ASFP On-site gide to installing fire-stopping
ASFP On-site gide to installing fire-stopping In this gide fire-stopping incldes cavity barriers, penetration seals for services and linear joint seals. The gidance given below is general best practice; however, some manfactrers prodcts may be able to cope with some sitations better than others. Remember the manfactrer s information/instrctions always take precedence. Who can install fire-stopping? Ideally, fire-stopping shold only be carried ot by competent persons i.e. those working for a third party certificated contractor or those who have had their competency checked by a scheme rn by a third party certification body. This is recommended in the Bilding Reglations in the UK and Ireland. If yo are not a competent person, the Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) recommends yo join an appropriate scheme as this will demonstrate yor expertise and assist in redcing any liability. If firestopping is only an ancillary fnction to yor main profession e.g. plmber, electrician, dry-liner, then an acceptable alternative is to achieve an NVQ level 2 qalification in fire-stopping. Details on how to join a third party scheme and how to get an appropriate NVQ are contained within this docment. 1. Health & Safety Ensre that all works are planned and ndertaken in line with crrent health & safety legislation, observing specific site conditions and any manfactrers literatre. This incldes being in compliance with the principal contractor s health and safety work plan. 2. Site conditions The ASFP wold like to thank the following organisations for the spply of images and photographs sed in this pblication: Coopers Fire Ltd FSi Ltd Hilti (Great Britain) Ltd Promat (UK) Ltd Rockwool (UK) Ltd Siderise Ltd Tremco-illbrck Ltd Confirm the environment is right for installing fire-stopping (temperatre, hmidity). Check if there are any chemicals present that might affect fire-stopping materials and the sbstrates are clean and dst free. Do not se the penetration seal area and space arond a dct or damper assembly for the passage of other bilding services as their presence may invalidate the tested penetration seal method. All penetrating services shold be spported either side of the wall by fire tested spports to prevent collapse of the seal in a fire. The distance to the first spport is particlarly important. Check the manfactrer s information and ASFP Advisory Note 8. In the absence of any information, the first spport shold be no more than 300mm from the face of the seal. If the service is already installed (spports have already been fitted) ensre that the fire-stopping is installed with the spports at the correct distance from the faces of the seal. Dampers mst be independently spported so that when activated they do not affect the stability of the srronding fire-stop nless it is designed to spport them and has been tested in the fire damper test EN 1366-2. This shold be clarified with the damper manfactrer. Fire dampers shold be sitated within the thickness of the fire separating element and be secrely fixed. It is also necessary to ensre that, in a fire, expansion of the dctwork does not psh the fire damper throgh the strctre. In all cases, check with the fire damper manfactrer s EN1366-2 fire tested installation methods. 3. Pre-installation checks Ensre that the fire-stopping system yo are installing is correct: Check the fire resistance time provided by the seal. Are yo trying to protect a 60 minte wall with a 30 minte seal? Refer to the manfactrer s information and site drawings Is the seal sitable for the type and size of penetrating service and the size and orientation of the service being sealed? Is the seal too small or too large for the penetrating pipe? Are yo sing a system designed for walls in a floor? Is the wall or floor the seal is to be installed in constrcted correctly? Is the apertre sitable e.g. correct size and in good condition? A fll check on the srronding constrction may not be possible, bt if yo have some dobts, yo shold raise them with the main contractor.
