Cladding product fire testing

This page is intended for industry professionals to increase collective understanding of the performance characteristics of various cladding types.

A variety of cladding types have been identified on buildings referred to Cladding Safety Victoria (CSV), and a range of tests on these products are being conducted to increase our understanding of the performance of these products and the degree of risk they pose in the event of fire.

This product testing is ongoing and over time additional information will be made available on this website as further tests are undertaken. The tests were undertaken by a NATA accredited testing laboratory.

Fire testing methodology

CSV’s tests are based on various standards such as ISO 13785-1, ISO 9705-1, BS 8414, and AS 5113. However, these standardised tests are not fully utilised because CSV aims to holistically and individually evaluate the cladding and the variable components that make up the wall, rather than relying on a rating, classification, or pass/fail criterion for the cladding product and wall system.

The tests are tailored to specific scenarios, particular building configurations and realistic fire exposures based on what is found within the portfolio of buildings referred to CSV. These tests are data-driven, and at times iterative, designed to assess and understand the performance of under 'as-built' conditions, evaluating not only the cladding but contribution of the other components that make up the overall wall system.

Product, materials and composition

Below lists the types of products that have been tested and the composition of the core of each product. The selection of these products is based on what was most commonly found on buildings referred to CSV. The composition of combustible material in each product, including polymer and flame retardant content, is shown as a weight percentage.

Aluminum Composite Panels (ACP)

The naming convention adopted for the various ACP panels tested revolves around the presence of flame retardant (FR) or lack thereof. For instance, ACP-FR70 refers to an ACP panel comprised of approximately 70% FR, while ACP-NFR45 refers to a panel which has approximately 45% non-flame retardant (NFR) filler, such as calcium carbonate. For ACP-PE, the 'PE' denotes all types of polymers, with polyethylene being the most commonly present.

Cladding type	Polymer content	Flame retardant content	Other content
ACP-FR70	26.0%	73.4% (Aluminium Trihydroxide)	-
ACP-FR45	43.9%	45.3% (Magnesium Hydroxide)	-
ACP-NFR45	49.8%	-	47.9% (incl. 40.2% Calcium Carbonate)
ACP-PE	96-100%	-	0-4% (inert material)

Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)

Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) is a lightweight, rigid polymeric foam derived from the monomer styrene. When used as external cladding, EPS is typically covered with a render for protection and finish. Although EPS can come in various compositions, it is classified as such because polystyrene constitutes most of its composition.

CSIRO research

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has published research into the aforementioned cladding products.

In May 2020, CSIRO published research into the fire performance and test methods for ACP external wall cladding. Download the report below.

Fire performance and test methods for ACP external wall cladding

PDF 9.69 MB

In September 2020, CSIRO published a peer review about fire safety of exterior insulation finish systems and insulated sandwich panels, external wall systems and a witness report of an AS5113 test on rendered EPS. Download both reports below.

Literature Review on Fire Safety of Exterior Insulation Finish Systems and Insulated Sandwich Panel as External Wall Systems

PDF 6.86 MB

Rendered expanded polystyrene clad wall system AS 5113 external wall fire spread test

PDF 2.56 MB

Test reports and videos

It is highly recommended to view both the test reports and videos, where available, as they are complimentary pieces of information.

Aluminum Composite Panels (ACP)

CSV's investigation of ACP includes several distinct series of tests. Despite variations among each series, such as differences in cladding composition, variations in internal insulation, exposure conditions, and duration, the general structure of each test series falls into one of the three configurations. The tests conducted were International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) tests designed in accordance with general requirements outlined in ISO 13785-1:2002, incorporating a heating rate defined in ISO 9705-1:2016. The configuration of the wall cavity reflected real case scenarios which provide valuable insights and practical evidence to the performance of the cladding and external influence of a wall cavity and wind.

ACP-FR70

The tests that have been completed relating to ACP-FR70 are below with supporting reports and videos.

