The European Standard provides information for the various parties responsible for designing, manufacturing and specifying/selecting suspended ceilings used for interior applications in general building and civil engineering structures. It covers suspended ceilings sold as a complete kit (including, optionally, light fittings and other features), substructures sold as kits, individual components (products) of such substructures, and membrane components. It includes test methods and methods of assessment, as well as provisions for the evaluation of conformity of the products to the requirements of this standard.
In the absence of any other European Standard, this standard specifies dimensions, tolerances and, where relevant, performance requirements, for commonly available ceiling substructures and membrane components.
This standard does not cover the following:
— ceilings in mobile buildings, caravans and other forms of transportation,
— ceilings with heating or cooling properties,
— ceilings subject to water penetration requirements,
— ceilings used externally where requirements other than covered by this scope would apply (tunnels, canopies, petrol stations, arcades, open sports facilities, car parks, etc.),
— heavy duty suspended ceilings or their supporting construction,
— ceilings formed in-situ with no prefabricated membrane (e.g. plastered ceilings).
The standards covers the following essential characteristics:
— reaction to fire,
— resistance to fire (suspended ceiling kits only),
— release of asbestos (content) (suspended ceiling kits and membrane components only),
— release of formaldehyde (suspended ceiling kits and membrane components only),
— shatter properties (for membrane components of brittle materials in suspended ceiling kits only),
— flexural tensile strength,
— load bearing capacity,
— electrical safety,
— direct airborne sound insulation (suspended ceiling kits only),
— sound absorption (suspended ceiling kits and membrane components only),
— thermal conductivity (suspended ceiling kits only),
— durability of flexural tensile strength and load bearing capacity against moisture,
— condensation.
The standard also covers the following non-essential requirements:
— colour and light reflectance,
— installation.
BS EN 13964:2004 history
2014BS EN 13964:2014 Suspended ceilings. Requirements and test methods