Fire safety test of cast-iron drainage pipes

The fire safety test by the Materials Testing Department (MPA-NRW) in Ervitt

11.03.2004 Information Technology Center for Desiccation Technology (IZEG), at the Office of Materials Testing in Ervitt, ordered an introductory test for fire safety. The goal was to get new information when spreading fire to other floors through drainage pipes in buildings. Fire protection sleeves R-90 certified in accordance with the relevant ABP / ABZ standards were installed on the drainage pipes made of plastic in the area of the ceiling entry. The fire protection sleeves R-90 have been installed in accordance with the relevant general construction inspection test certificate (ABP) and the general approval for construction supervision (ABZ). For cast-iron drainage pipes, certified solutions from Rockwool were used.

Decisive in this case there were two questions: 1. How do pipe systems behave in the event of a threatening spread of fire to the upper floors? 2. How do pipe systems behave in the event of a threatening spread of fire to the lower floors? During the test, it was found that cast-iron drainage systems are optimally reliable, and that the spread of fire up and down was not possible. Pipe made of plastic after a short time found alarming shortcomings! In case of real danger plastic pipes do not always guarantee protection against spreading fire down, despite installed fire protection sleeves!

In order to ensure the safety of all persons taking part in the experiment, it was necessary to stop testing in only 34 minutes. From the fire room through the open fire protection sleeves, burning plastic dropped and led to the emergence of new fires under the ceiling of the basement floor. The fire protection sleeves could not prevent the spread of the fire down. In addition, burning plastic pipes led to the formation of an extraordinary amount of flue gases.

Cast-iron drainage pipes and fittings, in contrast, withstood all the load and prevented the spread of the fire. Cast-iron drainage pipes and fittings of SAINT-GOBAIN HES (PAM-GLOBAL) are not flammable and correspond to the class of building materials A1 according to DIN 4102.