Review on Experimental Regulations for Combustion Performance of Building Materials and Products

Experimental regulations for flammability of building materials and products are critical to ensure the safety of occupants in buildings and other structures. The developing and current status of regulations for flammability of building materials and products in the United State, Canada, European Union, Japan and China has been introduced, analyzed and compared. The result shows that the requirements and testing methods for flammability of building materials are similar between the United State and Canada, and they mainly are engaged in the test of combustibility and flame spread. In European Union, a new classification system for flammability of building materials was implemented in 2001, which includes two systems; one is for floor coverings and the other for all other building units. In Japan, the interior materials are classified into non-combustible, quasi noncombustible and fire-retardant materials according to Cone Calorimeter method (ISO 5660). China has established a non-combustible test, a three-class classification system for combustible wall and ceiling interior finishing materials and a two-class classification system for combustible floor coverings.