PASSIVE FIRESTOPPING

Fire compartmentation is a vital strategy in passive fire protection. This involves contracting a certified installer to install specific products to divide the building or premises into separate ‘fire compartments’ which, when closed off, will prevent or delay the fire spreading within the building or to an adjacent property. Compartmentation can be considered both horizontally (within the same floor of a building) and vertically (particularly in tall structures such as high-rise buildings). Lift shafts, stairwells and ventilation systems should all be adequately compartmentalised to prevent the spread of fire. In the event of a fire, this provides valuable extra time for the occupants to safely evacuate the building via escape routes and makes the job of tackling the fire easier for the emergency services.

In all buildings, new and old, there will always be joints, gaps in the walls and floors or openings to allow for service penetrations to pass through, including cables, pipes and  ventilation systems. Where these spaces are not sealed, fire and smoke will spread throughout the building. Penetration sealing involves installing tested products to achieve compartmentation, such as pipe collars, intumescent sealants, ablative coated fire batt and many other closures. At Robore, we are fully certified and work to the current fire tests standards which covers installations of ducts, fire dampers, penetration seals, linear joint seals, service ducts and shafts, conveyor systems and their closures, smoke extraction ducts, and single compartment smoke extraction ducts.

Hidden cavities and voids pose a fire risk in buildings, and therefore need to be compartmented by using fire protection barriers, or other fire-resistant installation methods. This is particularly important when these cavities may spread across several compartments – such as voids between a false/suspended ceiling and soffit, which would otherwise extend across an entire floor of a building. Cavity barriers should be considered and carried out during the design and construction phase of a building as they’re normally located in areas with restricted access once the building is complete. Once installed, they’re usually hidden from view.

Structural cladding can be used to provide up to four hours of fire protection for structural steel beams. As these are load-bearing, it is crucial to ensure that they retain their integrity to prevent building collapse. At Robore we use fire protection boards manufactured from stone wool, which are water-repellent, rot-proof and non-combustible. They achieve a classification of A1 in accordance with current BS & EN standards and can be fitted to provide either dry joint solutions (offering up to two hours fire protection) or glued joint solutions (up to four hours fire protection).

Fire doors are usually made from timber, aluminium or steel. They are specially designed to delay the spread of fire and limit the smoke and heat transmission through compartments. As doorways are large openings in buildings, fire doors are vital to maintain compartmentation, therefore the frames, hinges, closures, ironmongery and glass panels must all be selected to perform under the current EN standard. Fire doors often have an intumescent seal or smoke seal, designed to expand and restrict the spread of smoke and flames in the event of a fire. They may also have a self-closing system to ensure they are not left open when not in use. Final exit doors must also be considered to allow occupants to exit the building and may feature an automatic door opener, push bar or pad which allows the door to easily swing open when pushed against.

Steel frame structures need to be protected to allow them to withstand high temperatures in the event of a fire, protecting the integral structure of a building. This can involve adding a vast range of coatings and paints that help retain the integrity of the steel. For example, intumescent applications prompt a chemical reaction which takes place in the event of a fire, causing the coating to expand protecting the steel from heat and protecting the underlying material from damage.