Horizontal Fire Resistance Test Furnace
Product introduce
Horizontal furnaces are critical for evaluating the fire resistance
of building components like floors, roofs, beams, and ceilings,
ensuring they meet safety requirements under fire exposure. The ISO
834 series provides a framework for testing these elements, with
ISO 834-1 setting general requirements and parts like ISO 834-5 and
ISO 834-6 specifying conditions for horizontal separating elements
and beams. EN 1363-1 and EN 1365-2 are European standards that
align closely with ISO, focusing on floors, roofs, and beams,
ensuring compliance with EU building regulations. BS 476-20, 21,
and 22 are widely used in the UK, covering both loadbearing and
non-loadbearing elements like floors and ceilings, offering
flexibility for UK-specific applications. UL 263 and UL 1709 are
North American standards, applied to test floors, roofs, and
protected steel beams under standard and rapid-rise fire
conditions, respectively, ensuring compliance with stringent U.S.
building codes. These standards are applied in industries to
certify construction materials for buildings, ensuring safety in
residential, commercial, and industrial structures by testing
loadbearing capacity, integrity, and insulation under simulated
fire conditions.
Standard
ISO 834-1: Fire-resistance tests — Elements of building
construction — Part 1: General requirements for testing building
components like walls, floors, roofs, beams, columns, doors, and
ceilings in a standard fire exposure.
ISO 834-2: Requirements and recommendations for measuring furnace
exposure on test samples.
ISO 834-5: Specific requirements for loadbearing horizontal
separating elements, such as floors and roofs.
ISO 834-6: Specific requirements for beams tested in horizontal
furnaces.
ISO 834-9: Specific requirements for non-loadbearing ceiling
elements.
ISO 834-10: Requirements for testing fire protection materials
applied to structural steel elements.
ISO 834-11: Assessment of fire protection for structural steel
elements.
ISO 834-13: Requirements for testing fire protection on steel beams
with web openings.
EN 1363-1: Fire resistance tests — General requirements, widely
used in Europe for testing building elements like floors, roofs,
and beams under standard fire conditions.
EN 1365-2: Fire resistance tests for loadbearing elements — Part 2:
Floors and roofs, specifically for horizontal furnace applications.
EN 1365-3: Fire resistance tests for loadbearing elements — Part 3:
Beams, applicable to horizontal furnace setups.
EN 13381-4: Test methods for determining the contribution of fire
protection to steel elements, including horizontal beams.
EN 13381-9: Test methods for fire protection applied to steel beams
with web openings, used in horizontal furnaces.
BS 476-20: Fire tests on building materials and structures — Method
for determination of fire resistance of elements of construction
(general principles), applicable to horizontal furnace testing.
BS 476-21: Fire tests on building materials and structures —
Methods for determination of fire resistance of loadbearing
elements, including floors, roofs, and beams.
BS 476-22: Fire tests on building materials and structures —
Methods for determination of fire resistance of non-loadbearing
elements, such as ceilings.
UL 263: Standard for Fire Tests of Building Construction and
Materials, used primarily in North America for testing floors,
roofs, beams, and other components in horizontal furnaces.
UL 1709: Standard for Rapid Rise Fire Tests of Protection Materials
for Structural Steel, applicable to horizontal furnace testing for
steel elements under intense fire conditions.
Note: ISO 834-3, 4, 7, 8, 12, and 14 are less relevant for
horizontal furnaces as they focus on vertical elements, columns, or
smaller-scale furnaces, but are included in the ISO series for
completeness.
Application
Floors
Load-bearing floors: include concrete slabs, reinforced concrete
slabs, and composite floors (such as steel-concrete composite
slabs).
Non-load-bearing floors: include lightweight floor systems, wooden
floors, or prefabricated floor panels.
Floor coverings: include carpets and floor finishing materials
(tested in conjunction with the floor system).
Applicable standards: ISO 834-5, EN 1365-2, BS 476-21, and UL 263.
Roofs
Load-bearing roofs: include concrete roofs, steel roofs, and
composite roof systems.
Non-load-bearing roofs: include lightweight roof panels and roof
covering materials.
Roof components: include waterproofing layers, insulation layers,
and roof decking (tested in conjunction with the roof system).
Applicable standards: ISO 834-5, EN 1365-2, BS 476-21, and UL 263.
Beams
Load-bearing beams: These include steel beams, concrete beams,
wooden beams, and composite beams (such as steel-concrete composite
beams).
Fire-protected beams: These include steel beams coated with
fire-retardant paint or encased in fire-retardant materials.
Perforated beams: These include beams with open holes, which are
tested for fire protection performance.
Applicable standards: ISO 834-6, ISO 834-10, ISO 834-13, EN 1365-3,
EN 13381-4, EN 13381-9, BS 476-21, UL 263, and UL 1709.
Ceilings
Non-load-bearing ceilings: These include suspended ceiling systems
and decorative ceiling panels.
Fire-rated ceilings: These are ceilings used to separate spaces or
protect overhead structures (such as gypsum board ceilings and
mineral wool board ceilings).
Ceiling components: These include ceiling frames, ceiling panels,
and insulation materials. Applicable Standards: ISO 834-9, BS
476-22, EN 1365-2 (partially applicable), UL 263.
Service Installations
Ventilation Ductwork: Testing its integrity and thermal insulation
performance in fire conditions.
Pipe Systems: Such as fire ducts and cable ducts.
Applicable Standards: ISO 834-1 (General Requirements), EN 1363-1,
BS 476-20.
Other Components
Horizontal Separation Components: Such as horizontal fire
separation systems between floors and roofs.
Fire Protection Materials: Such as spray-applied fire retardant
coatings and fireproofing panels used to protect steel beams or
floor systems.
Composite Structures: Such as steel-concrete composite structures
and lightweight sandwich panels.
Applicable Standards: ISO 834-10, ISO 834-11, EN 13381-4, UL 1709.
Specifications:
Furnace Type: Horizontal Load-Bearing Test Furnace (50T);
Furnace Dimensions: L4.5m x W4.0m x D2.0m;
Number of Loading Points: 4 points;
Loading Force and Control Method: Single-point 8T; Proportional
relief valve linear loading, continuous constant loading <1.5%;
Fuel Type:
Fuel Calorific Value: Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) or Natural Gas
22,000 Kcal/m³;
Fuel Pressure: 0.03-0.07 MPa;
Exhaust Gas Temperature: <400°C (with cold air);
Furnace Wall Temperature Rise: <50°C ±1°C above room temperature
(excluding burners and areas around the observation window);
Insulation: Refractory wool for the top and walls; Refractory
bricks for the bottom;
Number of Burners: 10 sets;
Thermocouples: 20 for the furnace chamber; 1 for calibration; 32
for backplate temperature;
Combustion Power: 4500 kW;
Gas Consumption: Full load: 167 kg/h; actual: 96 kg/h
Combustion Control: 1:25 linear combustion
Maximum Deformation: ≤ L0/30
Data Acquisition and Processing: Programmable Logic Controller
(PLC), high-precision temperature acquisition card, ±0.1°C
Pipeline Testing: Can test both A and B pipelines simultaneously
