FRONT COVER SPOTLIGHT 11
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By selecting a
well-established manufacturer who is able to offer a wide range of fire protection products and systems the architect, specifier or contractor can gain a great advantage in the race to comply with all the relevant regulations and best-practice guidelines.
There are many passive fire protection options that the manufacturer can help the system designer to consider, including fire compartmentation systems. A robust fire compartmentation system can help to contain the spread of flame and heat, but to be effective it must also be able to withstand other factors such as water pouring from sprinklers or the impact of falling debris or fire-fighting action.
Fire-rated ductwork is another element that has a vital role to play in commercial and public buildings, but again care must be taken. Fire dampers situated where the ductwork passes through a compartment or wall can be very effective in sealing the ductwork should a fire break out, but this system has its drawbacks. Used on dedicated smoke extracts, the dampers may impede the ductwork’s ability to safely remove smoke and other combustion products from the building.
Smoke extract ductwork must maintain full fire integrity, provide an appropriate cross-section that will allow smoke removal and also contain the fire without transferring sufficient heat to spread fire to other areas. Choosing the most appropriate fire-rated ductwork will result in a virtually maintenance-free solution that provides the required amount of protection. Again, the manufacturer can provide invaluable advice here.
The characteristics of the fire protection materials themselves are also important.
Materials that are easy to handle and which require no additional foundations or other construction work will simplify the installation process. This can pay particular benefits on refurbishment or upgrade projects where the contractor has to work within the existing building framework, and a “dry” installation process will help further by minimising disruption to other trades working in the same areas, allowing faster project completion.
Fire protection is an area where specifiers and building owners simply can’t afford to take any chances. Faced with the requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, the Building Regulations, increasingly stringent demands of insurers and the devastating effects of an incorrect specification, architects, specifiers and contractors should give themselves the significant advantage that guidance from a manufacturer that specialises in passive fire protection is able to provide.
Promat DURASTEEL® is the market leader in
fire barriers and fire rated ducting, providing a complete fit-and-forget containment system that has been tried and tested under the most extreme conditions. This has led to its specification on a number of prestigious projects such as Heathrow Terminal 5, the Westfield Shopping Centre and the Wood Lane Tube Station in London, and other projects for such clients as EDF Energy, the British Museum and the Ministry of Defence.
Promat UK Limited Click here to request literature
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