What Is A Group 1 Rating?

What Is A Group 1 Rating?

What Is A Group 1 Rating?

A Group 1 fire rating refers to a high level of fire resistance and is often used in building and construction standards and codes to classify materials and structures based on their fire performance. A Group 1 Fire Rating is given to a product when no flashover point is reached during the length of a fire test. It is the best possible rating for a product to receive.

Flashover point is the near-simultaneous ignition of most of the directly exposed combustible material in an enclosed area.

How A Group 1 Rating Is Obtained

Acoustic products are tested in accordance with the National Construction Code (NCC) Specification C1.10-4 to AS ISO 9705-2003 as outlined in the Building Code of Australia.

These tests govern how the surface lining materials perform in the event of a fire.

The test imitates a genuine fire situation and encompasses exposing the panels to a 100kW fire for 10 minutes; the fire’s output is then increased and the material is exposed to 300kW for a further 10 minutes.

The results are broken down into Groups 1, 2 and 3 which are determined by when the flashover point is reached. Group 1 performs best when exposed to fire.

How To Determine If I Need A Group 1 Fire Rating?

In order to determine whether you need a Group 1 Fire Rating, you need to follow these steps:

1. Identify the building classification.

2. Identify the area with that building classification that your product is required in and whether it is a wall or ceiling and sprinklered or unsprinklered.

3. Refer to your manufacturer's guide to determine what products are suitable.

Decor Systems has a tool that can easily guide you and determine exactly what Group Rating you need for your project.

You can view and use the tool here.

Once you have determined the Group Rating you need, you can select a product from our range. You will find the Group Rating of the product at the top of the product page.

To learn more about Group 1 Ratings and Group 1-rated acoustic products, get in touch with one of our experts.