Category: Technical information associated with Actionair
Requirements for Fire Dampers Future Developments for Fire Dampers
Email Actionair
Actionair
Requirements & Future Developments for Fire Dampers
Requirements
The Building Regulations - this is the law.
Approved Documents - These are published guides described as
“practical guidance” to meeting the requirements of the building
regulations.
British and European Standards - These are published standards on
product definition, testing and classification, system requirements,
recommendations and maintenance.
Certification Standards - These are standards published by certification
bodies to ensure products have undergone the necessary third party
testing. They are then used by a notified body as the basis to ensure
that products remain as tested, and that changes are re-tested or
assessed by qualified personnel.
There are further documents available, which are referenced in ADB that
give details to designers to allow the consideration of business risk
issues from smoke and fire – i.e. financial loss, and is sponsored by
insurers, to help assess premiums.
Building Regulations
By following the instructions in the approved documents you will
fulfil the requirements of the regulations.
If you can prove (with evidence or calculation) that another method is
satisfactory you may use this - this is called fire engineering, but
must be approved by a Building Control Authority (BCA) before use.
England & Wales
The document that gives an interpretation of the rules for Fire
Safety is Approved Document B (ADB). This is available as a free
download from the Planning Portal website.
It has just been republished dated 2006 and will be applicable to all
projects without planning approval from April 2007.
It recommends the use of products meeting independent certification
schemes, such schemes certifying compliance with the requirements of a
recognised document, which is appropriate to the purpose for which the
material is to be used. In addition to life safety it mentions the
protection of property, including the building itself, stating that this
may require additional measures, and insurers will in general seek their
own higher standards, before accepting the insurance risk.
There have been a considerable number of changes with regard to fire
dampers. They now have their own section giving very specific guidance.
Paragraphs 5.46 to 5.48 "Mechanical ventilation and air conditioning
systems” state that fire dampers protecting escape routes should respond
to a smoke detector or suitable fire detection system, noting that a
fusible link alone is not acceptable and this implies that some type of
actuator be used. The purpose of this is to ensure timely closure to
prevent passage of smoke. It also states that a damper with an ES
classification may be used.
The reader is then directed to paragraph 10.15. Paragraphs 10.11 to
10.15 "Fire dampers" are more specific and also require actuation for
fire dampers in buildings where there are levels of sleeping risk. The
note that “fusible link only dampers being unsuitable to protect escape
routes” is repeated together with the suitability of an ES rated
product. 10.15 then explains the requirements for E and ES
classifications. To achieve an E or ES classification fire dampers must
be tested to BS1366-2:1999. A Fire Damper has an E (Integrity)
classification. A Leakage Rated Fire Damper has an E (Integrity) and an
S (Reduced leakage) classification.
ADB states that dampers should be mounted within the structure that they
are seeking to protect and should be installed as tested.
Finally there is a statement saying that fire dampers tested only to
BS476 may only be appropriate for fan off situations.
So, for the purposes of application, what are colloquially known, at
present, as combination fire and smoke dampers (providing that they have
an ES classification to BS EN 13501-3:2005 and as such are now termed
Leakage Rated Fire Dampers) actuated via a smoke detection system will
fulfil the requirements for the protection of escape routes and the
protection of areas with sleeping risk. Curtain fire dampers will fulfil
the general E requirements for all other applications/areas.
Scotland
These exist as technical standards (AMD’s). They give very similar
guidance to ADB. They already include direct references to the
application of European standards. They are available as a free download
from the Scottish Executive website.
Standards
Fire Damper Standards
BS EN 1366-2:1999 (Test Standard) gives requirements for testing
dampers to the standard time/temperature curve with a requirement to
close at the start of the test and then have a 300Pa pressure
differential applied throughout the rest of the test after closure. The
largest size of damper to be offered for sale must be tested. Pass and
fail criteria is included in the standard.
Integrity – E – the damper must leak no more than 360 m3/hr/m2 at any
point during the test.
Optional Integrity and Leakage – ES – the damper must leak no more than
200 m3/hr/m2 at any point during the test. This also applies to the
largest and smallest size of damper to be offered for sale at ambient
temperatures as well for the ES criteria to be applicable.
Insulation – I – optional insulation rating - not required by
legislation for dampers in the UK.
BS EN 13501-3:2005 (Classification Standard) – states times and
performance to enable the classification of fire dampers (E, ES and I
requirements).
prEN 15650 (Product Standard) under development, this describes the
products available and how they should be tested and classified. It will
give the rules for CE marking.
BS ISO 101294-1:1996 (Test Standard) gives requirements almost exactly
the same as stated for BS EN 1366-2 above.
BS ISO 10294-2:1999 (Classification Standard) – gives classification
details almost exactly the same as BS EN 13501-3 above.
Related & system design & related standards
BS5588 part 9: Code of practice for ventilation & air conditioning
ductwork – gives further details on the application of dampers in
ventilation systems. It recommends that damper operation should be at
74°C. It refers to the older standards in some instances and in some
areas is both supported by, or superseded by, the information in the ADB.
