EN13501-1:2018 is one of the most important European standards for the classification of fire performance of construction products. Its full name is: EN 13501-1:2018 Fire classification of construction products and building elements – Part 1: Classification using data from reaction to fire tests.
The purpose of this standard is to establish a uniform, performance-based fire reaction classification system for building products (including single materials and composite materials) as well as simple building elements (such as pipes, cables, etc.).
Classification levels: The standard defines seven main fire reaction levels, ranked from least to most significant contribution of a material to a fire:
A1: No contribution to fire at all. Non-combustible material (e.g. concrete, masonry, DS SML PIPE, mineral wool – meets the most stringent non-combustibility test).
A2: No contribution to fire at all. Very limited combustibility (e.g. some gypsum board, certain flame retardant treated wood/plastics – meets the more stringent non-combustibility/low calorific value test).
B: Very limited contribution to fire. Combustible material, but performs well in small flame and single chamber fire tests (e.g. some high performance flame retardant plastics, wood).
C: Limited contribution to fire. Combustible material, performs well in single chamber fire tests (e.g. some flame retardant wood, certain plastics).
D: Acceptable contribution to fire. Combustible material, performs moderately in single chamber fire tests (e.g. ordinary wood, some plastics).
E: Acceptable contribution to fire. Combustible material that passes the small flame test but cannot reach higher levels (e.g. some thin-walled plastics, certain coatings).
F: Performance not determined or does not meet Class E requirements. Combustible material that has not been tested or does not pass the small flame test.
Post time: Jul-24-2025
