fire_resistant.htm
THE AMERICAN INGENUITY
GEODESIC DOME
IS FIRE RESISTANT
The American Ingenuity Dome is designed to be as safe and fireproof as possible, the dome exterior is entirely noncombustible concrete. There is no wood in the dome shell walls and roof to burn and no shingles or tarpaper on the roof to burn.
Dome Exterior is Steel Reinforced Concrete: You can feel safe in your American Ingenuity dome knowing its exterior is exclusively steel reinforced concrete, which will not burn. Your home will be able to survive wild fires that would completely destroy most other houses. The interior insulation consisting of Expanded Bead Polystyrene (E.P.S.) is covered with a non-combustible wall board. But if fire gets to the insulation, the fumes generated are less toxic than fumes from burning wood; unlike polyurethane foam which produces a deadly cyanide gas.
Georgia Pacific Dens-Deck Roof Board: The interior dome shell finish consists of Georgia Pacific ¼” Dens-Deck Roof Board adhered to the E.P.S. insulation. The wall board employs fiberglass mat facing instead of paper on both sides of the board. The core of the wall board is silicon treated gypsum providing excellent moisture resistance, fire resistance and adhesion properties. It doesn’t provide fuel for an accidental fire. It isn’t even damaged by multiple immersions in water. It won’t harbor spores that create sick homes.
The following info was taken from Georgia Pacific’s ¼” Dens-Deck roof board data sheets:
· Dens-Deck roof board features an inorganic glass mat embedded into a water-resistant treated gypsum core. The combination of glass mat surfacing and a treated core renders Dens-Deck roof board more resistant to delamination from water than paper-faced gypsum products. Comparative testing has demonstrated Dens-Deck roof board’s supremacy over such alternatives as perlite and fiberboard. Its engineered features make Dens-Deck roof board the obvious substrate for roofing membranes. Resists delamination, deterioration and warping, puncturing and other job site damage and resists rot.
· Fire Protection: Because of its noncombustible core and surface, Dens-Deck roof board offers greater fire protection than other conventional products. Dens-Deck roof board, when tested to ASTM E 84, has achieved a rating of 0 flame spread and 0 smoke developed. Noncombustible when tested in accordance with ASTN E 136.
· Properties of Dens-Deck: Noncombustible, Water Resistance, Dimensional Stability, Decay Resistance, Resistant to Warping, Rodent and Fungus Resistance, Torch Safe, High Compressive Strength.
· Fire Classification: FMRC Class 1
· Mold & Mildew Resistance: No growth when tested in accordance with ASTM D 3273.
E.P.S. Insulation Fire Characteristics: The following came from data sheets.
The Expanded Bead Polystyrene used in the American Ingenuity Dome Building Kits is of the “modified” type which has a flame retardant added. Although it is manufactured with a flame retardant, it will burn if it gets hot enough. First E.P.S. will soften and melt when exposed to temperatures in excess of 175 degrees F. Sometimes this shrinking will actually pull it away from the heat source.
E.P.S. insulation's flash ignition temperature is 700 degrees. (White Pine and Douglas fir flash ignition temperature is 500 degrees). When there is no ignition source “modified” E.P.S. products will not self-ignite until the temperature reaches 800 degrees F. The flame retardant treatment in “modified” grades will effectively restrict ignition caused by a small flame source. To illustrate this, try to ignite a piece of the modified E.P.S. with a lighter or match. CAUTION; do not let any of the molten E.P.S. drip on you.
The E.P.S. used in foam coffee cups is not modified and it will ignite and burn readily.
When E.P.S. burns it produces smoke consisting mainly of carbon particles (soot). Independent tests have proven that the only potentially toxic combustion product from E.P.S. is Carbon Monoxide (CO). The concentration of CO is considerably less than that given off during the combustion of an equal volume of wood and other commonly specified building materials (fiberboard for example). Laboratory reports show that E.P.S. is no more toxic than burning wood, paper or cardboard.