ISO/TR 12470-1:2017

Overview

ISO/TR 12470-1:2017 provides guidance for applying and extending results from fire-resistance tests on fire containment assemblies and products - specifically for loadbearing elements and vertical and horizontal separating elements. Aligned with test procedures based on the ISO 834 series, the Technical Report explains how to assess whether results obtained on a standard furnace specimen are valid for the same element when used in a real building (different size, restraint, or detailing). It focuses on both direct application and extended application of test data to determine expected fire ratings.

Key Topics and Technical Requirements

• Scope of applicability
  • Elements covered: loadbearing elements, non-loadbearing vertical partitions (stud, composite panel/SIPS), ceiling membranes (jointed ceilings, composite panel ceilings) and floors/walls where ISO 834-based tests exist.
  • Exclusions: door/window assemblies, linear gaps, service penetration seals (see ISO/TR 12470-2).
• Field of application methodology
  • Definitions and principles for direct application (same or closely matching construction) and extended application (modified elements).
  • Rules and criteria for when test results can be extrapolated or interpolated to other sizes, levels of restraint, or detailing changes.
• Common influencing factors
  • Manufacture, materials, restraints, specimen size, and installation detailing that affect fire performance.
• Element-specific guidance
  • Considerations and examples for walls, floors, vertical partitions, and horizontal ceiling membranes.
• Quantifiable approaches and evolution
  • Review of improved testing methods (including reduced-size specimens), mathematical modelling (from regression and interpolation to finite element methods), and expert-system concepts.
• Expert judgement
  • Annex A provides principles for using expert judgement to establish extended fields of application.

Practical Applications and Who Uses This Standard

ISO/TR 12470-1 is a practical resource for:

• Fire safety engineers and consultants performing performance-based designs and risk assessments.
• Test laboratories interpreting furnace test results and advising on specimen selection.
• Manufacturers and façade/partition/ceiling system designers seeking to predict in‑situ fire ratings.
• Building code authors, regulators, and authorities having to accept or adapt test data for real-world installations.
• Project teams needing to determine whether a tested product will achieve the same fire rating when altered in size, support conditions, or detailing.

This guidance helps stakeholders make informed, technically defensible decisions when extrapolating fire-resistance test outcomes for compliance, specification, or engineering design.

Related Standards

• ISO 834 series - standard time/temperature fire-resistance test conditions (reference basis).
• ISO/TR 12470-2 - guidance for doors, glazing, services and service penetrations (complements Part 1).