Fire-Tested and Safe Ceiling Tiles

Fire reaction refers to the surface burning of materials and the rate at which they contribute to the growth of a developing fire within a particular area.

Fire resistance is concerned (after the fire has developed) with preventing the fire from spreading through the building and attacking and destroying elements of structure.

This is the harmonised European classification for the fire reaction performance of building materials which may appear (in descending order of significance) as A1, A2, B, C, D, E or F.

Also, and depending upon national market legislation, additional information regarding smoke production and flaming droplets or particles may be required, for example A2-s1, d0.

In relation to suspended ceilings, fire resistance can only be achieved by a combined tile and grid system. There is no such thing as a fire resistant tile or a fire resistant grid.

Depending upon national market legislation, the type of structure to be protected i.e. wood, concrete or steel, and our product offer, our Zentia ceiling systems can typically provide 30 or 60 minutes of protection. Full details of the ceiling type and construction, protected structure and tested time are given in each fire report, copies of which are available on request.

The need for clips depends upon national market legislation, practice and product offer. Get in touch to discuss the issue with our experts. (link to contact page)

If your enquiry relates only to the fire reaction performance of Zentia ceilings, then hold-down clips are not necessary for this application.

To some extent this depends upon national market legislation and test performance, so our experts will be able to tell you which products are tested and the performance that they provide.

Within the EU, there is a system that describes three basic criteria for fire resistance as REI. These are defined as:

R = load bearing (capacity to provide structural stability)

E = integrity (capacity to remain intact)

I = insulation (capacity to maintain a defined temperature on the unexposed side of the building element).

Each member state is free to determine the criteria that shall apply within their own markets, so these letters may also appear as RE or EI and all three combinations will be followed by a number e.g. EI 30, indicating the minimum time in minutes that protection can or must be maintained.

This is dependent on national market legislation, the type of structure to be protected, and our product offer. Please get in touch with our experts, who will be able to advise you on the specific products that can be used.

The fire protection of buildings can be “active”, for example the use of detectors, automatic alarms (to people and emergency services), water sprinklers or gaseous systems. Or it can be “passive”, which is the provision of suitably tested lining materials and building constructions which inhibit the growth and spread of fire.

Have the light fittings been successfully tested or assessed by a recognised expert in conjunction with the proposed Zentia ceiling?

If they have not, you should speak to the relevant fire authority and obtain approval before commencing the Zentia ceiling installation. You should rely on unauthorised methods, such as overlaying or surrounding the lighting fittings with 'fire blankets', mineral wool pads or offcuts from the ceiling tiles, to assume that the ceiling's fire resistance will not be compromised.

In the event of a detected fire, a GFP system will rapidly release an inert gas into the room that will suppress and extinguish the fire without damaging the room's contents. The rapid introduction of the gas will result in a significant over-pressure within the room, albeit of a short duration. This could result in lay-in ceiling tiles being lifted from the grid if sufficient and suitable pressure relief devices have not been included as part of the GFPS installation.

You should consult with your client to see if hold-down clips (e.g. BP A7890) are required to minimise tile movement. The use of metal clip-in tiles is an ideal solution for these types of installation because the positive gas pressure cannot dislodge the tiles from their grid.

If you are just relying on the partition/grid fixings to locate the partition, this should not adversely affect the ceiling's structural fire protection, provided you ensure that the partition is not fixed to a main runner either side of the grid's expansion cut-out which would prevent it from activating in the event of a fire.

However, if you are also using the ceiling grid to provide lateral restraint to the partition then, in the event of a fire, this could contribute to the premature collapse of the ceiling system with the consequential loss of protection to the structure.

If it is this second reason why you want to provide the partition/grid fixings, you should speak to the relevant building control and/or fire authority and obtain approval before commencing the installation.

In general, any overlay that is added directly to the back of a Zentia suspended ceiling to try to increase its fire, thermal or acoustic performance, and which has not been successfully tested or assessed by a recognised expert in conjunction with the ceiling, could have an adverse effect on the structural fire protection and fire reaction properties of the ceiling system.

You should not undertake the installation of any overlay for this purpose without speaking to the relevant fire authority and obtaining approval.

UK and Republic of Ireland Building Regulations require that building linings, such as suspended ceilings, meet the appropriate fire reaction performance depending on the area of application.

Fire reaction performance for suspended ceilings is shown using the Euroclass fire reaction classification. Products achieving B-s2,d3 (or better) are defined as Class 0 in the Building Regulations – a performance that is easily met by all Zentia ceiling products. This means that they can be used in all areas of a building.