Fire Code 9
Fire Doors –
Guidance and Specification
FPS/FC#9/SWW
Revision 0
Ratified at Health & Safety Committee 19th March 2013
Health & Safety Services
Contents
1. Introduction .........................................................................................................③
2. Purpose ..............................................................................................................③
3. Fire Door Ratings................................................................................................④
4. Fire Door Standards ...........................................................................................④
5. Labelling .............................................................................................................⑤
6. Upgrading or Alteration of Existing Doors ...........................................................⑤
7. Fire Door Criteria and Requirements ..................................................................⑥
Vision Panels .........................................................................................................⑥
Vision Panels to Meet Disability Requirements .....................................................⑦
8. Door Hardware ...................................................................................................⑧
Handles .................................................................................................................⑧
Latches and Locks .................................................................................................⑧
Hinges ...................................................................................................................⑧
Self Closing Devices ..............................................................................................⑧
Automatic Hold Open Devices ...............................................................................⑨
Air Transfer Grilles .................................................................................................⑨
Intumescent Strips and Seals ................................................................................⑨
Other Hardware .....................................................................................................⑩
9. Installation ..........................................................................................................⑩
②
1. Introduction
A fire Door as defined by the Building Regulations is a door or shutter provided for
the passage of persons, air or objects, which when installed in a building together
with its frame and furniture is intended (when closed) to restrict the passage of fire
and/or gaseous products of combustion and is capable of meeting specified
performance criteria to restrict the passage of fire or smoke.
The doorway or opening in a fire-resisting wall, floor or in a structure surrounding a
protected shaft, may have one or more leaves and may include a cover or other form
of protection for the door, particularly the leaf edges.
Fire doors are probably the single most important form of passive fire protection
within a building if used correctly, well fitted and maintained.
A fire ‘door set’ is defined as being a complete installed door assembly that
comprises of a doorframe built around new doors, the frame includes any panels
either above or to the side of the door. A door set forms part of a whole unit and
must be installed together. The design features or fire resistance of one may depend
on the other for its integrity.
2. Purpose
Fire doors have three primary purposes in a building, these are to;
 Restrict the initial development of fire,
 Restrict the spread of fire,
 Afford protection to escape routes,
Fire doors are designed to endure a direct attack by fire for a given period of time if
they are well-fitted and maintained. When closed they will increase the amount of
time available for people to escape safely from a building by restricting the spread of
fire and smoke (when fitted with cold smoke seals) throughout the building.
Fire Doors are required to undergo rigorous testing before they are issued with a
certificate of conformity as being fit for purpose. The test involves the door being
subjected to an intense fire on one side to simulate a room fire producing a
substantial amount of heat, the certificate provides evidence that if installed in
accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions it can offer protection within a
building.
The protection of escape routes is a legislative requirement and doors opening onto
an escape route must be designated as fire resisting to ensure peoples safety whilst
evacuating.
③
3. Fire Door Ratings
Fire Doors are indentified by the initials FD followed by a performance time figure in
minutes. This indicates the minimum amount of time which the door achieved when it
was tested for fire integrity. Where doors have also been designed to resist the
passage of smoke at ambient temperatures it will also have the letter ‘S’ as a suffix
e.g. FD30s.
As a general rule doors affording 30 minute fire protection should not be less than
44mm in thickness, whilst doors offering 60 minute protection should be a minimum
of 54mm thick.
4. Fire Door Standards
All new buildings, alteration or refurbishment works at the University of Bradford
must have incorporated within the design fire doors that offer a minimum fire
resistance of 30 minutes and include relevant door furniture with intumescent and
brush type cold smoke seals.
In all cases where existing doors are replaced they must be fitted with intumescent
strips and cold smoke seals.
In addition to the minimum 30 minute requirement various codes of practice, fire
strategies and legislation may require higher standards of fire resistance for specific
locations. As a general rule these are high risk rooms and in compartment walls.
Where these have been specified they are usually designed to offer 60 minutes fire
resistance.
Where there is a requirement to fit higher specification fire doors it should be
specified on architectural drawings. Should there be any doubt about the type of fire
doors which should be fitted due to the lack of drawings or fire strategy the University
Fire Safety Officer should be consulted.
It should be noted that 60 minute fire doors must have a minimum of two sets of
strips and seals. One of which may be interrupted by the door hardware such as
hinges etc. The second set must be continuous with no breaks.
Metal door frames forming part of a door set will not usually be accepted. In a fire
situation metal door frames can become hot and are liable to distort. If a relevant test
certificate can be provided then the frame may be permitted providing it is installed
as indicated by the test certificate and in accordance with manufacturer’s
instructions. The University Fire Safety Officer should be consulted prior to any
installation.
④
5. Labelling
Fire doors must be indicated by an appropriate sign as specified by BS 5499: Part1.
