Single Burning Item Testing

Single-burning item (SBI) testing falls under EN 13823:2020+A1:2022 reaction to fire tests for building products. For this test, building products are defined as wall and ceiling applications and linear pipe insulation (excluding flooring) exposed to thermal attack by a single burning item.

What is a Single Burning Item test?

The Single Burning Item (SBI) test was developed for the European Commission to provide the key test method for assessing the reaction to fire performance of construction products, such as timber panel products. 

Single Burning Item test methods 

The Single Burning Item test is an intermediate-scale open corner method for measuring your products':

• Lateral flame spread
• Rate of heat release
• Propensity for the production of flaming drips 
• Rate of smoke production. 

Your test specimens will be tested on two vertically oriented walls arranged to form a 90° corner. Special mounting and performance rules are necessary for certain linear products (e.g., pipes and pipe insulation, cable management systems). 

Key benefits of SBI testing

• Meeting regulatory compliance: SBI testing with Warringtonfire can classify your products to Euroclasses A2, B, C, D, A2L, BL, CL, and DL according to EN 13501-1, together with other test methods.
• Enhancing fire safety: By testing your products through SBI methods, you are ensuring that they perform as expected in end-use scenarios. For example, simulating the performance when fixed to the walls and ceiling of a small room where the ignition source is a nominal 30 kW single-burning item, such as a waste-paper basket in a corner of the room, helps you make informed decisions around fire safety and material selection.
• Comprehensive and comparable results: Subsequent SBI testing with Warringtonfire can provide data suitable for comparing the performances of materials, composites, or assemblies used primarily as the exposed surfaces of walls or ceilings. 

Supporting product development

SBI testing with Warringtonfire can notify you of non-compliance or performance issues before your product goes to market, for example, at the prototype stage. Data from this testing can help inform decisions and support your future product development.

Evidence-based reporting 

Testing SBI with Warringtonfire can facilitate CE-marking, as it aligns with fire classification standards such as EN 13501-1, incorporating the EN 13823 fire test method.
SBI testing can also help you declare a product's fire characteristics for specific end-uses, such as insurance purposes. This can help demonstrate to your customers and competitors that your product(s) have been tested in accordance with the relevant standards and legislation.  

Our SBI testing capabilities

Our experts can test your product(s) to the following parameters:

• Flame spread
• Ignitability
• The amount of heat and smoke released
• Whether a product melts, drips, or chars. 

These results will be classified based on the particular end-use situation and field of application.

In addition, several different parameters are calculated from the data obtained:

• Fire Growth Rate Index (FIGRA; W/s)
• Total Heat Release over the first 10 minutes of the test (THR; MJ)
• Smoke Growth Rate (SMOGRA; m²/s²)
• Total Smoke Production over the first 10 minutes of the test (TSP; m²).

Our experts can also undertake visual observations of lateral flame spread (LFS) reaching the end of the long wall of the specimen at the height of between 500mm and 1000mm and for flaming droplets (as well as any other behavior occurring during the test). This will then be documented in the test report. 

Why choose Warringtonfire

Warringtonfire can provide many Single-Burning Items and further reaction-to-fire testing services for multiple sectors across our UKAS-accredited laboratory in Warrington, our BELAC-accredited laboratory in Gent, and our NATA-accredited laboratory in Melbourne. 

Our team of engaged experts offers a range of UKAS and NATA-accredited reaction to fire testing, and we can devise bespoke test programs to meet client's project requirements.

Contact us to learn more about Warringtonfire's Single-Burning Item testing and broader reaction-to-fire services or to speak to one of our experts.