TESTING & CERTIFICATION
Ironmongery , fire testing and third-party certification
GAI ’ s Technical Manager , Douglas Masterson , explores the key areas around ironmongery , fire testing and third-party certification of fire doors .
What is a fire door ?
A fire door is a door with a fire-resistance rating , which is used as part of a building ’ s passive fire protection , designed to reduce the spread of fire and smoke between separate compartments of a structure and to enable safe egress . Fire doors must be installed to replicate their tested condition , and if changes are made to them in any way , these are likely to negatively affect their fire performance , and certainly nullify any third-party certification or CE / UKCA mark .
To use any item of ironmongery on a fire door , it should be fire tested to the same standard as the fire door to which it is to be fitted .
Primary fire test evidence Primary evidence derives from a fire test by a named manufacturer at a UKAS laboratory or accredited by an Accreditation Body that is a signatory of International laboratory Accreditation Cooperation ( ILAC ). The test reports are statements of fact and therefore only apply to exactly what has been tested .
Primary test evidence cannot be used in all circumstances as the sheer number of possible combinations of fire doors makes it impossible to test every variation . To allow other variations of elements , which are outside the scope of the primary evidence , such as differing sizes and products , we therefore need fire assessments .
Fire assessments
Assessments are written by qualified fire consultants in accordance with EN 15725:2010 Extended application reports on the fire performance of construction products and building elements . Once the fire test programme has been successfully completed , the assessor is able to provide an opinion in the form of an assessment report that will combine all items of test data into a single document identifying the maximum permitted parameters or consider any specific changes to the tested specification that the test sponsor requires .
The assessment report becomes the document that the test sponsor will use in support of their test reports . Assessment reports normally have a stipulated validation period such as five years , after which time they should be returned to the assessing body for review . The relevant designated standard for that product group , what responsibilities must be met by the manufacturer , and the necessary level of involvement from an approved body , depends on the level of Attestation and Constancy of Performance ( AVCP ) the product complies with .
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The fire test shows how the various components of a doorset interact with each other when subjected to fire
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Field of Application reports
It is often necessary to produce a Field of Application ( FOA ) Report for fire doors . This brings together several fire test reports into a single practical document that outlines the variations and permitted parameters , a field of application report demonstrates the range of situations in which the fire performance criteria that is being stated is valid .
It displays an understanding of the practical applications of the door and its fire-rating and means the door manufacturer will understand the range of situations in which their product can be sold . It helps ensure the installer will understand where and how they can install the product and with which product as well as assisting the door manufacturer in reducing the risk of claims resulting from incorrect installation . It will also assist with issues such as permitted ironmongery as well as its correct positioning on the door .
Fire performance standards
There are two fire performance standards that are accepted for use within the UK :
• BS 476 part 20-22 1987 :
• EN 1634-1 2014 + A1:2018 :
The above test standards will provide the Integrity ( E ) & Insulation ( I ) performance for the sample tested . The test Report provides the backbone for Third Party Certification Scheme requirements and is also used as the starting point for Global Assessments .
Both standards use the same pass / fail criteria and both tests follow the same time temperature curve . The main difference between the two is the type of thermocouple used to record the furnace temperature . The other big change is the pressure regime with neutral pressure moved from 1000 mm on BS standard to 500 mm on the EN one , this is of particular significance for door hardware . The vast majority of ironmongery manufacturers will test to the EN standard to give the widest scope for their products .
The fire test shows how the various components of a doorset interact with each other when subjected to fire . In the majority of cases a full size and fully operational sample is taken to test and will normally be tested right through to destruction so the overrun can be used to the best advantage when obtaining a Global Assessment . In the case of a BS-EN 1634-1 test any overrun can be used in a Direct Field of Application which forms part of the test report .
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