Polyurethane sandwich panel (PUR SWP) used in construction sites- Fire Performance and safety recommendations

Metal faced Polyurethane/Polyisocyanurate sandwich panels are used in construction sites and temporary accommodation especially after destructive events such as flooding and earthquake, that a clear example was the temporary settlement of earthquake victims after earthquake occurrence in the Kermanshah province at November 2017. However, flammability of polyurethane foam core of these panels and the higher risk of fire in these types of buildings, highlight the importance of assessing fire performance of these panels.In this study, fire performance of several types of metal faced sandwich panels with PUR/PIR foam core produced in the country, was evaluated by reaction to fire and fire resistance tests. The reaction to fire behavior of foams was also evaluated separately. The results showed that the polyurethane foam was not fire retarded and met reaction to fire class F; but the poly-isocyanurate foam depicted a better fire behavior and met fire class E. Fire resistance tests were performed on common types of sandwich panels in the temporary buildings with two different execution details including a steel sheet fixed to the joint position in the panels and the other, fireproof paint and their fire performance was compared to unprotected panel. According to the results, deformation of the joint in sandwich panel is the main disadvantage and it is very critical in real fire due to flame spread through the joints which is critical in a real fire incident, when evacuating the occupants and acting fire brigades. Hence, protection of the joints by insertion of a protective sheet, increases fire resistance and improves the integrity by increasing the time by 40 minutes compared to the unprotected panel. Finally, fire safety recommendations were provided for the safe use of these panels in temporary buildings.