ARCHITECTURAL FOCUS
BS 476 is a long-established standard that has been widely accepted in the UK since 1987 . some . Over twelve months on since the government first made its announcement , questions and concerns remain and with that in mind , we must look into its potential ramifications .
“ BS 476 is a long-established standard that has been widely accepted in the UK since 1987 . As an officially recognised testing method , BS 476 aims to achieve higher fire safety standards by assessing and confirming the fire resistance of various building elements , including fire doors and their hardware . To help assure a door assemby ’ s fire performance , the test method exposes one face of a full-scale doorset to conditions that simulate a fire scenario , where upon its results , the assembly is awarded a grade ( in minutes ) for which it can withstand fire .
“ Over the course of time , regulations habitually require updating . Between outdated methods and technology to the development of new construction targets and cultural shifts - take sustainability as an example - change can often suggest progress .
“ In recent years , there ’ s no doubt that we ’ ve made strides forward as an industry in relation to fire safety and building design for example , with us seeing a number of reforms as per the Building Safety Bill and Fire Safety Act . Yet , the latest proposed change to remove BS 476 as a standard feels a little nuanced to
“ Similarly , EN 1634-1 is a European standard that evaluates the fire resistance of building components - including fire doorsets - and is based on harmonized testing procedures across Europe . While EN 1634-1 follows a similar testing method to that of BS 476 , and has also been adopted within British Standards , there are slight differences between the two . Although both test cycles follow the same time and temperature , EN 1634-1 positions the neutral plane 500mm from floor level and has variation in its temperature control methods , meaning the furnace is driven harder and the door is more susceptible to warping . As such , the method more closely replicates real-life fire conditions and for this reason , EN 1634-1 is considered a more reliable standard .
“ In any case , a transition from BS 476 to EN 1634-1 has the potential to send significant shock waves through the entire supply chain , and not only for the architectural ironmongery industry . There are no disputes with the testing process itself , but in moving to European standards , UK bodies won ’ t be
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