Gala (December
2001)
Location: Gala Bingo, Barnsley, South Yorkshire
Building construction
Walls were constructed of brick exterior with a blockwork interior at low level
and steel framework and 40mm PUR cored insulated panels above. There was
a dummy façade around the twin pitched roof that was also constructed
of panels.
Some walls at the rear elevation comprised panels with
mineral fibre core. The pitched roof was a conventional site assembled
roof of profiled
steel with
glass fibre insulation on a steel framework.
Fire
The fire occurred in the vicinity of the bar and gaming machine lounge on the
first floor above the entrance and covered an area of 300m2. Assessment of
substantial pieces of timber by the fire service and independent fire consultants
clearly indicated that the fire was very intense and liberated significant
quantities of heat. Pictures 1 shows the panels damaged by the internal fire.
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 |
| Picture 1. |
Picture 2. |
 |
Picture 2 shows the front elevation
and the damaged panels which were located above the seat of
the fire. The bottom edge of the fire damaged area was on a
line with the top of the internal brickwork walls, illustrating
no fire damage or spread below of behind the blockwork. |
 |
|
Picture 2 also illustrates progressively
less damage as the distance from the seat of the fire increased.
The temporary plywood panels are where fire fighters removed
panels in case there was fire spread through the cavity formed
by the false frontage. No fire spread was found via this cavity
nor within the cladding panels. |
|
The extent of the internal damage and the intensity
of the fire is illustrated in picture 3.
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| |
Picture 3. |
The built-up cladding roof immediately above the fire
area was damaged and had sagged – picture 4.
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| Picture 4. |
Conclusion
1. The roof and wall panels in the immediate vicinity of the fire were distorted
due to the heat and the buckling of the purlins. There was charring of the
core material. Their structural integrity was retained and flames were not
seen outside the building.
2. There was no fire spread within the core of the panel.
3. The Tenos Fire Consultants report states that there was no evidence to suggest
that the core of the polyurethane panels contributed in any way to the spread
of this fire and that there would have been a similar pattern of fire spread
irrespective of the type of construction. This view is supported by the fire
service.
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Also in this section:
Fire performance
of insulated panels | Guide
to fire safety | Fire
tests |
Findings
of fire research on major fires |