Three repeated tests were conducted with ACP-FR70 and a combination of rockwool and polyester insulations behind. The tests were designed according to general requirements outlined in ISO 13785-1:2002, incorporating a heating rate defined in ISO 9705-1:2016. These tests aimed to replicate scenarios where an internal fire could ignite ACP-FR70 and enter the cavity behind it. The dimension of the specimens was 3.6 metres high by 1.2 metres wide. The cladding was constructed as two folded cassette fixed panels (with gaps between the panels being less than 20mm). This is representative of a building in CSV’s program.
- Download a copy of this fire test report 1:
ACP-FR70 Vertical Spread - Test Report 1
PDF 6.66 MB

(opens in a new window)

Watch a video of the fire test below.

ACP-FR70 - Vertical fire spread testing (Test 1)

View transcript
- Download a copy of this fire test report 2:
ACP-FR70 Vertical Spread - Test Report 2
PDF 6.08 MB

(opens in a new window)

Watch a video of the fire test below.

ACP-FR70 - Vertical fire spread testing (Test 2)

View transcript
- Download a copy of this fire test report 3:
ACP-FR70 Vertical Spread - Test Report 3
PDF 6.31 MB

(opens in a new window)

Watch a video of the fire test below.

ACP-FR70 - Vertical fire spread testing (Test 3)

View transcript
Three repeated tests were conducted with ACP-FR70 and polyester insulation behind. The tests were designed according to general requirements outlined in ISO 13785-1:2002, incorporating a heating rate defined in ISO 9705-1:2016. These tests aimed to replicate building fire scenarios that could potentially ignite the ACP-FR70 in the following possible situations:
- An internal fire that ignites nearby cladding via flame extension through a window or door opening.
- A fire within an external wall due to electrical fault within the wall.
- Direct flame flareup from a BBQ, nearby light fixture or electrical failure, or stored combustibles ignited by a cigarette on the balcony.
- Exposure to fire from adjoining allotments.
Dimension of the specimens was 3.6 metres wide by 3.6 metres high. The specimen comprised of three modules, interconnected through aluminium framing. The front face of the specimen was cassette cladded (with gaps between the panels being less than 20mm) whereas the backside was closed off with discontinuous steel back-pan. Within the cavity, polyester insulation was fixed to the back-pan using fast-fix washers and pin combinations. The specimen constructed is representative of a building in CSV's program.
- Download a copy of this fire test report 1:
ACP-FR70 Horizontal Spread - Test Report 1
PDF 12.88 MB

(opens in a new window)

A video of this test is unavailable. Please refer to the report above.
- Download a copy of this fire test report 2:
ACP-FR70 Horizontal Spread - Test Report 2
PDF 9.01 MB

(opens in a new window)

Watch a video of the fire test below.

ACP-FR70 - Horizontal fire spread testing (Test 2)

View transcript
- Download a copy of this fire test report 3:
ACP-FR70 Horizontal Spread - Test Report 3
PDF 7.1 MB

(opens in a new window)

Watch a video of the fire test below.

ACP-FR70 - Horizontal fire spread testing (Test 3)

View transcript
A blanket wall comprised of ACP-FR70 was constructed to gather data exclusively on the elements relating to combustion and ACP-FR70 cladding. This test omitted components typically found in a wall system on buildings, such as insulation, sarking and cavity depth.
- Download a copy of this fire test report:
ACP-FR70 Blanket Wall - Test Report
PDF 6.67 MB

(opens in a new window)

Watch a video of the fire test below.

ACP-FR70 - Blanket wall testing

View transcript
Baseline testing
Before conducting the specific test involving the ACP-FR70, a baseline test was executed using a non-combustible blanking wall to gather baseline data regarding heat, wind speed, and flame spread under both windy and calm conditions.
ACP-FR70 External wind testing
The construction is identical to the specimen used in the horizontal fire spread, with the addition of a wind force from fans guided by a non-combustible wing wall and a heating rate of 300 kW. The airflow was directed at a 45-degree angle to the specimen's face at an approximate speed of 2.5 metres per second, coinciding with the point where the wind meets the edge of the specimen. The singular test involving ACP-FR70 and polyester insulation behind, mirrored the setup in of the horizontal fire spread test. The only deviation is the burner's placement, which was located on the opposite side of the specimen. The dimension of the specimens was 3.6 metres high by 3.6 metres wide. The specimen comprised of three modules, interconnected through aluminium framing. The front face of the specimen was cassette cladded (with gaps between the panels being less than 20mm) whereas the backside was closed off with discontinuous steel back-pan. Within the cavity, PE insulation was fixed to the back-pan using fast-fix washers and pin combinations. The specimen constructed is representative of a building in CSV's program.
- Download a copy of this fire test report:
ACP-FR70 Wind and Baseline - Test Report
PDF 11.37 MB

