Do fire Rated doors and windows need to meet both AS 1530.4 and AS 1530.8.2 standards?

In Australia, whether fire-resistant doors and windows need to meet both AS 1530.4 and AS 1530.8.2 standards depends on the specific usage scenarios and building requirements.

• AS 1530.8.2: Tests on elements of construction for buildings exposed to simulated bushfire attack – Large flaming sources.

• Test content:

  Simulates more severe bushfire conditions, including direct contact with large flames and higher heat flux.

  Tests the integrity of components under direct impact of flames (such as burning embers, fireballs, etc.).

• Application scenarios:

  Applicable to high-risk bushfire areas (such as BAL-FZ, Flame Zone).

  More stringent tests require components to resist direct flame contact and extreme heat.

• AS 1530.4 test content:

  Mainly includes the evaluation of the fire resistance performance of building components, specifically including two aspects: integrity and thermal insulation. The integrity test is designed to evaluate the ability of building components to resist the entry of flames and hot air from one space to another in a fire.

• During the test, if one of the following situations occurs, the specimen is deemed to have lost its integrity: the cotton pad is ignited, the 6mm diameter gap probe can pass through the crack and move 150mm, the 25mm diameter gap probe can be fully penetrated, or a flame appears on the back-fire surface and lasts for more than 10 seconds 1.

  
  

• The thermal insulation test evaluates the ability of building components to maintain their thermal insulation performance in a fire. If the average temperature of the back-fire surface of the specimen exceeds the initial temperature by more than 140K (about 140℃), or the temperature of the thermocouple at any position on the back-fire surface of the specimen exceeds the initial temperature by more than 180K (about 180℃), the specimen is deemed to have lost its thermal insulation.

  
  

If the building is not located in an area prone to bushfires, it generally only needs to meet the AS 1530.4 standard, which can meet the fire resistance requirements for fire rated doors and windows under conventional fire conditions inside the building, providing basic fire safety protection for the building.

In addition, Australia's building regulations and related specifications also make clear provisions for the standards of fire-resistant doors and windows. During the building design, construction and acceptance process, these regulations must be followed to ensure that fire-resistant doors and windows meet the corresponding standards.