4. General dos and don ts Dos Don ts 5. Workmanship dos and don ts Dos Don ts Do check the prodct s fire test and other evidence to ensre it adeqately spports the end se application being sed e.g. prodcts tested only as linear gap seals shold not be sed in a penetration seal application. See ASFP Advisory Note: Using polyrethane foams. Do se a loadbearing fire seal for all floor penetrations where there is ANY risk of any person standing on it. ASFP Advisory Note 1 provides frther details. Some mortar systems will reqire steel reinforcement over certain spans; it is important to nderstand the specific limitations of the system yo are sing. Do ensre that where penetration seals are to be installed arond fire dampers or dcts, that the seal sed is approved for se and is compatible with the damper/dct in qestion. Do se a tested system when installing a flexible cavity barrier which reqires services to pass throgh it. Many penetration sealing systems sed for masonry and partition walls cannot be sed with large cavity barriers nless proven by test. Don t mix one manfactrer s prodct with another s in a single seal e.g. batts and mastics from different manfactrers or pipe collars and batts from different manfactrers. This is not proven by test evidence and therefore cannot be assmed to work. Conslt the manfactrer s literatre and ASFP Advisory Note 6: Use of fire-stopping components from different manfactrers/systems. Don t omit framing ot nless test or assessment evidence from the manfactrer of the seal or the partition shows it is not reqired. Partition manfactrers literatre often states that when installing penetrations the hole mst generally be framed within the std work and then lined with the appropriate board (framing ot). Don t install intmescent wraps or www.asfp.org.k collars in non-loadbearing barriers sch as coated stone wool (batt and mastic systems) nless proven by a fire test or assessment. Don t se batt and mastic systems in floors where there may be a reqirement to spport foot traffic withot separate mechanical protection e.g. a steel grid fixed above the seal. Do se the manfactrers recommended coating/mastic for bttering batt to batt, batt to wall and batt to penetration joints. Do se the correct nmber of pors for mortars as sometimes it is reqired for the effective depth of mortar to be applied in only one or two pors. Conslt manfactrer s instrctions. Do install pipe wraps within the fire-stop mortar sch that they finish flsh with the seal soffit. Do check and if reqired carry ot repairs to any damaged/defective fire-stopping or penetration seal sing manfactrer-approved methods. If yo have installed the seal yo can repair it. If others have installed it and it is damaged and yo don t know what it is; it shold be removed and replaced. Do ensre that no glass wool or combstible materials have been sed arond penetrations and in joints nless they have been sccessflly tested for the particlar application. Do ensre compartment walls have been taken p to the nderside of compartment floors (above sspended ceilings) and that a sitable deflection head is fitted if the wall is non-load bearing. Do ensre that fire-stopping reaches the edge of floor slabs e.g. for crtain walling: see ASFP Advisory Note 7. Do ensre all possible rotes for smoke, gases and flame have been sealed. This is the main reason for installing fire-stopping. Don t leave stone wool packed arond services withot any fire-stopping material covering it. Don t se plastic plgs for installing spports or collars as these may melt in a fire and fall ot. 6. After installation Dos Do ensre a complete record is made of all installations and referred to in the labelling. This will be needed for the certificate of completion and as part of the inspection process. See ASFP TGD 17 Code of practice for the installation and inspection of fire-stopping. Do apply labels as part of the certification process and for traceability for ftre remedial work. Do take photographs of the completed installation to assist verification of the work. 7. Relevant ASFP pblications ASFP Red Book Fire-stopping and penetration seals for the constrction indstry (Red Book) http://is.gd/tfg8yp ASFP TGD 17 Code of Practice for the installation and inspection of firestopping systems in bildings http://is.gd/fcjav1 ASFP Advisory Notes http://is.gd/i31boh ASFP Advisory Note: Using polyrethane foams ASFP Advisory Note 1: Horizontal loadbearing fire-stopping ASFP Advisory Note 2: Combstible 40 mm pipes ASFP Advisory Note 6: Use of fire-stopping components from different manfactrers/systems ASFP Advisory Note 7: Horizontal linear gap seals sed in crtain wall systems ASFP Advisory Note 8: Isses srronding service spport centres All pblications are available for free download from: www.asfp.org.k 8. ASFP recognised certification bodies operating 3rd party installer schemes BRE GLOBAL (LPCB) www.redbooklive.com Tel: 01923 664000 EXOVA BM TRADA www.exovabmtrada.com Tel: 01494 569700 IFC CERTIFICATION LTD www.ifccertification.com Tel: 01844 275500 WARRINGTON CERTIFICATION LTD (FIRAS) www.warringtoncertification.com Tel: 01925 646666
