Fire Spread on modern External Façade Cladding in Multi-storey Buildings in the Middle East region.

Abstract

This study investigates the fire performance of commonly used façade cladding materials in the Middle East, addressing critical fire safety concerns in the region's rapidly developing modern buildings. Four cladding samples (A, B, C, and D) were subjected to a comprehensive series of tests, including Cone Calorimeter, Bomb Calorimeter, Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) in both air and nitrogen atmospheres. Additionally, Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) was employed to model fire scenarios under different ventilation conditions. Results indicate that Sample B consistently demonstrated superior fire resistance across all tests, with Sample C showing encouraging but inconsistent performance. Sample A exhibited moderate performance, while Sample D performed consistently poorly, indicating its unsuitability for cladding applications. TGA and FTIR analyses showed that all samples contained significant amounts of combustible materials in their inner cores, primarily low density polyethylene (LDPE), highlighting the critical role of fire-resistant outer layers. Ozone model and FDS simulations described the potential impact of ventilation on fire dynamics, with multi-opening scenarios showing more a predictable fire behaviour compared to single-opening scenarios. The study also showed differences between standardized material tests (TGA) and simulated fire conditions (FDS), stressing the need for more elaborated testing methodologies in material evaluation. These findings have significant implications for building regulations, material selection, and fire safety strategies in The Middle East in general and Saudi Arabia in particular. The research recommends the need to prioritize materials having highly resistant outer layers relying on multifaceted testing approaches, and carefully considering ventilation strategies in building design. Future research directions include the need to develop climate-specific cladding materials and conducting large-scale fire tests to validate laboratory findings under local environmental conditions. This research contributes to improve the fire safety in the Middle East modern buildings and provides a framework for evaluating cladding materials in regions with similar climatic and construction characteristics.