As a rule, buildings are divided into several areas known as fire compartments. Within these sections, specially classified walls, ceilings and doors provide a clear separation. The purpose of this is to prevent the spread of fire and smoke to other areas and thus reduce the risk to people and property. At the same time, this structure enables the fire brigade to fight fires efficiently.
Nevertheless, you are probably familiar with the challenges from your own operational experience: IT requires additional connections, and ventilation ducts and electrical installations take up extra space. Over time, the walls that form the fire compartments become as permeable as Swiss cheese due to numerous breakthroughs. This is where so-called fire protection bulkheads come into play to restore fire protection.
What is the purpose of fire partitions
Fire protection partitions are part of structural fire protection. Combination penetration seals and soft penetration seals help to seal walls, ceilings and subfloors against fire, smoke and combustion gases. The fire barrier must correspond to the fire resistance of the surrounding components.
For example, a wall is classified as fire-resistant, i.e. it can withstand fire for up to 90 minutes. Consequently, the penetration seal must also fulfil this requirement (S90, S for penetration seal, 90 for minutes).
What fire protection bulkheads are available?
There is a wide range of systems. They differ in material, design and mode of operation. The most common include:
- Soft bulkheads suitable mainly for cable penetrations and non-combustible pipes. Soft bulkheads consist of mineral wool boards and a coating that swells in the event of fire.
- Mortar bulkhead suitable for cable penetrations and pipes.
- Cushion bulkhead suitable for cable penetrations. The cushions made of mineral or glass fiber are placed in the opening to be closed. They are mostly used as a temporary solution also for empty openings.
- Fire protection bandage suitable for wrapping cable support systems and cable bundles indoors.
- Fire protection sleeve is placed around flammable pipes.
- Fire protection foam suitable for sealing narrow annular gaps. The foam swells after installation and the opening is pressed shut.
- Cable box is a prefabricated sheet steel housing through which cables are routed through openings, ceilings and floors. The box is lined with material that foams up in the event of fire and seals the interior. The box is sealed against smoke at the ends.
How to find the right fire barrier
The selection of a suitable fire protection bulkhead depends on the specific installation situation in your building, which requires a complex assessment.
Our experts in structural fire protection place particular emphasis on the surrounding building components and their fire resistance class when making an assessment. Other decisive criteria are the type of cable penetrations, such as cables and pipes, as well as their properties and the size of the opening to be closed.
What to consider during installation
Bulkhead systems require a general building authority approval from the German Institute for Standardisation (DIBt) or a building authority test certificate (AbZ). Additional requirements must be observed for fire barriers for electrical installations.
Theoretically, any tradesman may install fire barriers. When awarding the contract, make sure that the fitters are trained in the respective system and request the corresponding training certificate from the penetration seal manufacturer. CWS Fire Safety fire protection technicians are certified by all market-leading manufacturers.
It goes without saying that we install in accordance with the specifications of the respective manufacturer and the approval regulations.
The installation instructions must be kept on hand by the company carrying out the installation so that you can see them for yourself when you inspect the work.
Completed fire protection bulkheads must be permanently labelled. The following information must be noted on the label:
- Manufacturer
- Year of manufacture
- Approval number
- Fire resistance class
- Name of the company carrying out the work
Forgetting the labelling is a classic error during installation. Bulkhead systems without a label are classed as a serious defect during a fire safety inspection.
The lack of labelling also has practical consequences for your company, as re-labelling is virtually impossible. If proof is missing, the penetration seal in question must be completely replaced, which is associated with considerable follow-up costs.
Why documentation is important
In addition to the mandatory labelling, additional documentation is recommended. The systems are numbered consecutively and entered in a plan so that it is easy to see where which fire protection bulkhead has been installed .
This offers four advantages:
- You retain an overview.
- The fire protection bulkheads are easy to trace during building and expert inspections.
- Damaged fire protection bulkheads can be quickly identified by their number and repaired in the event of subsequent occupancy.
- As the client, you have the option of tracing the invoicing based on the documentation.
We create digital image and data documentation for you.