Fire Ratings – Cutting through the confusion

1 12-29 SPEC Oct 10: SPEC Oct 07 - pg??-009 29/10/10 12:37 Page 16. 26 fire PROTECTION. fire Ratings . Cutting through the confusion MANUFACTURERS OF fire -RESISTING BUILDING COMPONENTS. ARE STILL ENCOUNTERING confusion IN THE MINDS OF. SPECIFIERS, ACCORDING TO LEADING SUPPLIER FENDOR. system of classification the letter R' refers to passage of heat would be just as destructive S. eeking an answer by tapping in fire Ratings ' on a computer is also not structural stability so a classification covering as that of flame. much This is certainly the case all three elements would appear as REI. with fire Ratings where the enquirer can find followed by the number of minutes for which This issue is covered in Approved Document classifications expressed as two figures, say resistance is achieved.

2 The stability' element B where it is stated: Because fire doors 30/30, with contradictory information as to is not relevant where non-load bearing often do not provide any significant insulation whether these figures relate to stability' components are involved and, say Fendor there should be some limitation on the integrity' or insulation'. Alternatively they technicians, is no longer an area of great proportion of doorway openings in may encounter designations E' I', R' or, in confusion . But an issue remains as to compartment walls no more than 25% of the case of fire doors, FD'. What are they to whether the specifier is seeking to inhibit just the length of a compartment wall should make of all this? fire and smoke, or radiant heat as well. consist of door openings, unless the doors provide both integrity and insulation to the The two figures, say 30/30 or 60/60, cover The question Fendor so often find itself appropriate level.

3 The non-load bearing elements' with the first posing to customers is What do you need it figure describing the period in minutes during for? and this often exposes the fact that the The point is also made that UK national which the door or screen meets the integrity' specifier is concerned with inhibiting the classifications (the 60/60 or the FD30) do not requirement and the second the insulation' passage of flame and smoke but has not automatically equate with the European (E or requirement. Integrity' is the ability to prevent considered heat, something that could be I) classifications found in the tables in the the passage of fire and smoke. Insulation', critical if, for example, the component were approved document and therefore a product as the name implies, is the ability to prevent adjacent to an escape route or if the building cannot typically assume a European class the passage of radiant heat.

4 Concerned were, say, an art gallery where the unless it has been tested accordingly. These are British classifications and might It is not wrong for people to continue to use also be rendered as FD30 meaning a fire the British classification but they must do so door with a 30-minute integrity' rating but no with care and it would be best practice to separate insulation' classification. use the European method, says Fendor Technical Manager Martin Smith. Referring to Building Regulations Approved Document B ( fire Safety) the potential They really need to understand from the specifier will encounter both FD and EI design stage what is needed. British classifications, the latter being derived from Standard classifications do not take account Europe and which are still sometimes not of where a component is going to be used in recognised in Britain in the same way that a building, that is to say, next to an escape they are throughout the continent.

5 Route or protecting adjacent properties. This is something that someone such as a E' stands for integrity' and I' for insulation' professional building control officer for fire and where one is dealing with a non- can help with. structural item such as a door or screen then the classification could be rendered either as Everything Fendor manufactures is bespoke E60 for 60 minutes integrity' only or EI60 for to the particular job and the specifier and 60 minutes integrity' plus insulation'. designer should understand what they need by discussing it at an early stage with the fire There was a time when a specifier might officer and, of course, our technical team at encounter a three-figure classification, such Fendor are always on hand to help. as 30/30/30 in which case the first figure referred to structural stability.

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