An Experimental Study on Fire Performance Characteristics of Pipe Insulation Materials

Pipe insulation materials are commonly used in building construction to protect freezing which causes critical damage to hydraulic systems. Flame retardant-approved materials are recommended for use. However, hypothetical fires can spread through insulation materials. This study reports a reaction-to-fire performance of pipe insulation materials using a full-scale fire experiment. A vertical pipe chase apparatus in accordance with NFPA 274 was used for evaluation. Different times regarding heat release rate curves were observed in the polyethylene insulation depending on the construction methods. Magic tape covered products show an ultrafast fire growth rate, whereas a fast to medium fire growth rate was observed in foil-faced products. Elastomeric insulation showed a slow fire growth rate with the peak heat release rate of 100 kW. Although all the insulation materials have flame-retardant performance according to existing test methods, it provided different results with respect to the materials and construction methods. Full-scale test methods based on as-installed configurations are required to reduce risk of fires caused by pipe insulation materials.