These signs must be a minimum of 80mm x 80mm in size and can be either rigid
plastic, self adhesive or metal.
Sign
Use
Should be positioned
at eye level on both
sides of each door
leaf. Doors must be
fitted with a Self
Closing device.
Should be positioned
at eye level on the
outside of each door
leaf.
These
signs
should be used on
doors
leading
to
cleaners
cupboards,
store rooms, plant
rooms,
risers
etc.
these doors may or
may not have a self
closing device fitted.
These signs should be
fitted at eye level on
each door leaf on the
side of the door which
is visible when held
open. They should
only be fitted to doors
that are connected to
the fire alarm.
These doors must
never be obstructed.
Figure 1 – Fire Door Safety Signage
6. Upgrading or Alteration of Existing Doors
Certificated Fire doors must not be altered to suit any other application as this will
invalidate the certificate of conformity. The University Fire Safety Officer must be
consulted in all cases where there may be a requirement.
It is usually uneconomical to upgrade existing fire doors and this should generally
only be considered for doors within listed buildings.
Feasibility for upgrading will depend upon the following;
 Width and depth of frame,
 Condition of door frame,
 State of joints,
 Panel thickness,
 Condition of leaf edges, and
 Gap between door and frame,
⑤
7. Fire Door Criteria and Requirements
All fire doors must be manufactured and installed as specified by the requirements of
the test certificate and manufacturer’s instructions. Fire doors within circulation areas
should open in the direction of escape. Where doors lead from a room where a fire
may develop rapidly or from a room with a level of occupancy of 50 or more people
then the door(s) must open in the direction of escape.
Where double doors have been fitted and are a requirement of the escape width
neither leaf can be ‘locked’ and dead bolts must not be installed. The inactive leaf
may however be secured by means of a panic bar.
Mortise locks must not be installed on Fire doors forming part of an escape route.
Where additional security fastenings are required on doors forming part of an escape
route the University Fire Safety Officer must be consulted prior to their installation.
Failure to consult with the Fire Safety Officer prior to installing any additional security
measures may result in a new door being required.
Vision Panels
Fire Doors are required to have a vision panel fitted in the following circumstances;
 Where corridors are sub-divided,
 Where the doors swing in both directions,
 On main traffic and circulation routes,
 Laboratories, kitchens or other such areas where hazards exist,
 Doors to inner rooms,
 To meet requirements of Approved Document M,
N.B. Fire Resisting glass must offer the same level of fire resistance as the door.
Where glazing is on traffic routes and circulation spaces in addition to fire resisting
properties it must also be safety glass
The purpose of a vision panel is to allow easy detection of people, items or fire on
the other side of the fire door. Under no circumstances should vision panels be
obstructed by any items or articles. The obstruction of vision panels may contravene
Building Regulations by increasing the distance that people may need to travel to
investigate Fire Alarm activations as it will require Emergency Wardens or Security
personnel to open doors to check for fire when undertaking a building sweep. This
may also put them at an increased risk of injury.
Blank or solid fire doors that have not been designed, manufactured or supplied with
a vision panel should not be adapted and must be replaced with a one that has been
tested and certified with a vision panel forming an integral part of the door.
Where fire resisting glazing has been used in a fire door it is extremely important that
it can be identified. The usual method of identifying fire rated glass is for it to be ‘acid
etched’ on each pane indicating the trade name (e.g. Pyro) and marked with the
⑥
respective British Standard to which it has been tested, e.g. BS 476 Part 22. If the
glazing has not been etched in this way, or it is not visible, the glazing will be
deemed as being non-compliant and may be required to be changed.
Similarly, incorrectly installed glazing can lead to numerous faults and inferior
performance. Typical faults are listed below:
Fault
Reduction in Performance
Wrong bead material
Up to 90%
Edge cover 1mm too great
Up to 90%
Wrong glazing gasket
10% to 80%
Wrong timber bead profile
30% to 60%
Wrong timber bead size
10% to 40%
Wrong fixings
5% to 25%
Glass substitution
Up to 90%
Excessive glass size
10% to 50%
Vision Panels to Meet Disability Requirements
Section 2 of the Approved Document M of the Building Regulations requires that
people should be able to see other people approaching from the opposite direction,
thus allowing sufficient time for both parties to react and avoid a collision (see
recommendations in Figure 2- Vision Panel Requirements below).
Figure 2 – Vision Panel Requirements
⑦
8. Door Hardware
Handles
Where fitted these must be installed in accordance with Approved Document M.
Latches and Locks
A door should only be fitted with a latch or lock if it was installed during its validity
test. Locks or latches should be as slim as possible with no more than 18mm of door
material being removed from a 54mm thick door. Where doors are only 44mm thick
the latch should be of a slimmer design.
Locks and latches must be backed by a suitable intumescent material.
Over mortising of latch or lock holes and voids around the latch or lock must be
avoided. Where this is not possible they must be filled with an intumescent paste or
mastic.
