful test of the same wall type without any cladding. We  
>> had assumed that the straw would be able to protect itself with the  
>> instantly arising charred surface. This could still be true, but we  
>> didn't consider that there is an overpressure in the burning  
>> chamber of 20 Pa when testing according to this standard. The  
>> uncladded specimen probably failed because of the very hot chamber  
>> gazes pressed into the burnable straw with 20Pa, and also because  
>> oxygen had been easily able to penetrate into it because of the  
>> absence of any cladding. The reason we did this first uncladded  
>> test was not to build uncladded, we did it because of a buerocratic  
>> and safety thing: After a successful test it is always only allowed  
>> to build exactly as tested if you want to have fire resistance  
>> acknowledged by authorities. Every detail, every material (cladding  
>> product...) has to be exactly the same, and we wanted to be free to  
>> use different types of plasters etc..
>>
>> With the successful lime plastered test yesterday we'll be allowed  
>> to build acknowledged REI30 walls this one type of lime plaster  
>> additional to the use of both sides clay as it has been stated  
>> before.
>> Both walls had been charged with a load of 112 KN on a length of  
>> 3m. The requirements for a successful test are mainly: The specimen  
>> has to be safe in stability and spatial enclosure during the test  
>> burning.
>>
>> Fire safety requirements in Germany roughly summed up:
>> <= 2-family house: REI 0 // <=3 storeys and 400sqm: REI 30 // <=5  
>> storeys with unit size <400sqm walls has to reach "K2-60":
>>
>> 3- to 5- storey buildings:
>> "K2-60" means that the three straw is 60 min protected  
>> ("encapsulated") against 200°C and the timber against 270°C during  
>> a "full fire". Research in the last two years for the 5-storey  
>> office in Verden/ Germany showed that this encapsulation is  
>> possible with, lets say, 50-70mm lime plaster and 70-80mm clay  
>> plaster (conventionally done by 2x18mm gypsum fire protection  
>> boards or 2x18mm gypsum fibre boards). The common 30mm lime or clay  
>> plasters might have a protection against this development of off- 
>> ing burnable gazes (straw/ timer staring to get brown coloured) for  
>> approx. 15-30min. Besides that, before a wall is failing during  
>> fire resistance tests there also could happen incomplete combustion  
>> with the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning and of course the  
>> danger of smoke. These are no standard criteria but should be of  
>> interest for us.
>>
>> Besides joyful-to-read-fire-resistance-results:
>> Every straw builder and designer should keep in mind that straw  
>> insulated components (and of course the timber) are burning and off- 
>> gazing during a fire.That means even though we might have  
>> successful REI of 30min and more, habitants and fire fighters could  
>> be exposed to serious health hazards already actually during  
>> earlier minutes of a fire depending of the type of cladding and  
>> proper building details. During the testing yesterday we've been  
>> accidentally exposed to very high concentrations of carbon monoxide  
>> beneath the test specimen, enough for a decent headache, this  
>> wasn't that nice. Fire resistance, at least as it is implemented in  
>> Europe, in general means only stability and spacial enclosure over  
>> a specified time during a full fire. Successful tests don't say  
>> anything about health hazards during fire coming from the building  
>> components no matter what they are made of. I know, we as  
>> enthusiasts don't like these kind of intermediate shadows in the  
>> bright shining of straw building but if we want to be better than  
>> the others we have to deal with intermediate tones.
>>
>> If there is interest:
>> If FASBA will receive donations of about 500€ in total with subject  
>> "Translation Fire test 2014" the test report could be published in  
>> english done by an acknowledged translator.
>> Bank: GLS- Gemeinschaftsbank Bochum, Owner: FASBA e.V., Account:  
>> 800 7971 500, IBAN: DE 82 4306 0967 8007 9715 00, BIC: GENODEM1GLS
>> or sending via paypal to info at fasba.de.
>>
>> Have a healthy, successful year 2014!
>>
>> Dirk Scharmer - Architect
>>
>>
>> Fachverband Strohballenbau Deutschland e.V.
>> FASBA e.V.
>> Artilleriestr.6
>> D- 27283 Verden
>> Email: info at fasba.de
>> www.fasba.de
>>
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