AITEX is a Notified Laboratory for the CE marking of construction materials according to Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2011, which lays down harmonised conditions for the marketing of construction products.
The purpose of the Regulation is to require Member States to design and execute construction works in such a way that the safety of persons, animals and property is not compromised and the environment is not damaged. To this end, requirements are laid down for construction products in the form of standards. The provisions relating to the intended use(s) of a construction product are intended to meet basic requirements of the construction works and determine the essential characteristics whose performance has to be declared.
For essential characteristics, products should be assessed by testing, calculation and other means, as defined in harmonised standards. In order to avoid blank declarations of performance, at least one of the essential characteristics of the products that are relevant for the declared use(s) should be stated.
According to the Regulation, there are different systems for the assessment and verification of constant performance. AITEX is approved to issue its classifications according to System 3, whereby the manufacturer carries out their own factory production controls and the notified testing laboratory determines the product type on the basis of tests, type calculations, tabulated values or descriptive documentation of the product. The manufacturer then makes a declaration of performance of the essential characteristics of the construction product.
The essential characteristics depend on the product and its end use, and are set out in harmonised product standards. The following table lists some of the product standards that AITEX has been approved to test by ENAC:
| PRODUCT | HARMONISED TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION | ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTIC |
| Resilient, textile and laminate floor coverings | EN 14041 | Reaction to fire |
| Decorative wall coverings. Wall coverings in the form of rolls and panels. | EN 15102 | Reaction to fire |
| Suspended ceilings | EN 13964 | Reaction to fire |
| Stretch ceilings | EN 14716 | Reaction to fire |
| Indoor sports surfaces | EN 14904 | Reaction to fire |
| Self-supporting double-sided metal insulated sandwich panels. Factory-made products. | EN 14509 | Reaction to fire |
| Wood-based panels for use in construction. | EN 13986 | Reaction to fire |
| Thermal insulation products for building applications. Products manufactured from expanded polystyrene (EPS). | EN 13163 | Reaction to fire
Thermal resistance and conductivity |
| Manufactured products of rigid polyurethane foam (PUR). | EN 14315-1 | Reaction to fire
Thermal resistance and conductivity |
In addition to the essential characteristics, the product standards also specify the limitations of use of the products and the field of application.
AITEX is a Notified Laboratory for the evaluation of the essential characteristics of Reaction to Fire based on EN 13501-1 and of Resistance and Thermal Conductivity according to EN 12667.
EN 13501-1 aims to define a harmonised classification procedure for construction products, floor coverings and thermal insulation products for linear pipes by defining test methods and possible classifications based on the results.
In the following, the tests and their classifications are defined according to the fulfilment of the requirements in accordance with EN 13501-1 and Commission Delegated Regulation 2016/364 of 1 July 2015 on the classification of the reaction-to-fire performance of construction products in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 of the European Parliament and the Council.
EN ISO 1182 Non-combustibility test:
This test identifies products that do not contribute to a fire, or if they do, only in a minor way, regardless of their end use. It is relevant to Classes A1, A2, A1fl, A2fl, A1L and A2L. The test consists of placing specimens of the material to be tested in a conical furnace stabilised at 750 °C and evaluating the temperature rise produced, possible sustained ignition and the loss of mass caused.
EN ISO 1716 Heat of combustion test:
The test determines the maximum total potential heat release of a product when fully combusted, irrespective of its end use. It enables the determination of the gross calorific value (HCV) and the net or lower calorific value (NCV) and is relevant for classes A1, A2, A1fl, A2fl, A1L and A2L.
EN 13823 Single Burning Item Test (SBI):
This test evaluates the potential contribution of a product to the development of a fire, under a simulation of a single object burning in a corner of a room near the product. It consists of applying a 30kW flame for 21 minutes while measuring the thermal contribution to combustion (heat release). This is a semi-real scale test for products installed in walls, ceilings or thermal insulation products for linear pipes. It is relevant for classes A1, A1L, A2, A2L, B, BL, C, CL, D and DL.
The test also measures smoke emission, further classifying the material as s1, s2 and s3. In addition to observing the release of particles or droplets during the test, the material is classified as d0, d1 and d2.
EN ISO 9239-1 Determination of the performance of floor coverings using a radiant heat source:
This test evaluates the critical radiant flux below which flames do not spread over a horizontal surface. The classes that can be obtained are A2fl, Bfl, Cfl and Dfl.. In addition, smoke emission during the test is measured and can be classified as s1 and s2.
EN ISO 11925-2 Flammability test:
The test consists of assessing the flammability of a product exposed to a small flame. It is relevant for classes B, C, D, E, F, Bfl,Cfl , Dfl, Efl,Ffl, BL,CL,DL,EL and FL.
Products classified in a given class are considered to satisfy all requirements of all lower classes. Classification can only be obtained through testing. It is important to note that a classification obtained for one type of product cannot be interpreted or accepted in a different classification system, i.e. a floor covering classified as such cannot be accepted as a wall covering if it is not tested according to the relevant standards for wall coverings.
On the other hand, when the essential characteristic to be evaluated is Resistance and thermal conductivity, it is carried out following the guidelines of EN 12667. This standard is used for the determination of the thermal properties of high and medium resistance products (values not less than 0.5m2 K /W) through the heat flow meter method among others.
Finally, the manufacturer must make a declaration of performance which must include the essential characteristics and their classifications, following the guidelines of the Regulation and Annex ZA of the applicable harmonised standard.
