Buildings: Insulation

(asked on 30th January 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the further testing to check the fire safety of building materials his Department is commissioning with the Building Research Establishment will include a large-scale test on external wall insulation incorporating Expanded Polystyrene insulation.


Answered by
Kit Malthouse Portrait
Kit Malthouse
This question was answered on 4th February 2019

The Department, acting on advice from the Independent Expert Advisory Panel, has commissioned the Building Research Establishment (BRE) to research the fire performance of a number of different non-Aluminium Composite Material cladding systems.

The BRE has developed a bespoke test methodology for this programme rather than use the BS 8414 test methodology which is designed to test the entire wall systems. The test programme will focus mainly on the fire performance of the external panel (including any core or filler in composite materials) of a cladding system rather than the thermal insulation and the programme will include testing of a High Pressure Laminate (HPL) panel and zinc composite material panel. Separately, the Department is preparing to commission a BS 8414 test of a whole wall system which will include a High Pressure Laminate (HPL) panel.

The Department will consider in the light of the findings of the research, and with the advice of the Independent Expert Panel, whether any further action is necessary.

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