BS476: Part 20: 1987

British Standard

Fire tests on building materials and structures

Part 20. Method for determination of the fire resistance of elements of construction (general principles)

Essais au feu des materiaux et structures du batiment

Partie 20. Methode de determination de la resistance au feu des elements de construction (principes generaux)

Brandschutztechnische Prufungen an Baustoffen und Bauten

Teil 20. Verfahren zur Bestimmung des Feuerwiderstandes von Bauteilen (Allgemeines)

British Standards Institution

BS476: Part 20: 1987

Foreword

This Part of BS 476 has been prepared under the direction of the Fire Standards Committee and describes the general procedures and equipment required to determine the fire resistance of elements of construction. This Part should be read together with BS 476 Parts 21, 22, and 23 as appropriate which describe the detailed procedure for the testing of individual elements of construction.

The differential pressure between the furnace chamber and the laboratory has been changed slightly with respect to Parts 20 to 23 have been prepared in such a way that the magnitude, the time of application and the measuring technique. The specific requirements for the testing of these groups are described in Parts 21 to 23 respectively.

For the purposes of these Parts, elements of construction have been categorized into three main groups:

(a) loaDBearing elements that have a fire resistance;

(b) non-loaDBearing elements that have a fire resistance;

(c) elements that make a contribution to the fire resistance of a structure.

The revision of BS 476 Part 8 has been prepared in order to improve repeatability and reproducibility of the results obtained by more closely defining the operating procedures and the equipment used. The main changes relate to improvements in the techniques for measuring temperature, pressure, and load distribution.

Attention is drawn to the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and the need to ensure that the method of test described in this standard is carried out under suitable environmental conditions to provide adequate protection to personnel against the risk of fire and/or inhalation of...

Caution: The mechanical sawing of asbestos cement components attracts the provision of the Asbestos Regulations 1969. Adequate methods exist to control levels of dust during such operations and these are detailed in the Control and Safety Guides issued by the Asbestos. Compliance with a British Standard does not of itself confer immunity from legal obligations.

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