Joe Ragdale of Wetherby Wall Systems explores how facade safety is evolving, and that as regulation and sustainability expectations rise, compliance must now extend beyond fire performance.
Facade specification has long centred on fire safety, and rightly so. But in today’s regulatory environment, compliance is about far more than passing a single test. The Building Safety Act 2022 places accountability for safety across design, construction, and occupation, requiring that every element of the building envelope can be justified and evidenced.
While BS 476 tests remain recognised in some situations, the EN 13501-1 classification system has become the standard reference for reaction to fire performance across the UK and Europe. Its use ensures consistency, transparency, and traceability of performance ratings from A1 (non-combustibility) through to F.
Yet even when products achieve the highest individual ratings, compliance ultimately depends on how materials behave together as a system.
System testing & integrated performance
Modern facades are multi-layered systems of insulation, subframes, membranes, and finishes, all exposed to structural and environmental stress. The way these components work together determines not only fire performance but also air and water tightness, acoustic insulation, and thermal stability.
Large scale testing standards such as BS 8414, assessed against BR 135 guidance, remain critical to verifying the fire behaviour of complete external wall systems under realistic conditions. In parallel, CWCT test sequences measure air permeability, watertightness, and resistance to wind loading, key indicators of durability and occupant protection.
By focusing on whole assemblies, rather than isolated materials, system testing offers a truer representation of how facades behave in use. It also provides a traceable record of performance that supports compliance during audits or future maintenance.
There’s a growing recognition that facade performance isn’t just about how one product behaves in a test. Real compliance comes from understanding how materials interact as a complete system, thermally, structurally, and over time. That’s where long-term reliability is proven.
This system-based mindset underpins current industry best practice, helping specifiers ensure that what’s tested, designed, and installed aligns consistently throughout the project lifecycle.
Beyond fire: holistic compliance
Fire resistance remains fundamental, but modern facade compliance now embraces a wider set of performance priorities, thermal efficiency, moisture control, structural stability, and long-term resilience among them.
Each factor impacts on the others. For instance, improved airtightness and reduced thermal bridging enhance both energy efficiency and fire safety by limiting concealed air pathways.
According to UK Government greenhouse gas statistics (2023), energy use in buildings accounts for roughly 20% of the UK’s territorial emissions. The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) reports that embodied carbon in materials represents about 20% of emissions in the built environment, meaning operational energy, driven largely by heating and cooling, remains the dominant carbon source.
High-performance facades that maintain airtightness and thermal continuity therefore contribute directly to both regulatory compliance and the UK’s broader net-zero ambitions.
Durability, traceability, & lifespan
Most new UK buildings are designed for a service life of around 50-60 years, reflecting guidance in public sector and infrastructure design standards. Over that period, facades must resist wind, water ingress, UV exposure, and movement while retaining fire integrity and energy performance.
The Building Safety Act’s principle of a ‘Golden Thread’ of information ensures that design decisions, product data, and maintenance records remain traceable throughout a building’s life. For facade design, this means evidencing not only fire testing but also durability and maintenance planning.
A system that fails prematurely can undermine both safety and sustainability, leading to early replacement, higher embodied carbon, and greater cost. Durable, well tested assemblies help mitigate these risks by supporting consistent performance over decades.
Balancing safety, carbon, & cost
Specifiers face the challenge of meeting safety, environmental, and economic targets simultaneously. On higher risk buildings, non-combustible or limited-combustibility materials are now the default expectation, yet these choices must also align with thermal targets and design aesthetics.
Construction costs add further complexity. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) notes that UK material prices have risen significantly, by around 30-40 % since early 2020 across many key categories. Although well tested systems can require higher upfront investment, they often deliver long-term value through improved durability, reduced maintenance, and greater assurance of compliance.
The path forward
As the regulatory landscape continues to tighten, facade compliance is best achieved through system-based design that addresses fire, structural, thermal, and environmental performance in parallel.
Full system testing, clear documentation, and lifecycle thinking now form the foundation of best practice. For landlords, this means evaluating facade performance not only in laboratory conditions but across the building’s operational lifespan, linking design intent with practical verification.
By approaching facades as integrated systems rather than collections of individual products, the construction industry can deliver safer, more efficient, and lower carbon buildings that stand the test of time.
Joe Ragdale is technical director at Wetherby Wall Systems