Evaluating the fire risk of pipe insulation depending on installation conditions

Due to the high number of cases in which fire accidents were initiated from pipe insulation materials installed in small compartments, flame-retardant products should be used in building construction. Typically, standardised rectangular type specimens are used to evaluate the reaction-to-fire performance of pipe insulation without considering the actual installation conditions. In this study, polyethylene (PE) foam pipe insulation materials were tested, taking construction methods into account, according to the NFPA 274 standard. The experimental results showed that the fire growth rate varied from ultrafast to slow, depending on the installation conditions, and that the time to reach the peak heat release rate varied significantly. In particular, the addition of a galvanised steel casing lowered the fire risk even if the same PE foam material was used. Therefore, to improve fire safety in small compartments, such as concealed or interstitial spaces that do not have active fire protection systems, using galvanised steel casings is an alternative method for building construction.