The technical specifications for chipboard panels, for use in construction, are regulated by the harmonised EN 13986:2004 + A1:2015 standard. This standard serves as the basis for the CE Marking certification process.
The standard lists the types of wood-based panels and describes, for each one of them, the properties that should be ascertained for the different application conditions and the respective testing methods.
Viroc is a composite panel made from a mixture of wood and cement particles, called Cement Bonded Particleboard (CBPB), the requirements of which are defined in the EN 632-2 standard.
Viroc panels carry the CE Marking certificate. As such, the Viroc panels comply with the specifications outlined in both the EN 13986 and EN 634-2 standards, which means that the essential characteristics for the different application conditions are checked against the stipulations, complying with the minimum requirements of these standards.
These characteristics are declared in the Declaration of Performance – DOP, for the CE Marking.
The reaction to fire performance classification is shown in Table 8, as per Article 5.8 of the EN 13986:2004 + A1:2015 standard. Given that the Viroc panels comply with the density and thickness described in the standard, there is no need for additional tests.
The density of the CBPB should be at least 1000 kg/m³ and its thickness at least 10 mm. The reaction to fire performance classification of the Viroc panel is declared B-s1 d0 and Bfl-s1 for construction applications, including flooring.
The year Viroc began the CE Marking process, the initial reaction to fire tests were carried out in accordance with the EN 13823 and EN 11925-2 standards to confirm that the panel complied with the requirements of the standard for all thicknesses, including 8 mm.
The FCBA Institut Technologique accredited entity audited the manufacturing process of the Viroc panels to confirm the maintenance of the CE Marking, and guaranteed that no significant alterations had been made to the product and the process, and that all the physico-mechanical requirements are fulfilled.
The CE Marking has been reassessed, confirming that the Viroc panels comply with all the specifications of the EN 13986 harmonised standard, including reaction to fire, declared as the B-s1 d0 classification.
Authors:
Lara Braz – Quality and R&D
José Pinheiro Soares – Assistant Technician