(opens in a new window)

Watch a video of the fire test below.

ACP-FR70 - Influence of wind on fire spread and baseline testing

View transcript

ACP-FR45

The tests that have been completed relating to ACP-FR45 are below with supporting reports and videos.

Note there are minor details in the reports available in this section below which are in the process of being amended pertaining to the dimensions of the specimen. This does not influence the results of the test and once corrected, the test reports will be updated on this webpage. Some reports are currently being developed by our laboratory partner and will be made published on this webpage once available.

A blanket wall comprised of ACP-FR45 was constructed to gather data exclusively on the elements relating to combustion and ACP-FR45 cladding. This test omitted components typically found in a wall system on buildings, such as insulation, sarking and cavity depth.
- Download a copy of this fire test report:
ACP-FR45 Blanket Wall - Test Report
PDF 10.26 MB

(opens in a new window)

Watch a video of the fire test below.

ACP-FR45 - Blanket wall testing

View transcript
Four similar tests were conducted with ACP-FR45 and a combination of rockwool and polyester insulations behind. With the exception of test 3, which substituted the rockwool insulation with polyester. The tests were designed according to general requirements outlined in ISO 13785-1:2002, incorporating a heating rate defined in ISO 9705-1:2016. These tests aimed to replicate scenarios where an internal fire could ignite ACP-FR45 and entering the cavity behind it. The dimension of the specimens was 3.6 metres high by 1.2 metres wide. The cladding was constructed as two folded cassette fixed panels (with gaps between the panels being less than 20mm).
- Download a copy of this fire test report 1:
ACP-FR45 Vertical Spread - Test Report 1
PDF 3.48 MB

(opens in a new window)

Watch a video of the fire test below.

View transcript
- Download a copy of this fire test report 2:
ACP-FR45 Vertical Spread - Test Report 2
PDF 3.66 MB

(opens in a new window)

Watch a video of the fire test below.

View transcript
- Download a copy of this fire test report 3:
ACP-FR45 Vertical Spread - Test Report 3
PDF 5.29 MB

(opens in a new window)

Watch a video of the fire test below.

View transcript
- Download a copy of this fire test report 4:
ACP-FR45 Vertical Spread - Test Report 4
PDF 3.87 MB

(opens in a new window)

Watch a video of the fire test below.

View transcript
Three repeated tests were conducted with ACP-FR45 and polyester insulation behind. The tests were designed according to general requirements outlined in ISO 13785-1:2002, incorporating a heating rate defined in ISO 9705-1:2016. These tests aimed to replicate building fire scenarios that could potentially ignite the ACP-FR45 in the following possible situations: 
- An internal fire that ignites nearby cladding via flame extension through a window or door opening. 
- A fire within an external wall due to electrical fault within the wall. 
- Direct flame flareup from a BBQ, nearby light fixture or electrical failure, or stored combustibles ignited by a cigarette on the balcony. 
- Exposure to fire from adjoining allotments. 
Dimensions of the specimens was 3.6 metres wide by 3.6 metres high. The specimen comprised of three modules, interconnected through aluminium framing. The front face of the specimen was cassette cladded (with gaps between the panels being less than 20mm) whereas the backside was closed off with discontinuous steel back-pan. Within the cavity, polyester insulation was fixed to the back-pan using fast-fix washers and pin combinations.
- Download a copy of this fire test report 1:
ACP-FR45 Horizontal Spread - Test Report 1
PDF 11.08 MB

(opens in a new window)

Watch a video of the fire test below.

