Assessment
Which fire behavior is needed where?
- Short overview of legal requirements
Which fire behavior is required where?
The following section provides a short overview of the situation regarding the question “Which fire behavior is required in which installation situation in Germany?”:
The following overview is a short summary and does not claim to be exhaustive.
In particular, further legal specifications of the respective valid state building regulations must be observed for your building project with the involvement of an expert for preventive fire protection.
The following description makes deliberate reference to the model building regulations adopted by the Conference of Building Ministers.
Please check your valid state building regulations for the specifics of the respective paragraphs named here.
The paragraphs listed here are almost identical in content in the respective state building regulations.
Similar conditions also apply in other countries, such as Austria and Switzerland.
What is the minimum requirement for “fire behavior”?
§26 MBO:
General requirements for the fire behavior of building materials and components
(1) Building materials are classified according to their reaction to fire requirements into
1. non-flammable,
2. flame retardant,
3. normally flammable.
(2) Building materials that are not at least normally flammable areFlame-retardant building materials), may not be used; this does not apply if they are used in combination with other building materials. not easily flammable are
The legislator specifies further requirements in various areas of the building:
The following list is exemplary:
INDOOR:
- §35 (5) MBO in essential stairwells and “stairwell extensions”, claddings, plaster, acoustic insulation, false ceilings and installations must be made of non-flammable building materials
- §36 (6) MBO in essential corridors and open corridors ... the cladding, plaster and acoustic insulation must be made of non-flammable building materials
- §5 (2) MVStättV Cladding in VR: at least flame-retardant, non-dripping, in VR <= 1000 m² closed, non-ventilated wood cladding allowed
- §5 (4) MVStättV in foyers via the escape routes: Claddings non-flammable building materials
- §9 (3) MVkVO Shopping streets: Claddings non-flammable building materials
OUTDOOR:
- § 28 (3) MBO Exterior walls: Surfaces of exterior walls and exterior wall cladding, including acoustic insulation and support structures, must be flame-retardant
- 3.4 MHHR (Model High-Rise Building Guideline) 3.4 Exterior walls
Non-load-bearing exterior walls and non-load-bearing parts of load-bearing exterior walls made of non-combustible building materials
Also applies to: Exterior wall claddings, balcony claddings and railings. - § 3 (2) MVStättV Exterior walls of multi-story places of public assembly must be made of non-flammable building materials
There are some areas where a “normally flammable” LED screen is not sufficient and better fire behavior is needed.
Click here LED Screens die nicht brennbar Klassifiziert sind.
Learn more here which options are available for providing proof and which types of proof can be problematic.
The content presented here does not constitute binding legal advice. The exact circumstances depend on the respective installation situation of your building project. The information provided here is based on legislation and the speaker's experience of project-related construction projects and describes the situation in Germany.
Author: Tobias Kick, expert for LED screens and preventive fire protection, 25.05.2025
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