The terms, abbreviations, standards and acronyms of passive fire protection, explained clearly and concisely.
- EI
- Non-load-bearing compartment elements: integrity (E) + thermal insulation (I). Expressed in minutes (e.g. EI 120 = 2 hours).
- REI
- Load-bearing compartment elements: load-bearing capacity (R) + integrity (E) + insulation (I).
- R
- Load-bearing capacity only. Used for structural elements (columns, beams) that play no compartmentation role.
- EW
- Integrity + limited heat transfer (radiation). Less demanding than EI.
- A1
- Reaction-to-fire class: non-combustible. Highest safety level, no contribution to the fire.
- A2
- Reaction-to-fire class: limited combustibility (very low organic content).
- D.M. 16/02/2007
- Italian Ministerial Decree defining the methods for classifying the fire resistance of construction products and building elements.
- D.M. 3/08/2015
- Italian Fire Prevention Code (Codice di Prevenzione Incendi) — Italy's performance-based approach to fire safety design.
- EN 1364-1
- European standard for fire resistance tests on non-load-bearing walls.
- EN 1365
- European standard for fire resistance tests on load-bearing elements.
- EN 13501-2
- Fire classification of construction products based on fire resistance test data.
- EN 15254-3
- EXAP standard — Extended application — for extending test results on non-load-bearing walls.
- EXAP
- Extended Application: a report that extends the field of application of a test to similar configurations.
- I.G.
- Istituto Giordano — an accredited Italian laboratory for fire resistance testing. The report number (e.g. I.G. 249553/3092FR) identifies the specific test.
- Technical file (fascicolo tecnico)
- Document gathering all the tests and analyses of a construction system, allowing variations from the tested specimen.
- Direct field of application
- Test conditions that can be replicated without further assessment (e.g. a reduction in height).
- Extended field of application (EXAP)
- Extension of the test conditions to similar configurations, through a dedicated report.
- Fire compartmentation (compartimentazione)
- Subdivision of a building into fire-resisting zones to limit fire spread.
- Passive fire protection
- All the built-in systems that limit fire spread without any active intervention (boards, paints, sealants).
- Active fire protection
- Systems that operate during a fire: extinguishers, sprinklers, detectors, hydrants.
- Rock mineral wool (lana di roccia)
- Non-combustible A1 mineral insulation, used as infill in fire-protected walls and ceilings.
- Intumescent (paint)
- A coating that expands at high temperatures, forming an insulating char layer that protects the element beneath.
