Wall system proves fire resistant (March 2009)

Moon Township, Pa.-based CENTRIA Services Group’s invelope, an all-in-one backup wall system for masonry and brick exteriors, has passed the Quincy, Mass.-based National Fire Protection Agency’s 285 ISMA (Intermediate Scale Multistory Test Apparatus) fire resistance test. Because invelope has met all the criteria of this test, the panel is compliant to Chapter 26 of the International Building Code. Therefore, invelope may be used in construction where noncombustible materials are required. The NFPA 285 test determines the flammability of exterior wall systems that contain combustible components and how flames will spread in the following conditions: over the face of the system, one story to the next, room side from one story to the next and lateral flame spread from room to room. This test recreates an actual fire situation in a two-story structure. The one-piece construction of invelope, featuring rigid steel skins that enclose a foam core, makes it suitable for rigorous product performance testing and significantly aids in the reduction of flame spread.