In this presentation, participants will learn about NFPA 285 and how it is used to assess the fire performance of exterior wall assemblies containing combustible materials. A brief historical review of NFPA 285 development will be provided so participants understand the basis for the test method development as well as how it is applied and what are the limitations. Recent, significant changes that have been made to NFPA 285 to standardize the testing and evaluation of deviations in project wall assemblies from tested assemblies will be reviewed in the context of how this affects compliance. Examples of this engineering evaluation process using current Engineering Analysis documents will be provided to illustrate how changes in materials and configurations can affect compliance with NFPA 285. The reasons behind the regular changes to product engineering evaluation reports will be discussed to highlight the importance of using the most up-to-date materials, configurations, and constructions.

Presented by various experts on behalf of DuPont Performance Building Solutions.