Walls & Floors - Head of wall Walls & Floors - Risers If movement is expected, an appropriate system that can accommodate movement shold be sed. It is strongly advised that floor openings for service shafts shold be sealed with a loadbearing fire seal. Plastic pipes mst have pipe collars fitted to the nderside of the floor or incorporated into the seal if shown by test. Ensre there are no gaps e.g. in profiled decks. Any plastic/rbber in the firestop mst not degrade the plastic pipe by plasticiser migration. The fire-stop shold allow the pipe to move in the penetration to allow for expansion and contraction whilst maintaining a smoke seal dring its normal service life. Walls & Floors - Wall/floor joint If services penetrate the head of the wall joint they need to be sealed with an appropriate fire-stopping material or prodct. Inslated pipes may be sealed with a pressre exerting intmescent prodct or intmescent sleeve to cope with shrinking inslation, or sleeved with fire-rated inslation. HVAC dampers shold be mechanically fixed to an expansion frame back to the strctre. Always check with the fire damper manfactrer s fire tested/approved installation methods. If movement is expected, an appropriate system that can accommodate movement shold be sed. Walls & Floors - Access flooring Ensre that adeqate fire barriers are in place beneath compartment walls and fire doors and at 20m maximm centres for cavity barriers Facade movement mst be accommodated by a flexible seal that mst be adhered or mechanically fixed to the slab according to the manfactrer s gidelines. Ensre that stone wool barriers are adeqately spported and in line with fire rated partitions where applicable
Cable trays & baskets Service spports - Fixings Any fire seal has to have been tested for the range of cable types on site (e.g. armored, compter etc.) and the range of diameters sed. If frther cables are to be added in the ftre, then any fire stopping may be removable or modifiable. The first spports for the penetrating service shold be as close as possible to the seal face; and in the absence of any contrary specification positioned not more than 300mm away. The first spports for the penetrating service shold se fire rated anchors, spports and other brackets able to carry the service load for the period of fire resistance. Cable trnking Service spports - Fire crtains & cavity barriers The inside of any trnking mst be fire-stopped at the location where the penetration passes throgh the barrier. A short length of trnking lid, protrding a short distance each side of the seal, shold be secred in position in line with the separating element, prior to installation of the penetration sealing system. The periphery of the trnking shold be fire-stopped appropriately. Ensre that crtains are anchored to the soffit and according to manfactrer s instrctions. Cavity barriers are generally not secred at their lower edge. Ensre that crtains are correctly wired/stitched or stapled together depending on the type of crtain sed. Ensre that service penetrations are sleeved and that sleeves are wire stitched / stapled / gled to the crtain according to manfactrer s instrctions. Electrical sockets Ensre that cable trays are packed with recommended fire stop material when they are sleeved When electrical otlets (back-boxes) are fitted into partition std walls they mst be fire-stopped to prevent fire penetration throgh the plasterboard and into the cavity sing an intmescent based pad. Fire door frames If penetrating services pass throgh the fire crtain, ensre that there is adeqate fire test evidence to demonstrate that this is acceptable. Gaps between frame and wall mst be fire-stopped to the same rating as the door or as per BS 8214 sing a sitable fire-stopping prodct.
Plastic pipes Metal pipes Wall penetrations mst have a closing device sch as a high pressre exerting intmescent sealant, pipe wrap or pipe collar. Any plastic or rbber in the fire-stop mst not degrade the plastic pipe by plasticiser migration. The fire-stop shold allow the pipe to move in the penetration to allow for expansion and contraction whilst maintaining a smoke seal dring its normal service life. Soil pipes mst have a closing device installed; if it is a collar, it mst be mechanically fixed to the soffit nless the manfactrer s test data spports another fixing method. Alternative prodcts may be sed provided they have been tested. All collars mst be mechanically fixed firmly against the compartment element face, nless the manfactrer s test data spports another fixing method. All collars mst be secred to the element with fire-rated anchors (no wood screws and plgs nor zinc-based anchors) sing all fixing brackets. Pipe wraps mst be backfilled with mortar compond to the recommended depth. Pipe wraps and collars mst be sitable for pipe material (PVC, PE, PP, ABP etc.). Where pipe wraps are claimed to be capable of sealing pipes withot backfilling, appropriate test evidence mst be spplied. Fire dampers Seals mst be flexible to allow movement. If cement has been sed it mst be reinforced to prevent cracking in fire and be present for the fll depth of the wall or floor. Inslated pipes may be sealed with a pressre exerting intmescent sealant or intmescent sleeve to cope with shrinking inslation, or sleeved with fire rated inslation. A pipe of lead, alminim, alminim alloy, fibre-cement or PVC, with a maximm nominal internal diameter of 160mm may be sed with a sleeve of noncombstible pipe (1m each side of the wall), fitted with no annls to the pipe. Fire-stopping shold be provided between the sleeve and the strctre. Fire dampers shold be sitated within the thickness of the fire separating element and be secrely fixed. It is also necessary to ensre that, in a fire, expansion of the dctwork wold not psh the fire damper throgh the strctre. In all cases, check with the fire damper manfactrer s EN1366-2 fire tested installation methods. Fire dampers can only be installed with the penetration seal sed in the test of the fire damper to EN 1366-2. Fire-stops for solid walls and floors are sally fire resisting mortar componds. Partition walls mst have openings framed with metal stdding and plasterboard before fitting of a damper nless test evidence to EN 1366-2 spports the se of an nframed opening.
Association for Specialist Fire Protection Kingsley Hose, Ganders Bsiness Park, Kingsley, Bordon, Hampshire GU35 9LU. Tel: +44 (0)1420 471612 www.asfp.org.k