REI-30 to 240 is a European classification used to assess the fire resistance of building components, including walls, floors, ceilings, doors and other structures.
It defines an element’s ability to withstand fire for a given period, measured in minutes (from 30 to 240 minutes).
The three letters R, E, and I represent specific criteria that determine the performance of the tested element.

Letter meanings :

1. R – Mechanical resistance (Fire resistance): This component evaluates the element’s ability to maintain its structural stability when subjected to high heat.
   In other words, it must not collapse under the effect of fire for the duration indicated (30, 60, 90, 120, or 240 minutes).

2. E – Flame-tightness (Integrity): This criterion measures the element’s ability to prevent the spread of flames, hot gases and smoke to unaffected parts of the building.
   The element must remain watertight for the specified time, preventing the fire from spreading.

3. I – Thermal insulation: This criterion indicates the element’s ability to limit heat transmission to the side not exposed to fire.
   This means that even if one side of the wall is in contact with flames, the temperature on the other side must remain relatively low(140°C on average, or 180°C at one point ) to prevent the fire from spreading by thermal conduction.

Time periods (30 to 240 minutes) :

The numbers (30, 60, 90, 120, 240) indicate the time in minutes during which the building element can maintain the three criteria R, E, and I against fire.
For example :

• REI 30 means that the element is capable of withstanding 30 minutes in terms of stability (R), flame-tightness (E) and thermal insulation (I).
• REI 240 means that the element can withstand up to 240 minutes under the same conditions.

Importance of this standard :

The REI classification is crucial in building design, as it guarantees a high level of safety in the event of fire.
Depending on the type of building (residential, industrial, commercial), the length of resistance required can vary.

EN 13381 is a series of European standards that establishes methods for testing and evaluating the performance of fire protection products applied to load-bearing structures.
These products include intumescent coatings, panels and sprayed materials used to protect elements such as steel, concrete, wood and composite structures against fire.

It is divided into different parts (from 1 to 9) as follows:

1. EN 13381-1: Concerns performance testing of protective products for steel columns.
   It assesses how a product applied to a steel column protects it against the effects of fire.

2. EN 13381-2: Applies to concrete floors.
   It describes the method for testing the performance of protective products or systems used to protect concrete slabs.

3. EN 13381-3: Covers concrete structures other than floors.
   It assesses how products applied to concrete elements protect against fire.

4. EN 13381-4: Specifies methods for testing concrete columns and the performance of protection systems applied to them.

5. EN 13381-5: Applies to steel-concrete composite floors.
   It describes the test method for assessing the performance of products used to protect these types of structures.

6. EN 13381-6: Focuses on wooden structures.
   It assesses the products used to protect wooden elements against fire.

7. EN 13381-7: Concerns suspended roofs and ceilings.
   It specifies performance tests for protection systems applied to these types of structures.

8. EN 13381-8: Is a standard dedicated to composite materials.
   It assesses how protective products applied to composite structures (such as steel-concrete composite beams) provide protection against fire.

9. EN 13381-9: This part concerns masonry walls and partitions.
   It specifies test methods for assessing the performance of protective products applied to walls and partitions.

These standards are crucial to us as a fire protection supplier, as they ensure that products used in buildings meet European fire safety requirements for fire resistance.

ISO 834 is an international standard describing fire test methods for building components.
It establishes a framework for assessing the ability of building materials and components to withstand exposure to fire for a specified period of time.
Here are the key points of this standard:

Objectives of ISO 834 :

• Evaluate the fire resistance of materials and structural components by simulating standardized fire conditions.
• To measure the ability of an element (such as a wall, door, steel or concrete structure) to maintain its integrity, stability and thermal insulation under the effect of a fire for a certain period of time.

Main parts of ISO 834 :

1. Temperature-time curve: This defines a standard temperature curve used to simulate temperature rise in a fire.
   Test samples are subjected to this curve to assess their fire behavior.

2. Evaluation criteria: Items are evaluated according to three main criteria:

   • R (Resistance): The element’s ability to remain structurally stable.
   • E (Tightness): The ability to prevent the passage of flames and hot gases.
   • I (Insulation): The ability to limit heat transfer from the exposed to the unexposed side.

3. Applications: This standard applies to walls, ceilings, doors, partitions and other load-bearing structures, and serves as the basis for international fire-resistance testing.

Versions and extensions :

ISO 834 has several specific parts covering different aspects of fire resistance testing, such as:

• ISO 834-1: General conditions for fire resistance tests.
• ISO 834-3: Assessment procedures for load-bearing steel structures.

In summary, ISO 834 provides a standardized method for testing the fire performance of building components, ensuring that products meet safety requirements in a fire environment.
It is widely used as a reference for regulations and laboratory testing.

EN 13501 is a European regulatory framework defining the classification of construction products and components according to their fire behavior.
It replaces several national standards in the European Union in order to standardize fire safety criteria.
Here are the main sections of EN 13501:

1. EN 13501-1: Fire classification of construction products and building components.

   • It describes the system for classifying materials (such as floor coverings, panels, etc.) according to their reaction to fire.
     The classification is based on several tests measuring flammability, flame spread, smoke production and ignited droplets.
   • Classes range from A1 (non-combustible) to F (untested or low fire resistance), with sub-categories for smoke(s1, s2, s3) and droplets(d0, d1, d2).

2. EN 13501-2: Fire classification of building components based on their resistance to fire.

   • It concerns construction elements such as walls, ceilings, floors and partitions.
     They are classified according to their ability to maintain :
     • R: Structural resistance.
     • E: Flame- and hot-gas-tight.
     • I: Thermal insulation.

3. EN 13501-3: Fire classification of ventilation ducts and dampers.

   • This section covers ventilation ducts and smoke extraction systems, specifying how they withstand fire and whether they maintain their functionality during a fire.

4. EN 13501-4: Classification of smoke extraction systems.

   • It covers devices and systems designed to extract smoke during a fire, such as mechanical or natural smoke evacuation systems.

5. EN 13501-5: Classification of roofs exposed to external fires.

   • It assesses the performance of roofs against external fires (such as forest fires or wind-blown embers).

6. EN 13501-6: Classification of electrical cables according to their reaction to fire.

   • This section deals with electrical cables and how they react to fire, including their flammability, flame spread and smoke production.

Importance of EN 13501 :

• Precise classifications Building materials and products are assessed and classified in a standardized way, guaranteeing greater safety in buildings.
• Reaction and resistance to fire: The standard covers both reaction to fire (flammability, smoke) and resistance to fire (structural support, compartmentalization).

It is an essential reference for us building professionals and fire safety engineers, to help you choose the right materials and the most effective solution.