Performance of fire breaks installed within EPS‐insulated façade systems

Summary External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS) are used in most European countries for the thermal rehabilitation of existing buildings or as a method to improve the thermal performance of new constructions. This paper describes an ad‐hoc intermediate‐scale experimental study to evaluate the behavior of ETIC systems in case of a fire and shows the impact of different positions and types of fire breaks on global performance. The intention of this experimental intermediate scale methodology is to be used as a screening test and not to replace or reproduce the large‐scale testing regime. The results of this study show that interruption of the combustible insulation may have a contribution in limiting the vertical fire spread and can significantly reduce the damaged area affected by the heat exposure.