Leading wood panel manufacturer, Norbord (www.norbord.co.uk), has developed SterlingOSB Zero Fire Solutions to help housebuilders reduce the risk of fire spreading to neighbouring buildings during construction. The Structural Timber Association produces guidelines for reducing fire spread in large timber frame buildings during construction before fire resistant finishes have been put in place. The guidelines require builders to reduce potential radiant heat emissions to acceptable levels, thus controlling the risk of a timber frame construction fire spreading to neighbouring buildings.
Completed timber frame buildings (dry linings fixed) are then fully compliant with the Building Regulation fire protection requirements.
The guidelines enable the architect or builder either to specify a type of timber frame with inherently reduced fire spread properties or, where suitable, to adapt the construction process to allow the use of standard open panel timber frame.
The guide includes three generic categories of timber frame with increasing resistance to fire spread and associated reduction in radiant heat to neighbouring buildings, as well as giving a detailed test and approval protocol by which systems or product assemblies can demonstrate compliance with any given category. These categories allow the builder to select the appropriate frame specification to construct a timber frame building based on the separating distances present on the site.
SterlingOSB Zero Fire Solutions is designed, when used in conjunction with Rockwool insulation, to match the categories in the STA guidelines.
To find out more about Norbord’s products for housebuilders, get in touch with Dan Clarke – email daniel.clarke@norbord.net or download product brochures from the housebuilder page of the Norbord website https://www.norbord.co.uk/housebuilders/.
