Standard Product standard EN 15650:2010 Fire dampers
EN 12101 Smoke and heat control systems
Test standard
Classification standard
EN 1366 Fire resistance tests for service installations
EN 13501 Fire classification of construction products and building elements
Standard for variations from tested applications
prEN 15882: Extended applications of test results for fire resistance tests for service installations
Table 1: Principal European standards regulating fire dampers
BS EN 1366, and unlike the previously employed BS 476 procedures, this standard contains test procedures that are attempting to ensure dampers are installed in ways that are clearly consistent with the regulated and tested installation detail.
Fire damper testing Figure 2 shows a simplified layout for a BS EN 1366 test that, in this case, is designed to assess the ability of a fire damper to withstand heat and prevent the passage of smoke and gases at high temperatures in a horizontal duct. The damper is installed into the furnace wall and a plenum is fixed to the face of the damper, leading to a fan that maintains a set subatmospheric pressure on the face of the damper during the test. The damper is opened and closed 50 times (based on two maintenance checks per year, nominally simulating 25 years’ service), prior to the fans or fire being started to test mechanical robustness and then left in an open position at the start of the fire sequence. If a leakage test is to be undertaken, the damper is closed and the leakage rate measured using the measuring system in the test duct at ambient conditions prior to the fire test. The damper is then set to a position to give a velocity of 0.15 m/s across the face of the damper, the furnace is started, and the damper blades must fully close automatically within two minutes. The damper is then subjected to a required subatmospheric pressure and temperature of 1,050°C to 1,150°C for two to four hours. Leakage (S) is leakage during the fire test of less than 200 m3
h-1 per m2 of damper face
area, measured at ambient temperature. This is the same requirement for all sizes
60 CIBSE Journal September 2012
of manufactured dampers, and so can be particularly demanding for a range with small size dampers. Integrity (E) is the time that a damper allows a leakage less than 360 m3
h-1 per m2
without a failure. This would normally be associated with smoke dampers and the fire performance of a fire and smoke damper. Insulation (I) is the average temperature rise on the unexposed face to 140°C, with a maximum point value of 180°C. The rating will reflect the performance of
the damper – for example, ES 240 would indicate a damper that has been tested for both integrity and leakage and has maintained performance to standard requirements for four hours. (Historically, the UK has used the format ‘ES 240’, but under EN 13501 this will be shown as ‘E240S’.)
System design System design and installation for fire and smoke dampers must be project-specific, taking into account up-to-date legislation and manufacturers’ recommendations. So while it is important to ensure that appropriately certified dampers are used, it is as critical to install those dampers so that
Furnace Fitted fire damper Plenum
they reflect the conditions in which they were tested and assured. This requires close liaison between manufacturer, designer and site workers. Consideration must be given not only to damper installation, but also to access for maintenance and testing during the lifetime of the building. The key tasks for successful fire protection in a building, as identified by DW/145, are: Fire/smoke compartmentation – A fire strategy should be established and recorded that clearly shows fire and smoke compartmentation and the details of the protected areas. System specification and design – Those responsible must ensure that the design and application is suitable for the particular project and not simply generic. Programme of activity – This includes the relationship with other trades, and the physical position of the damper in relation to the building fabric and other services. Damper procurement – All the appropriate specifications for dampers must be supplied by the designer. Substitutions for dampers other than those specified require checking by the designer.
Dilution control used to adjust duct volume flow and pressure
Fan
✔Part 2:1999 Fire dampers
✔Part 3:2005 Classification using data from fire resistance tests on components of normal building service installations
✔Part 2: in approval process Dampers
Fire (and leakage) rated dampers ✔
Smoke-rated dampers
✔Part 8:2011 Specification for smoke control dampers
✔Part 10:2011 Smoke control dampers
✔Part 4:2007 Classification using data from fire resistance tests on components of smoke control systems
Horizontal or vertical barrier of similar form and orientation to that used in built environment
Measuring system
Figure 2: A simplified representation of the setup for testing fire dampers to BS EN 1366
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