A new ASTM standard will provide the United States building codes with a test method designed to test a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning duct system or its materials for fire resistance and other durability requirements. ASTM E2816, Test Methods for Fire Resistive Metallic HVAC Dust Systems, was developed by Subcommittee E05.11 on Fire Resistance, under the jurisdiction of ASTM International Committee E05 on Fire Standards.
“ASTM E2816 provides authorities having jurisdiction, such as building officials and fire marshals, a tool to ascertain the fire resistance of an HVAC [heating, ventilating and air conditioning] duct system and other properties of the insulation materials used to protect the HVAC duct system,” says John Nicholas, consultant and president, Perceptive Solutions LLC, and an E05 member. “This test method will increase life safety as there is no test method currently cited in the model building or fire codes for HVAC duct systems.”
Nicholas says that building officials, specifiers and architects will use ASTM E2816 to specify a set of requirements that are desired by HVAC duct systems and their insulation materials used in a fire-resistive application. In addition, test laboratories and certification bodies will have a standard designed to test HVAC duct systems for fire resistance and then list and label products meeting the requirements through published design listings. Finally, ASTM E2816 will provide manufacturers with a research and development tool to create fire-resistive HVAC duct systems.
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