It (ADB) should be considered as the higher authority as BS5588-9 needs
updating in the light of changes made in the ADB.
BS5588 part 4: Code of practice for smoke control using pressure
differentials - This gives requirements for smoke control systems to
have performances to 300ºC for 1 and 2 hours and 600ºC for 1 and 2
hours. It requires that Fire compartments are maintained in accordance
with BS5588 part 9. There are no clear requirements for dampers. There
is a new general requirement for Fire engineering input.
BS5588 part 12: Managing fire safety – The question is often asked where
does it state how often dampers and systems are to be tested. This is
the reference. It gives clear guidance on how often dampers, smoke
control systems, etc. should be tested. For dampers this is generally at
least once per year for units with spring operation. Units associated
with systems may be required to be checked, as part of the system, as
often as once per week or month to ensure ongoing confidence in the life
safety system. This may be seen as analogous to fire alarm systems.
Certification Standards
LPS 1162 is a typical product certification standard. It contains all
the tests that the Loss prevention Certification Board (LPCB) require
the product to undergo, before certification may be offered. It also
states that to meet it, a company must have full BS EN ISO 9001
accreditation. The LPCB visit the factory at least once a year to
confirm by measurement that the certificated products maintain all the
tested dimensions, and confirm that the products still comply with any
assessments that may have been made. Using Certificated products mean
less time needs to be taken checking up that products meet the required
standards, as a third party is making sure that this is the case.
Extended Fields of Application (Assessments)
Under BS EN 1366-2 etc. specific documents are being drafted for the
extended field of application for all products. It is becoming clear
that assessments for small component changes and the use of units
smaller than those tested are allowable. However the use of methods of
installation other than that tested will lead to problems, with no
assessments being forthcoming. The reason for this is the fact that the
test is passed or failed based on the leakage of the unit during the
test, as well as any failure at the boundary between the damper and the
supporting construction (NOTE: The damper closing is just the start of
the test).
The laboratories are unwilling to state that a difference in building in
method will not affect the leakage performance.
Previously, under the BS 476 ad-hoc testing, assessments were
forthcoming with respect to installation, this was because the test pass
or fail criteria were purely mechanical with gap gauges etc, not leakage
measurement.
Dampers should always be installed by the method tested.
Smoke Control
This is an emerging application, normally dealt with by fire
engineering design. It is not yet apparently recognised in UK
legislation. The EN12101 series of standards are under development and
give design requirements for systems and products to be used in those
systems.
Smoke Control Dampers
Smoke control dampers may be seen to be different to fire dampers in
various ways. Fire dampers are designed to shut in the case of fire
(fusible links, springs and spring return actuators). In a smoke
control/exhaust system this could be seen to be disastrous.
The unplanned closure of a damper in such a system could close off the
area from which the smoke and heat is to be evacuated. Correspondingly a
damper designed to failsafe open could allow smoke into another area or
open up pathways, causing the fan to be unable to extract fully from an
area as expected.
Smoke control dampers have no pre-determined “failsafe” position. It is
unknown where in a system the smoke “event” may occur and any smoke
control damper may be required to open or close and remain in that
position. Therefore smoke control dampers are tested to see if they can
maintain their ability to stay open as well as closed. They must have
only drive open/drive close capabilities (no fusible links or springs)
and must be under the control of a system to do this: i.e. the ones
where the smoke is (and along the path of extract) open and all the
others close.
Existing “combination fire and smoke dampers” with fusible links and
spring return actuators are not suitable for this purpose and may not be
classified for it.
The smoke control dampers are tested as pairs mounted on a duct, one
inside the furnace and one outside. The furnace is started and the unit
inside the furnace is driven from closed to open and the one outside
from open to closed. This may happen at 30 seconds from the start (for
automatic applications) or at 25 minutes (for override-able or brigade
initiated systems). This is done following a 600°C or a full fire test
curve.
The damper outside is tested for leakage when closed to ensure its
closure integrity. The damper inside the furnace is recorded for its
ability to remain open.
prEN 1366-10 (2009?) – test standard
EN 13501-4:2007 – classification standard
PrEN12101-8 (2009?) – product standard
Ductwork (Fire classified & smoke control systems classified)
Ductwork is following a similar path to dampers with a fire rated
duct standard already being published. There will also be further
standards for smoke control systems ducts. ADB is not too specific on
the regulatory requirements.
Fire rated duct
BS EN 1366-1:1999 – test standard
BS EN 13501-3:2005 – classification standard
Product Standard – In draft
Smoke control systems duct
BS EN 1366-8:2004 – multi compartment test standard
prEN 1366-9 (2008?) – single compartment test standard
prEN 13501-4:2007 – classification standard
prEN 12101-7 (2008?) – product standard
|
Request Requirements for Fire
Dampers Future Developments information
Request
Information other products
