The Roof Is (Not) On Fire: Flame-Retardant ExxoTec™ Fabric
Some risk of fire is present in every industry. And while fires are a rare occurrence, their impact can be devastating.
Flame-retardant building materials, including ExxoTec™ PVC fabric, help protect your assets and property in the event of a fire.
Flame-Retardant Fabric in the Aviation Industry
Airplane and equipment hangars have long relied on the benefits of flame-retardant material to provide some level of fire protection.
Hangars are required to comply with NFPA 409. The purpose of the regulation is “to provide a reasonable degree of protection from fire for life and property in aircraft hangars, based on sound engineering principles, test data and field experience.”
See more advantages of fabric buildings for aviation.
By nature and definition, fabric buildings are classified as a Group IV according to NFPA 409. Depending on the size of the building and other factors, this often means reduced requirements for fire suppression systems. For this reason, airport authorities will often choose fabric
buildings over other options.
What Is Flame-Retardant Fabric?
ExxoTec™ is flame retardant in compliance with standards set by Uniform Building Code (UBC), ASTM, Underwriters Laboratory of Canada (CAN/ULC), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the Federal Aviation Administration FAR 25.863(a), and European standard EN 13501-1 and DIN 4102, California Fire Marshal.
In independent laboratory testing, ExxoTec™ has passed standard tests including the NFPA 701 Vertical Flame Test, which consists of exposing a vertical strip of the fabric to flame. The test measures the time required for the fabric to self-extinguish and the length of the char.
ExxoTec™ has been rigorously tested for strength, weathering and translucency as well. Learn more.
Benefits of Flame-Retardant Building Materials
The results of the testing show that the flame does not feed off ExxoTec™ fabric. When exposed directly to flame, ExxoTec™ will shrink away from the fire.
As the fabric pulls away, it creates ventilation for the smoke and heat, – two of the primary sources of fire damage are allowed to escape. This ventilation saves crucial seconds during a fire.
Allowing heat to escape also reduces the risk of structural damage to the building. In many cases, this allows the building owner to simply re-cover the existing building frame, rather than rebuilding from the ground up – saving weeks or months of lost time and money.
Why Choose Flame-Retardant Fabric
Your building will probably never experience a fire. But they do happen every day. With a flame-retardant fabric structure, the risk in and around the building is greatly reduced.
- Ventilation reduces smoke damage
- Self-extinguishing fabric doesn’t enhance the spread of flame
- Meet NFPA 701 requirements
- Works with your fire suppression system
Legacy buildings have multiple benefits in addition to flame-retardant fabric. Contact us to learn
more.