What are building exterior wall insulation materials?
Exterior wall insulation material is one of the layered structures in the exterior wall insulation system. The insulation is on the inside, and the outside is cement mortar and decorative coating.

Under normal circumstances, cement mortar tightly wrapped with insulation materials will generally not cause fire. However, when the protective layer is cracked or exposed, or the electrical circuits laid inside the insulation layer fail, flammable insulation materials can easily cause fires.
Case number one:
On the afternoon of August 22, 2023, a fire broke out in the Xintiandi Building at No. 345 Nanjing Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, and a large area of ​​open flames was visible on the side of the building. After investigating the scene, it was found that the outer wall of the Xintiandi Building caught fire and there were no casualties.

Case 2:
In December 2019, a fire broke out in the SR International New Town residential area in Hunnan New District, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province. After investigation, it was found that the fire was caused by the insulation material of the external wall. The building on fire had a total of 25 floors, and the fire occurred in the external walls on the fifth floor and above.

Case three:
In February 2018, a fire broke out in the external insulation material of the Greenland Yuansheng International office building in Zhengdong New District, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province. The fire destroyed about 2,000 square meters of the exterior wall area.

Under different construction techniques, the combustion performance requirements of exterior wall insulation systems are different. However, since the fire hazard of non-combustible materials is very low, it will not cause the fire to spread. Therefore, regardless of the internal and external insulation systems of the building, we must try to use Class A insulation materials, which are what we often call non-combustible materials.

Grades of building exterior wall insulation materials:
The mandatory national standard GB 8624-2012 "Combustion Performance Classification of Building Materials and Products" issued by my country's National Standardization Administration Committee divides the combustion performance of building materials and products into the following levels:
Class A: non-combustible materials (products)
Level B1: Flame-retardant materials (products)
Class B2: flammable materials (products)
Level B3: flammable materials (products)

What are the fire prevention measures for external insulation systems?
For existing flammable and combustible external insulation materials: Comprehensive renovation should be carried out in combination with reconstruction and expansion projects and the renovation of old residential areas. Inflammable and combustible external insulation materials should be removed and replaced with external insulation materials that comply with current specifications.
For newly built external insulation systems of buildings: The construction unit must implement a fire safety responsibility system and identify the person responsible for fire safety at the construction site. Strictly implement the relevant regulations on external insulation materials and strictly manage the construction site at the construction site. The construction site is a no-fire area, stay away from fire sources, and smoking is strictly prohibited. The construction site implements a fire approval system, cross operations are strictly prohibited, and fire extinguishing equipment and facilities are provided.
For buildings in use: The insulation material of the building's exterior wall is not tightly sealed, and the protective layer is peeled off, damaged, cracked, or has large holes, resulting in the insulation material being exposed. It must be sealed and covered with non-combustible materials. When doing exterior wall cleaning and maintenance work, fireworks must be strictly prohibited. During electrical welding operations, strict fire approval systems must be implemented and preventive measures must be taken.
For construction units and management units:

1. Strictly implement the fire safety management responsibilities of construction units and construction units, and clarify fire management responsibilities and management personnel. For buildings that have been put into use, the fire protection facilities must be properly maintained.
2. It is prohibited to use flammable and combustible materials as external insulation materials for the exterior walls of high-rise civil buildings. For high-rise civil buildings that use flame-retardant exterior wall insulation materials or use exterior wall insulation systems with cavities between the base wall and decorative layer, it is prohibited to use fire or electricity on their exterior walls.
3. For high-rise civil buildings equipped with external wall insulation systems, the management unit shall set up reminder and warning signs at the main entrance and surrounding relevant prominent locations to indicate the combustion performance and fire protection requirements of the external wall insulation materials.
4. If the external insulation system of the exterior wall of a high-rise civil building is damaged, cracked or falls off, it should be repaired in time. When constructing the external wall insulation system of high-rise civil buildings, the construction unit shall take necessary fire isolation and measures to restrict occupants and use to ensure the safety of personnel in the building.
5. It is strictly forbidden to set up billboards, light boxes and other high-temperature electrical equipment on the outer walls of the insulation layer made of flammable and combustible materials. It is strictly forbidden to pile up flammable and combustible items around the building. It is strictly forbidden to set up electric vehicle charging piles immediately adjacent to the building.