Background
LCA (Life Cycle Analysis), BREEAM, LEED, DGNB, Active House, SundaHus is examples of national and international sustainability schemes which address the climate impact involved in construction and operation of buildings. By setting standards for e.g., embedded carbon, recyclability, and a decreased influence on human health from chemicals, buildings will be certified accordingly.
Societal expectations for greener buildings, has started substantial innovative activity among building product manufactures around the globe. However, many materials and the applications wherein they are used, are not an expression of novelty in the built environment as most are re-inventions of the pioneering work of individual builders. Even natural materials used in ancient times are now reviewed in a modern hi-tech light. Known challenges for the use of biobased materials were the lack of finance for the extensive test and certification requirements set in the building codes. Moreover, industrial scaling has been a massive barrier. Thus, the use of biobased building materials has so far, been limited to mainly single-family houses in experimental communities.
Material appears in two broad categories: Conventional and Emerging. Conventional biobased products are biodegradable, made from animal or plant materials. Building material e.g., include pulp and paper, wood, and leathers along with crop-based materials such as flax, hemp, bamboo, seaweed and coconut fibres and more. Emerging biobased materials, or bio-renewables, are by contrast often active subjects of R&D and are where much of the innovation lies. These materials are extracted by bio-refining processes or produced from materials with biological origins. While these materials are not necessarily biodegradable, they can at least in part be “re-grown”. E.g., sugar beets can be refined to first extract sugar, then lactic acid, and finally polylactic acid (PLA) for use in plastics.
Notwithstanding the origin of the biobased material, this is in most cases a combustible component. This differ from the extensive use of clay bricks, plaster boards, mineral wool and concrete which is comprised in traditional building applications and considered proven firesafe materials. By introducing biobased building materials, substituting the aforementioned materials, fire dynamics and fire environments are substantially changed.
Project Description
As industrial scaling, testing and certification of biobased building materials are expected to increase in the coming years, there is a need to address the fire safety challenges related. The theme must be viewed in a context where the built environment sees a vast increase of untraditional materials, for example CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) for loadbearing structures, PV and BIPV (Photovoltaics and Building Integrated PV) as part of the building envelope. In this aim there seems to be political willingness to relax the fire safety regulation in the building codes. Though, with no retention to safeguard human life and health. Potential loss of assets remains a matter of private insurance. However, it is doubtful that substantial loss of assets will be generally accepted in the society, considering the environmental impact from building fires.
Though the fire dynamics when using biobased materials is largely equal to the use of combustible building materials in end use applications used today, the scale and types of configurations is likely to increase. Such applications are highly dependent on their ability to protect the combustible substrate, thus closely linked to the quality, care and understanding of its purpose in the installation process.
Recent fire testing of biobased applications has focussed on direct exposure, however, from a sectional approach e.g., a limited façade section (one storey) adding over-dimensioned fire stops/breaks to avoid fire spread (see ref.). Moreover, will the use of wood in mid- and high-rise buildings, adds substantial calories and change the overall fire performance of a building. Recent studies have shown that large CLT constructions loses the protective char layer which leads to a recurring fire growth. This is not considered in the test environment or in current building regulation.
The current project should address whether known, passive fire protection strategies can be used when biobased building material is introduced in the built environment.
Initially the project should identify the behaviour for relevant biobased materials, when exposed to a fire as given in the norms, and in the context they are used in buildings. Thus, reaction to fire and fire resistance tests in various scales.
The project should describe biobased building products in a fire context, and should point at pitfalls in their use, to identify gaps in the building code(s). Moreover, studies and experimental work in the project should investigate key areas, where passive fire protection could promote or support the use of biobased building materials.
ROCKWOOL is highly focussed on megatrends in the built environment and wants to contribute with novel, well-thought-out and proven solutions and services to the market. To create and provide such, we want to stay in the frontline of knowledge to develop science-based applications that meets both market and legal demands in a global perspective. We aim for solutions which contributes to human safety, health, and protection of the environment.
Suggestions for sub-tasks could be:
- Scrutinize European building regulation as to the progress in the regulatory framework for biobased building materials
- Mapping the legal gaps in relation to biobased building materials
- Small and medium scale testing of biobased building materials
- Mapping of risks and consequences in relation to biobased building materials
- Ideation on passive fire protection means that bridge the gaps in the current building regulation
- Dissemination
ROCKWOOL Supervisors/ competencies
- Søren Rud Pedersen (Senior R&D Specialist, Resistance to Fire testing, Product Development, First Responder knowledge, srp@rockwool.com)
- Kurt Munk (Chief Specialist Fire Protection, Resistance to Fire testing etc, kurt.munk@rockwool.com)
- Jens Eg Rahbek (Chief R&D Engineer, Ideation, material knowledge etc. jens.eg.rahbek@rockwool.com)
- Kurt Ejlersen, (Chief Technician, Reaction to Fire testing, kurt.ejlersen@rockwool.com)
- Karen Guldhammer Skov, (R&D Engineer, Modelling and Simulation Analysis, karen.guldhammer@rockwool.com)
Facilities
- Access to ROCKWOOL R&D Fire Labs (Resistance and Reaction to fire, small to medium scale)
- Access to ROCKWOOL R&D Stone Wool characterisation and test labs (inorganic and organic chemistry, mechanical and physical testing)
- Possibilities for external testing can be included if relevant
Confidentiality
Students are required to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). Exam and report will be kept confidential.
References
- Biobased building materials for sustainable future: An overview Madhura Yadav, Mahek Agarwal
- Test methods for biobased building materials. Simon F. Curling
- BIOFACADE:UPHIGH. DBI –The Danish Institute of Fire and Security Technology
- WOOD:UPHIGH - Fremtidens kvalificerede brandtekniske løsninger til det biobaserede etagebyggeri. DBI –The Danish Institute of Fire and Security Technology
- SPIREPROJEKT: NY VIDEN OM BIOBASEREDE OG BRANDSIKRE KONSTRUKTIONER TIL PROJEKTERENDE OG UDFØRENDE I BYGGERIET. DBI –The Danish Institute of Fire and Security Technology