30-MINUTE FIRE RATED BOARDS

30-minute fire-resistant materials are construction products designed to provide fundamental and entry-level passive fire protection. The 30-minute rating indicates the duration for which the material can withstand fire exposure without compromising its structural integrity. Simply put, this type of fire-resistant material withstands flames and blocks fire from reaching the other side.

During this period, the fire-rated wall or ceiling acts as a protective barrier, stopping the spread of flames, heat, and smoke to adjacent rooms or areas. This important time window enables fire detection, evacuation, and the arrival of firefighters, making it a key safety measure.

It’s important to note that 30-minute fire-rated materials are considered the minimum level of fire protection in building construction. While they are used in both residential and commercial properties, they are more commonly found in private homes, where the risk to occupants is lower compared to public or commercial spaces.

 30-MINUTE PROTECTION vs FIRE SAFETY REGULATIONS

Current Building Regulations require that structural elements such as walls, floors, and beams provide at least 30 minutes of fire resistance. This is typically achieved with 12.5mm thick fire-rated plasterboard or two layers of 9.5mm plasterboard with a plaster finish. For ceilings, materials must be Class 1-rated to prevent fire spread, especially considering that fire rises in search of oxygen. Small rooms and domestic garages may use Class 3 materials. Fire-rated ceilings should have staggered joints and double layers of plasterboard, particularly in garages with rooms above. For two-story homes with integral garages, 30-minute fire resistance is the minimum requirement, but two layers are often needed to fully meet compliance standards.

30-MINUTE FIRE RATED BOARDS

These materials are frequently used in residential buildings, particularly for walls and ceilings, where fundamental fire resistance is required. Some of the variants available in the UK are:

• Promat Masterboard
• Knauf Plasterboard Fire Panel
• British Gypsum Gyproc Fire Line
• Siniat Fire Plasterboard

It’s important to note that the 30-minute rating refers solely to load-bearing capacity, not to integrity or insulation, so it doesn’t offer full fire separation for the entire 30-minute duration.

It is also important to note that fire-resistant materials with higher fire rating times, such as 60-minute, 90-minute, 240-minute, A1, or non-combustible, are inherently classified within the 30-minute fire rating time category. This is because 30 minutes of fire resistance serves as the baseline and is easily achievable for these materials. Therefore, higher fire-rated products can be used interchangeably with those designed for lower fire resistance. These include:

• Promat Supalux
• Promat Monolux 800
• Promat Monolux 500
• Promat Promatect MST
• Promat Promatect 250
• Promat Promatect L500
• Promat Promatect XW
• Promat TLFR
• Promat Promafour
• Promat Promasil 1000/1100
• Promat Vermiculux
• Promatect H
• Fermacell Firepanel A1
• Kemwell-FP-900
• Kemwell MultiKem MP1000
• Magply A1 board
• British Gypsum Glasroc F Firecase
• Vitcas

KEY FEATURES OF 30-MINUTE FIRE RATED BOARDS

• Fire-resistant plasterboards are denser, more durable, and heavier than standard plasterboards, with a weight of approximately 28.80 kg for a 12.5mm thickness.
• In the event of a fire, the water chemically bound within the gypsum core absorbs heat and gradually releases it as moisture vapor, helping to delay temperature rise.
• Each square meter of 12.5mm fire-rated plasterboard contains around 2 liters of crystallized water within its gypsum core.
• For easier identification, these plasterboards are intentionally color-coded in red to distinguish them from standard materials.

It is important to regularly check the current regulations and contact the manufacturers of 30-minute fire-resistant materials for the most up-to-date information. a1firerated.co.uk is not responsible for any inaccuracies or outdated information provided here.