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Green Building Bible, Fourth Edition
Green Building Bible, fourth edition (both books)
These two books are the perfect starting place to help you get to grips with one of the most vitally important aspects of our society - our homes and living environment.

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      CommentAuthordjh
    • CommentTimeOct 25th 2024 edited
     
    The news just had an item about EPS being fitted on new buildings, which showed an alarming fire test carried out in Australia. Does anybody know whether either the fire test or the current regs for the use of EPS on buildings are for EPS with or without fire redardant incorporated?

    edit to say: I just did a search and the Australian test appears to be of EPS *with* fire retardant, which is rather worrying. Details here: https://www.vba.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/134289/Rendered-Expanded-Polystyrene-EPS-Testing-Outcome.pdf
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      CommentAuthorfostertom
    • CommentTimeOct 25th 2024 edited
     
    It refers to Aus Building Classes 2 to 9, which together cover the whole range of building types except individual (detached, semi-detached or terraced) houses, which are Class 1 (Class 10 is garden sheds etc). Class 2 is apartments.

    And it refers to Construction Types A and B: "There are three types of construction, namely A, B and C, which are determined by the building's class and rise in storeys. Type A includes buildings that have a higher risk such as high rise, high occupant buildings and is therefore the most fire resistant. Type C includes buildings that have a lower risk and is therefore the least fire resistant. (Type B is in between).

    So broadly, for residential buildings, these panic-findings of combustibility etc are considered a problem for taller blocks of apartments, but aren't raising any concern about low rise houses, which are presumably Type C. So about same as UK Building Regs.

    Generally, UK Fire Regs are solely concerned about allowing specified time for evacuation of occupants (not their belongings) in a fire, not at all about preservation of the building. For one, two and in some respects three storey residential buildings, evacuation is easily achieved with fire resistance requirements incl spread-of-flame over internal surfaces - easily achieved with common materials. So flamability of exterior EPS isn't a problem. With the big proviso of distance to adjoining buildings/property boundary, which can rule out any flamable external surfaces incl EPS, to prevent fire transmission to neighbours.

    In general, this study isn't news in UK; UK regs pretty well cover it.
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      CommentAuthordjh
    • CommentTimeOct 25th 2024
     
    Thanks, Tom. I'm more concerned to learn that EPS with fire retardant can burn and in such a spectacular fashion. It self-extinguished when I tried to light it. I'll need to read more to understand the difference.
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