Façade Fire Separation Distances: A Critical Overview and Further Investigations

Abstract

By the second half of the 20^th century, the protection of building façades against fire spread became a considerable challenge in fire safety engineering. In the 1950s, several theoretical and experimental research projects were launched simultaneously, in order to determine the size of the separation distance which can stop the opening-to-opening façade fire propagation. In spite of the fact that the first major studies have already elucidated several limitations in connection with this approach, different separation distances are still widely used, without their practical objective and actual effectiveness having been clarified. This paper briefly summarizes the relevant conclusions of the research to date, explains the original protection objectives and highlights the shortcomings of the existing regulations. With the use of a numerical model based on the standard Hungarian façade fire testing method, the study presents some potential new opportunities for improving both our test methods and regulations.