Properties of Common Building Materials

Types of material used for both the structure and decoration of a building is a significant factor in the manner and rate of fire spread, affecting the safety of both the occupants and the building contents. 

There are many different types of building materials available and selecting which to employ depends on the specific use and circumstances of the building. It always involves a compromise between the various properties of the materials, mainly their combustibility, structural strength when subject to heat and the products of combustion (harmful or otherwise) – and of course their cost. We shall consider here the properties of the main types of building materials.

Material	Advantage	Disadvantage	Comment
Structural Steel	Strong structural material.	More serious danger Of rapid collapse when excessively heated. May create ‘domino’ failure if several floors collapse.	Cover with non‐ combustible heat Insulating material To withstand a fire.
Reinforced Concrete	Does not normally collapse suddenly.	Likely to spall (blister and break away).	Fire resistance Is increased with more concrete.
Bricks	Resistant to Movement in A fire situation.	Exposed surfaces likely to spall.	Fired clay bricks Exposed to high temperatures during manufacture.
Blocks	High fire resistance Little risk Of collapse used for fire Compartment walls.	Exposed surfaces Likely to spall.	Fire resistance Increased with The thickness Of the block, lining, e.g. plaster, higher density of aggregate and smaller voids in the block.
Timber	Does not Expand significantly Under heat and unlikely to suffer sudden collapse Charring acts as insulation.	Combustible material.	Burning, or charring, rate is predictable and varies with different species Of timber, rather than The severity of the fire.
Asbestos Cement Boards	Non - combustible And resistant to Flame spread.	Fibres dangerous To health on Inhalation and asbestos--‐cement boards often disintegrate in a fire.	Some contraction at high temperatures Causing bowing of the material away from the source of heat.
Stone Cladding	Increases the Fire resistance.	Brittle and likely To fail when subjected to heat or rapid cooling during fire fighting.
Plaster	Good fire resistance properties. Plaster lining partitions.		May be used to line steel or timber frame partitions. Up to 30 minute fire resistance.
Glass	Non‐combustible, so will not contribute to a fire.	A weakness in any wall, screen or door because of heat transmission properties.	Fire resistant glazing can give up to 90 minutes fire resistance.
Plastics	Thermosetting plastics normally hard, rigid, sometimes fragile, will not soften or melt but will decompose at high temperatures.	Thermo plastic materials soften and melt with heat and toxic fumes can be given off when exposed to fire.	Used for many applications.

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