View transcript
- Download a copy of this fire test report 2:
ACP-FR45 Horizontal Spread - Test Report 2
PDF 6.03 MB

(opens in a new window)

Watch a video of the fire test below.

View transcript
- Download a copy of this fire test report 3:
ACP-FR45 Horizontal Spread - Test Report 3
PDF 6.9 MB

(opens in a new window)

Watch a video of the fire test below.

View transcript
The construction is identical to the specimen used in the horizontal fire spread, with the addition of a wind force from fans guided by a non-combustible wing wall and a heating rate of 300 kW. The airflow was directed at a 45-degree angle to the specimen's face at an approximate speed of 2.5 metres per second, coinciding with the point where the wind meets the edge of the specimen. The singular test involving ACP-FR45 and polyester insulation behind, mirrored the setup of the horizontal fire spread test. The only deviation is the burner's placement, which was located on the opposite side of the specimen.
The dimensions of the specimens was 3.6 metres high by 3.6 metres wide. The specimen comprised of three modules, interconnected through aluminium framing. The front face of the specimen was cassette cladded (with gaps between the panels being less than 20mm) whereas the backside was closed off with discontinuous steel back-pan. Within the cavity, polyester insulation was fixed to the back-pan using fast-fix washers and pin combinations.
- Download a copy of this fire test report:
ACP-FR45 Wind - Test Report
PDF 8.63 MB

(opens in a new window)

Watch a video of the fire test below.

ACP-FR45 - Influence of wind on fire spread

View transcript

ACP-NFR45

The tests that have been completed relating to ACP-NFR45 are below with supporting reports and videos, where available.

Note there are minor details in the reports available in this section below which are in the process of being amended pertaining to the dimensions of the specimen. This does not influence the results of the test and once corrected, the test reports will be updated on this webpage. Some reports are currently being developed by our laboratory partner and will be published on this webpage once available.

Only one series of tests were conducted on this product as the results observed deemed it not worth pursuing further tests.

Three similar tests were conducted with ACP-NFR45 and a combination of rockwool and polyester insulations behind. What differed between the tests was the exposure of the burner and relevant duration. The tests were designed according to general requirements outlined in ISO 13785-1:2002, incorporating a heating rate defined in ISO 9705-1:2016. These tests aimed to replicate scenarios where an internal fire could ignite ACP-NFR45 and entering the cavity behind it. The dimension of the specimens was 3.6 metres high by 1.2 metres wide. The cladding was constructed as two folded cassette fixed panels (with gaps between the panels being less than 20mm).
- Download a copy of this fire test report 1:
ACP-NFR45 Vertical Spread - Test Report 1
PDF 4.22 MB

(opens in a new window)

A video of this test is currently pending. Please refer to the report above.
- Download a copy of this fire test report 2:
ACP-NFR45 Vertical Spread - Test Report 2
PDF 4.86 MB

(opens in a new window)

A video of this test is currently pending. Please refer to the report above.
- Download a copy of this fire test report 3:
ACP-NFR45 Vertical Spread - Test Report 3
PDF 4.42 MB

(opens in a new window)

A video of this test is currently pending. Please refer to the report above.

ACP-PE

The tests that have been completed relating to ACP-PE are below with supporting reports and videos, where available.

A blanket wall comprised of ACP-PE was constructed to gather data exclusively on the elements relating to combustion and ACP-PE cladding. This test omitted components typically found in a wall system on buildings, such as insulation, sarking and cavity depth.
- Download a copy of this fire test report:
ACP-PE Blanket Wall - Test Report
PDF 6.85 MB

(opens in a new window)

Watch a video of the fire test below.

