At BM Architectural, we offer a wide range of fire-safe architectural systems that are fully compliant with the latest building regulations across the UK, including Approved Document B (ADB); regulations which ban the use of combustible materials in or on the external walls of mid-rise (11-18m) and high-rise (18m+) buildings with a residential purpose.
Balconies on relevant buildings now need to be constructed of materials achieving a reaction to fire classification of A2-s1, d0, A2fl-s1 or better.
Our Class A fire-rated systems meet this stringent requirement and are ideal for use on both new residential buildings and those undergoing remediation schemes. The range comprises glass balustrade, aluminium railing, aluminium decking and porcelain paving, and the associated substructure components.
Combustibility characterises how easily a material burns or its ‘reaction to fire’. In the Euroclass system, defined in BS EN 13501-1, materials are classified from A1 (non-combustible) to F (highly combustible). This classification system should not be confused with the National Class 0, which does not refer to the combustibility of materials.
With few exceptions, materials of either class A1 or the highest class of A2 (A2-s1,d0 or A2fl-s1) are now required in the external walls of high-risk buildings, including the balconies. This classification means these materials will not contribute to the spread of a fire.
In the major building safety shake-up that followed the Grenfell tower fire, fire regulations were changed to explicitly require external wall systems to be non-combustible on residential buildings of 18+ metres.
Transitioning to a defined material combustibility measure was designed to improve public safety by removing the previous flexibility given to designers (such as allowing compliance through a desktop study), making the route to compliance clearer and minimising the risks associated with poorly executed fire barriers.
Banning the use of combustible materials on external surfaces, reduces the risk of fire spread and the risk of ignition from flames coming from adjacent buildings.
‘Relevant buildings’ were initially those containing one or more dwellings or an institution, such as flats, student accommodation, care homes, sheltered housing or hospitals, and 18+ metres in height. However, subsequent changes to regulations have extended the scope to include hotels, hostels and boarding houses, and new rules for residential developments between 11-18 metres.
There is now a deadline for fire safety remediation work when part of a Government-funded scheme. The Remediation Acceleration Plan demands that by the end of 2029 all 18+ metre (high-rise) buildings with unsafe external materials, like composite or timber decking on balconies, will have been remediated. Furthermore, by the end of 2029, it demands that every 11+ metre building with the same issues will either have been remediated or have a date for completion.
With non-combustible external wall systems, the continual tightening of fire safety regulations and the images of Grenfell still front of mind for many, designers and owners are now choosing to use Class A fire-rated products on buildings of any type and height.
This decision gives owners, responsible persons and occupants alike greater peace of mind in relation to the potential consequences of fire spread, improves the marketability of homes and office space, and future-proofs buildings against a change of use.
Contact Us