Summary
In the context of recent fire damages to façades, and the related discussion about the safety of façade systems in the case of fire, there is a need to discuss the boundary conditions and the phenomena of façade fires based on fundamental investigation. This paper shows the experimental setup, procedure, and results of 5 large‐scale fire tests. The tests were carried out on a flat façade with external thermal insulation composite systems based on polystyrene concerning fire loads at the ground in front of the façade. The tests were scientifically monitored by the Institute of Building Materials, Concrete Construction and Fire Safety. The tests differ to the fire tests of the German building ministers in the case of different fire loads and the corner‐situation of the investigated façade. The 5 fire tests are the base for systematic investigations to study the examination criteria of the fire phenomena at the façades. Further experimental and numerical investigations will follow.