Manufacturer of living walls Viritopia has put its products to the test and has been awarded first class classification for BS 476: Part 7: 1997 ‘Method for Classification of the Surface Spread of Flame of Products’. The products tested were its living wall modules and the test was to determine their reaction to fire.
Exova Warringtonfire tested a variety of plants within their containers to a total weight of 7kg; this was to conclude how quickly fire could spread across the surface. This was done by measuring the lateral spread of a flame along the surface of a specimen living wall module whilst in a vertical position, and the classification was given as a result based on the rate and extent of which the flame spread.
Results showed that flames were sustained along to the top edge of the example living wall between 1:30 and 2:10 minutes and extended up to a maximum distance of 165mm.
