Fire performance of external thermal insulation for walls of multistorey buildings, third edition (BR 135)

BRE (Building Research Establishment) is an independent, research-based consultancy, testing and training organisation, operating in the built environment and associated industries.

In 2013, BRE published Fire performance of external thermal insulation for walls of multistorey buildings: Third edition (BR 135), written by Sarah Colwell and Tony Baker.

External cladding systems offer a potential route for the spread of fire through multistorey buildings. BR 135 sets out principles, design methodologies and fire spread performance characteristics for non-loadbearing cladding systems.

The first edition was published in 1988 in response to the increasing use of thermal insulation in the refurbishment of multistorey buildings. This third edition and has been revised to reflect the growing market for external cladding systems and the increasingly demanding requirements for thermal performance requirements. It also provides updated guidance on the performance of current materials and technologies.

It describes and illustrates scenarios based on typical examples of current practice, allowing designers to understand the parameters relating to fire safety design and the construction of external cladding. It also consolidates the fire performance classification systems for full-scale fire tests in BS 8414 Fire performance of external cladding systems.

The contents of BR 135 are:

• Executive summary.
• Introduction.
• Legislation.
• Mechanisms of fire spread.
• Cladding systems: Application and types.
• External finish construction types.
• Fire performance design principles for external cladding systems.
• Annex A: Performance criteria and classification method of BS 8414-1.
• Annex B: Performance criteria and classification for BS 8414-2.

BR 135 became the centre of attention in June 2017, when ACM cladding was the focus of investigations into the speed at which fire spread in the Grenfell Tower fire. See ACM cladding form more information.

--BRE Group

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

• ACM cladding.
• Automatic fire detection and alarm systems, an introductory guide to components and systems BR 510.
• Automatic fire sprinkler systems: A good practice guide.
• BR135: Annex B. Performance criteria and classification method for BS 8414-2:2005.
• BRE articles on Designing Buildings Wiki.
• BS 8414-2: Fire performance of external cladding systems.
• Building Research Establishment.
• CIBSE updates Fire Safety Engineering guidance.
• External fire spread, Supplementary guidance to BR 187 incorporating probabilistic and time-based approaches.
• External fire spread: building separation and boundary distances (BR 187).
• External wall insulation.
• Fire in buildings.
• Grenfell Tower fire.
• HPL cladding.
• How installer competence can help prevent major residential fires.
• Sprinkler systems explained: A guide to sprinkler installation standards and rules.
• The causes of false fire alarms in buildings.
• The role of codes, standards and approvals in delivering fire safety.
• Understanding the factors affecting flashover of a fire in modern buildings.
• Visual alarm devices - their effectiveness in warning of fire.

Comments

Hi. My name is Zaini Ahmadand I work for SIRIM in Malaysia.

I would like to know how can I purchase the BR 135 document. I hope to get a respond from you soon.

You can buy it here https://www.brebookshop.com/details.jsp?id=327137