An Alternative Fuel Source to Wood Cribs in Large Tests of Fire Performance of Façades—A Feasibility Study Using Propane Gas Diffusion Burners

Large test methods of the fire performance of façades in which a full façade is exposed to flaming impingement from what resembles the external plume from a post‐flashover fire are common for assessing regulatory compliance of façade systems. Unlike many other fire performance tests, this type of testing is only marginally harmonised internationally, and test methods vary greatly in size, fuel sources and assessment criteria. Many European regulatory systems, including the proposed future pan‐European method, define fuel sources of several 100 kg of wood cribs. While wood cribs are historically reliable, they also induce problems for harmonisation between countries and regulations. This paper provides raw data of the exposure to an incombustible façade using the proposed European façade test method with wood cribs. We also show that one can obtain similar thermal exposure using propane gas burners by tailoring the test setup dimensions. The use of gas burners improved repeatability and can allow for lower total heights of the test elements.