Examples of how rapid and extensive the development of fire in combustible external wall constructions can be. The image is from a fire in a 25-storey building in Krasnoyarsk in southwest Siberia in 2014, where the façade system contained plastic.
Fires in façade and external wall systems have become increasingly relevant in recent years. This is not surprising when you see the gripping images of fires like the one in Grenfell Tower in London this summer or films of violent fires in combustible insulation during the construction phase, both from Sweden and abroad. The external wall of a building is designed to protect the occupants and the building itself in all other structural aspects, but it has become clear that if the design is not taken into account, the consequences in the event of a fire can be quite the opposite. The thought that lingers longest in retrospect is the reflection on our own situation here in Sweden. Do we have a potential Grenfell Tower somewhere in our big cities? Or are our building regulations clear and comprehensive enough to ensure that this is not the case? And in such a case, can we rely on the workmanship being correct when the construction phase is completed and the building is put into use?
Author:
Mattias Arnqvist Office Manager, R&D and Business Development, FSD Göteborg AB
Joel Wikström Fire engineer, FSD Göteborg AB
