What are the fire properties for the Alteria aluminium range?

Architects and designers have an important job to ensure they are conforming to all the fire regulations included in the BCA. When selecting building materials it is vital to ensure that the product you select meets the fire performance requirements. As manufacturers, Alteria Aluminium is committed to ensuring our products are suitable to use in both internal and external applications. To help clarify, we have outlined the key fire performance requirements for internal lining and external wall linings and how our products adhere to these.

Fire performance requirements for external walls and cladding

Since the significant facade cladding fire disasters in recent times around the world, strict guidelines have been introduced in the Australian NCC to ensure effective fire performance of external walls and claddings is implemented to minimise the spread of fire in a building and between buildings.

This requirement can be met, in part, under a Deemed-to-Satisfy Solution for buildings of Type A and Type B construction by non-combustible external walls (C1.9).

The BCA states:

In accordance with Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions C2D10(6)(e) of the 2022 NCC, Building Code of Australia Volume One, (previously known as C1.9(e)(v) of the 2019 NCC) BCA Section C, Part C2, D10 (6)(e) states:

The following materials may be used wherever a non-combustible material is required:

(e) Pre-finished metal sheeting having a combustible surface finish not exceeding 1mm thickness and where the Spread-of-Flame Index of the product is not greater than 0.

Alteria has undertaken the appropriate non-combustibility fire tests to confirm it applies and has achieved the following results:

AS/NZ 1530.3-1999:

Fire Indices Test Name: Methods for fire tests on building materials, components and structures, Part 3: Simultaneous determination of ignitability, flame propagation, heat release and smoke release

Results:

Spread of Flame Index: 0

Heat Evolved Index: 0

Smoke Developed Index: 2

AS 1530.1 – 1994:

Non-Combustibility Test Name: Methods for fire tests on building materials, components and structures, Part 1: Combustibility test for materials

Results:

Deemed Not Combustible as specified by clause 3.4.

Fire performance requirements for internal linings

Standards Australia introduced into the BCA ‘AS5637.1 : 2015 – Determination of fire hazard properties – Wall and ceiling linings’ to help determine accurate group numbers.

These Group Ratings were introduced to help specifiers identify which lining products are suitable to use in various internal applications, particularly for multi-layered products. When undertaking a Group Number Test AS5637.1, Group 1 is the highest rating available, but different Group numbers can be used in different building types and/or locations. The BCA outlines what class level is required in each application and building type in Table 1, Specification c.1.10.

As Alteria is rated non-combustible, it is suitable to use in any application, including Group 1 rated areas. Alteria has also undertaken group rating fire tests to confirm it applies and has achieved the following results:

AS/NZ 5637.1: 2015:

Group Rating Test Name: Wall & Ceiling Fire Hazard Properties

Result:

Group 1 Rating

In conclusion, Alteria aluminium battens and claddings are suitable to use in both external cladding and internal lining applications.