Radiant Panel Test: assessing the response of flooring materials to heat and flame

A guide to understanding the critical radiant flux of flooring materials.

Flooring materials used in a building corridor or exitway must be tested for their flammability characteristics to gain an understanding of how they will contribute to fire spread, especially at the early stages of a fire as these areas are critical to the safe evacuation of a building.

The radiant panel test measures the critical radiant flux of a floor-covering material as its ability to limit the progression of a fire through a building corridor. This property provides a useful way of ranking products for their fire behavior.

To learn more about the critical radiant flux and to conform to the legislated requirements, complete the form and download our free guide.

This article investigates the radiant panel test and the common standard test methods, covering all aspects of the testing, including:

• The determination of the relative critical radiant flux
• ASTM E648 and NFPA 253
• The test apparatus
• The test method
• The test results
• Specimen requirements and sample preparation