Fire Safe Homes and Rooms
Bushfires and grassfires are common throughout Australia. Grassfires are fast moving, passing in five to ten seconds and smouldering for minutes.
The Australian climate is generally hot, dry and prone to drought. At any time of the year, some parts of Australia are prone to bushfires. The widely varied fire seasons are reflected in the continent's different weather patterns. For most of southern Australia, the danger period is summer and autumn. For New South Wales and southern Queensland, the peak risk usually occurs in spring and early summer. The Northern Territory experiences most of its fires in winter and spring.
The Australian climate is generally hot, dry and prone to drought. At any time of the year, some parts of Australia are prone to bushfires. The widely varied fire seasons are reflected in the continent's different weather patterns. For most of southern Australia, the danger period is summer and autumn. For New South Wales and southern Queensland, the peak risk usually occurs in spring and early summer. The Northern Territory experiences most of its fires in winter and spring.
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- In the years between 1967 and 2013, major Australian bushfires have resulted in over 8000 injuries and 433 fatalities, close to 50 per cent of all deaths from major Australian natural disasters in the period (excluding heatwaves). Over this same period, bushfires cost approximately A$4.7 billion (2013 Australian dollars, including deaths and injuries but excluding most indirect losses).
- A fire front advances more quickly when travelling upslope and slows travelling down slope. The speed of a fire front advancing will double for every 10 degree increase in slope, so that on a 20 degree slope, its speed is four times greater than over flat ground.
https://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/community-safety/bushfire
How ICFs Perform in a Fire
ICFs are leading the pack when it comes to fire safety as they provide a solid concrete exterior with a 3- to 4-hour fire rating. While the exterior Styrofoam insulation simply melts off, the solid concrete core will provide your family with the protection they need to get to safety.
Concrete doesn’t burn like homes made from other materials. Even steel can bend and soften which compromises building safety. In ‘fire-wall’ tests, ICF walls have been subjected to continuous gas flames with temperatures exceeding 2000°F for as long as four hours. Not one of the walls made from ICFs have failed structurally. This shows up well when compared to wood-frame homes which typically collapse after being exposed to fire for an hour or less. Wood-frame homes are structurally unstable much sooner and deaths and injury can occur from collapsing walls and falling debris.
If you are worried about the fumes from melting Styrofoam, a study by the Southwest Pacific Research Institute found the emissions from burning Styrofoam are “no more toxic” than smoke from wood-frame housing.
So reliable and strong are ICFs that they are also being utilized in military buildings. In 2003, the military conducted a series of blast resistance tests at the Quantico Marine Base where ICF walls survived explosions as close as six feet. Another test in 2007 in Florida, showed ICFs could withstand sustained fire from a 50-caliber machine gun.
“Since September 11th, all military buildings must have force protection built in,” says a spokesman for the military. “ICF construction is the most cost-effective way to achieve that.”
Concrete doesn’t burn like homes made from other materials. Even steel can bend and soften which compromises building safety. In ‘fire-wall’ tests, ICF walls have been subjected to continuous gas flames with temperatures exceeding 2000°F for as long as four hours. Not one of the walls made from ICFs have failed structurally. This shows up well when compared to wood-frame homes which typically collapse after being exposed to fire for an hour or less. Wood-frame homes are structurally unstable much sooner and deaths and injury can occur from collapsing walls and falling debris.
If you are worried about the fumes from melting Styrofoam, a study by the Southwest Pacific Research Institute found the emissions from burning Styrofoam are “no more toxic” than smoke from wood-frame housing.
So reliable and strong are ICFs that they are also being utilized in military buildings. In 2003, the military conducted a series of blast resistance tests at the Quantico Marine Base where ICF walls survived explosions as close as six feet. Another test in 2007 in Florida, showed ICFs could withstand sustained fire from a 50-caliber machine gun.
“Since September 11th, all military buildings must have force protection built in,” says a spokesman for the military. “ICF construction is the most cost-effective way to achieve that.”
Insulated Concrete Forms Home Offers Lower Energy Bills, Healthier Living Environment and Complete Peace of Mind
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