ACP-PE - Blanket wall testing

View transcript
Three repeated tests were conducted with ACP-PE and polyester insulation behind. The tests were designed according to general requirements outlined in ISO 13785-1:2002, incorporating a heating rate defined in ISO 9705-1:2016. These tests aimed to replicate building fire scenarios that could potentially ignite the ACP-PE in the following possible situations:
- An internal fire that ignites nearby cladding via flame extension through a window or door opening.
- A fire within an external wall due to electrical fault within the wall.
- Direct flame flareup from a BBQ, nearby light fixture or electrical failure, or stored combustibles ignited by a cigarette on the balcony.
- Exposure to fire from adjoining allotments.
Dimension of the specimens was 3.6 metres wide by 3.6 metres high. The specimen comprised of three modules, interconnected through aluminium framing. The front face of the specimen was cassette cladded (with gaps between the panels being less than 20mm) whereas the backside was closed off with discontinuous steel back-pan. Within the cavity, polyester insulation was fixed to the back-pan using fast-fix washers and pin combinations.
In this test, the glazing functioned as a pseudo non-combustible sectional break. The observed fire spread across the 1.8-meter vertical glazing appeared to be linked to the weather sealant around the perimeter, which was used to secure the glazing to the aluminium frames.
- Download a copy of this fire test report 1:
ACP-PE Horizontal Spread - Test Report 1
PDF 8.53 MB

(opens in a new window)

Watch a video of the fire test below.

ACP-PE - Horizontal fire spread testing (Test 1)

View transcript
- Download a copy of this fire test report 2:
ACP-PE Horizontal Spread - Test Report 2
PDF 8.29 MB

(opens in a new window)

Watch a video of the fire test below.

ACP-PE - Horizontal fire spread testing (Test 2)

View transcript
- Download a copy of this fire test report 3:
ACP-PE Horizontal Spread - Test Report 3
PDF 9.9 MB

(opens in a new window)

Watch a video of the fire test below.

ACP-PE - Horizontal fire spread testing (Test 3)

View transcript

ACP-PE Balcony vertical fire spread testing

	Test description
Test 1	300 kW (540 MJ) heat source with no glass balustrade included on the upper floor
Test 2	500 kW (900 MJ) heat source with no glass balustrade included on the upper floor
Test 3	500 kW (900 MJ) heat source with inclusion of glass balustrade included on the upper floor
Test 4	500kW (900 MJ) heat source with inclusion of glass balustrade included on the upper floor. This is a repeat of test 3.

Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)

CSV's investigation of EPS was driven from a data perspective and to identify energy contribution of the cladding and auxiliary components of the wall system and as a comparison against other cladding types in a similar configuration.

The tests conducted were based on International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) tests designed in accordance with general requirements outlined in ISO 13785-1:2002, with the specimen burnt under the exhaust hood and heating rate as both defined in ISO 9705-1:2016 with an extended burn time (if not terminated earlier).
Dimension of the specimens was 1.5 metres wide by 2.5 metres high. The mounting frame, made of 92 mm steel framing secured with screws, served as the cavity and main support for the test specimen. The steel frame was covered with weatherproof wrap, with a 200 mm overlap at the joints, which were taped for sealing. EPS panels were cut to size, mounted onto the steel frame, and screw-fixed to the studs with washers. Corner beads were nailed to the edges, and a cement-based render base coat was applied, reinforced with mesh, and covered with the additional same base coat to reach a 5 mm thickness. After curing, a 3 mm acrylic topcoat was applied, followed by two layers of water based acrylic membrane coating. The test omitted components typically found in a wall system on buildings, such as insulation and sarking.
There were slight variations between the three tests pertaining to the capping detail and width of the specimen as follows:
- Test 1: Right angle steel flashing at the underside of the cladding; specimen width remained at 1.5 metres
- Test 2: Z angle steel flashing at the underside of the cladding; specimen width remained at 1.5 metres
- Test 3: Right angle steel flashing at the underside of the cladding; specimen width increased to 2.4 metres
Watch videos of the three fire tests below.

EPS - Fire spread testing (Test 1)

View transcript

EPS - Fire spread testing (Test 2)

View transcript

EPS - Fire spread testing (Test 3)

View transcript

Contact Cladding Safety Victoria

Should you have any further inquiries, need additional information, or wish to discuss any of the tests that CSV has undertaken in greater detail, please contact us(opens in a new window).

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