FAQs
We’ve answered some of our most frequently asked questions about our products, our certifications and general questions about passive fire protection. If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, please contact us.
Passive fire protection is a form of fire safety provision that remains dormant or inert during normal conditions but becomes active in a fire situation. It is an integral component of structural fire protection in a building and is designed to contain fires or slow their spread.
The purpose of passive fire protection is to contain the spread of fire for sufficient time to permit:
The arrival of the fire services
Passive fire protection provision is required in all buildings, whether domestic or non-domestic, with the purpose of containing and retarding the spread of fire. There are several methods and products available that will achieve the required standard of fire resistance in existing buildings, some of which may be more appropriate than others.
The person responsible for fire safety also has a duty of care towards any members of the emergency services, e.g. fire fighters, who may have to enter the premises during the course of a fire. Slowing the spread of flames, smoke and hot gases, passive fire protection also serves to ensure the building remains as safe as possible for entry in this situation.
Fire resistance is the property of a material that prevents the passage of gases, smoke and flames.
E – Integrity, the time it takes for fire to physically spread through a fire seal. At the point of failure one can see the glow of the fire through the seal, flames coming through or via a cotton pad which catches fire when held close to the seal by the test technician.
I – Insulation, the temperature, measured on the non-fire side has increased by 180°C on either the fire seal or the services. This is measured through many thermocouples placed in strategic locations. The intention is to replicate the lowest possible temperature that can actually start a fire, even though the fire itself has not passed through the fire seal. This is the more difficult classification to achieve.
The letters are followed by a number, which is how long in minutes the integrity and insulation were maintained. For instance, the classification E 60 is integrity for one hour, whilst EI 120 is both integrity and insulation for two hours.
No, this is not recommended. Substituting and mixing different manufacturers products will compromise the integrity of the firestop system, risking life and assets.
All product documentation including technical and safety data sheets, certifications, declaration of performance (DOP) can be downloaded from the relevant product pages here
Please contact us and we will assess if we can make an engineering judgement.
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