Fire compartmentation is vital for building fire safety, as it contains the fire within its origin and stops smoke and fire spread. With this regard, fire compartmentation protects the escape route for occupant to retreat from fire and the safe means of access for fire fighter to enter the fire scene. Without an effective firestopping system to seal up the building service and construction joint passing through fire barriers, the fire compartmentation’s functionality cannot be ensured. Smoke tightness should never be forgotten as smoke (cold smoke) is one of the key killers in an event of fire (toxicity). Smoke travels fast and even long before the fire becomes a danger. On top smoke will also destroy assets and equipment throughout the building compartments. Therefore, a tight seal with approved firestopping system must be ensured.

Building services are inevitable to pass through compartment walls and floors. For example, duct and pipe works penetrate the pipe duct shaft, which is a vertical compartment shaft, at each floor. Cables and trunking pass through the plant room and protected lobby where are fire compartmentation. Lift display panel and call buttons are opening in lift shaft which is a vertical compartment as well. Moreover, there are often congested building service, including cables, insulated pipe, air ducting, pipe, pass through won door of fire shutter in shopping mall, which is as well critical fire compartment. Here comes the question: Are all these building service properly sealed up with effective firestopping system? The brutal fact is that many firestop penetrations through fire rated compartments remain incorrectly firestopped, firestopped with wrong material and not according to the relevant approval or even remain open. This then represents one of the major risks in a building as fire and smoke is free to travel all over the building and the compartment will not fulfill its intended and legally required purpose anymore.

On top, many trades and contractors are involved in the installation of the different services, like drywallers, insulators, electricians and HVAC contractors. This makes the actual firestopping a quite complex job which can only be solved with clear pre-planning or specification. Many times, the correct and compliant closing of the service penetrations according to the required fire rating is left to the last party on the jobsite.
 



What are some of the long term solutions for building owners, architects and engineers to ensure compartmentation remains intact during a renovation or restructuring phase:
 

•   Education of your staff and contractors about compartmentation and firestop penetrations

•   Consider correct passive fire protection in your risk assessment

• Write a comprehensive specification of firestop material to be used based on ease of installation, approved field of application, retrofit possibilities, easy maintenance and inspection

• Reduce your risk by choosing easy to maintain firestop materials like pre-engineered devices or easy to inspect preformed products (Firestop Blocks, Firestop Sleeves) which offer clear cost advantages when it comes to long-term maintenance and proper installation.

• Choose an experienced firestop manufacturer who also offers technical onsite support and consultation

• Proper and fast maintenance of damaged or deficient penetrations by trained and qualified installers, also considering approval compliant installation

• Usage of correct firestopping material (also in line with existing firestop material)

• Do inspection rounds annually or whenever adequate

• Generate a clear documentation of firestop penetrations and deficiencies (e.g. by using a specific software for firestop documentation management including pictures and labelling), maintain and file documentation reports

• Label smoke and fire walls and floors

Hilti is the global market leader in firestopping. Our dedication to stringent testing and code developments help make buildings safer today, saving lives and protecting asset, with proven reliability and outstanding service.

Hilti, with own worldclass research and development is committed to supply easy-to-use firestop solutions, providing cutting-edge and fully integrated and tested systems. At the end of the day, together with a unique professional technical support in many countries, this helps specifiers and installers to correctly select the right system for the right application and also to correctly specifiy compliant and tested solutions.