WHAT IS A CLASS A FIRE-RETARDANT PANEL?

There are two different Class A requirements for fire-retardant wood products. These standards are often confused but serve very different purposes. In both of these cases, the product must achieve a Flame Spread Index of 25 or less, and a Smoke Development of less than 450, however the length of the test is different depending on the use of the material. 

IBC Section 2303.2 covers fire-retardant-treated wood used in structural applications—think roof trusses or framing components. These materials must meet the code’s full definition of Fire-Retardant-Treated Wood and pass an ASTM E2768 tunnel test (30 minutes). This allows for increased structural stability in occupied buildings, which allows occupants longer to exit in case of a fire.

This requirement is defined in IBC Section 803 and applies to wall and ceiling finishes. To qualify, a product must pass the ASTM E84 tunnel test (10 minutes). This fire rating is to limit the flame spread and smoke developed inside the rooms allowing occupants more time to exit safely.

Because veneer-cored hardwood plywood is used decoratively, Columbia’s focus is on the interior finish Class A requirement—where beauty and safety must work together.

Not all fire-retardant panels are created - or verified - equally

Many manufacturers choose to get “Developmental Testing” on their products. What this means is that they manufactured the product and had a sample tested. The sample, under those exact manufacturing conditions, passed. In cases where a manufacturer has developmental testing, they can provide those test results to the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) over the job site, and they can choose whether to accept that product or request the product to be certified.

Specifying a product with “Third-Party Certification” reduces the guess work for distributors, contractors, and AHJ’s because manufacturers choosing to go this route have taken extra steps to have their process reviewed by a certifying laboratory who audits the process, the quality control methods, and submits to regular unannounced audits of these processes as well as annual re-testing to ensure the product still meets the building code requirements.

Many companies do not understand these nuances and claim to be certified simply because they passed the developmental testing – but it’s important to understand this distinction.