Ordinary ball catches are not acceptable but roller catches may be used if they are
used in conjunction with a fixed self closing device. The self closing device must be
fitted on the risk side of the door which opens inwards into the risk room.
Hinges
Hinges are only acceptable for use if they are deemed to be satisfactory when tested
in accordance with BS 476: 22.
Hinges must not be constructed of a combustible material and must have a melting
point greater than 800ºC.
Each door must be fitted with a minimum of three hinges which are backed by an
intumescent material.
Self Closing Devices
The correct choice of self closing device is essential to ensure the fire door functions
correctly. Overhead closures must comply with the performance requirements of
BSEN 1154, and only closures that are supported by fire test evidence should be
used.
Concealed (mortised) door closures should not be fitted unless supported by fire test
evidence for the door construction specified.
Other types of closures such as those dependent upon the action of a helical spring
linked to a pivoting arm that has been situated centrally on a door are generally
ineffective and should not be used.
Top and bottom pivots or gravity pivots will only be acceptable when fitted strictly in
accordance with the installation instructions specified as part of the fire test.
Under no circumstances should rising butt hinges be used.
⑧
Automatic Hold Open Devices
Only hold open devices which meet with the requirements of BS 7273: Part 4 and
BS 5839: Part 3 may be used. This type of device should not be installed without the
permission of the University Fire Safety Officer.
With the exception of critical areas, fire doors can be held open by these devices,
provided that they release in the event of the fire alarm sounding or a power failure.
These devices must be fitted with a test button and be capable of being deactivated
at source. All doors fitted with these devices must be closed at night to maximise fire
protection.
Automatic hold open devices should only be fitted within sleeping accommodation if
a fully compliant L1 fire alarm system as specified within BS 5839: Parts 1 or 6, has
been installed throughout the accommodation.
Air Transfer Grilles
Air transfer grills are designed to allow the passage of air in and out of a room. Due
to their inherent properties it means that smoke can also pass freely through the grill.
It is therefore essential that when grills are fitted within fire doors they must have fire
resisting qualities and the fire door integrity must not be compromised.
If the purpose of the door is solely to resist fire then an intumescent heat activated
fire damper can be fitted, these usually take the form of an integral honeycombed
block.
Any doors on an escape route or at high level (e.g. access doors to ducts as in
Chesham B and C) where an air transfer grill is then the door must be fitted with a
more specialist type of grill which has been interfaced with the fire alarm system and
closes automatically on activation of the fire alarm.
Intumescent Strips and Seals
Intumescent strips are a standard requirement on all new fire doors and fall into two
main categories; those which expand forcibly to exert a pressure and have a
clamping effect to seal the door against its frame, and those that expand
voluminously filling the gap but not exerting any pressure,
Pressure forming strips should only be fitted within the rebate of the frame and not
the door leaf, this will provide maximum protection at the corners.
Where strips are used within the frame they must only be used in conjunction with a
fire door that has been tested in this manner.
Intumescent strips should be provided on the top edge and both sides of the door or
frame to seal the gap in the event of a fire. The correct size of the strip for a fire door
is specified by the manufacturer, where these need to be replaced as part of an
ongoing maintenance regime it is important that they are replaced on a like for like
⑨
basis. Care should be taken to avoid the over specification of pressure forming strips
as these may spring the fire door leaves open.
Smoke seals must be fitted on all fire doors used for escape or where risk rooms are
passed to exit the area and/or building. Only brush type seals should be used where
practicable, rubber or silicone blade type should not be used as these types are less
durable.
Doors offering 30 minute protection are allowed to have the seal interrupted by the
door hardware e.g. hinges, latch etc. But where doors are of a higher specification
e.g. 60 minutes, two seals must be used, one of these must be uninterrupted and
continuous.
Other Hardware
The fitting of other hardware such as coat hooks is not permitted as it may invalidate
the test certificate by reducing the fire resisting properties of the door.
Fire Doors must not be used as temporary notice boards.
9. Installation
 Fire resisting doors should be close fitting within the frame with a tolerance of
+/- 3mm
 Doors may be trimmed to size. If the width needs to be adjusted it should be
shaved by equal amounts from each vertical edge. All height adjustments
must be made from the bottom edge of the door leaf only.
 Gaps between the frame and the wall must be in filled with mineral wool,
plaster or intumescent paste. Under no circumstances should expanding foam
be used, even if this is described as being fire rated.
 Installation of fire doors or fire door sets should only be undertaken by a third
party accredited door installer to ensure that best practice is used.
 The Architectural and Specialist Door Manufacturers Association ‘Best
Practice Guide’ should be used as a bench mark when tendering for new or
replacement fire doors and their installation. Copies of this guide are available
from the University Fire Safety Officer or can be downloaded free from the
following web link: http://www.asdma.com/pdf/BPG.pdf.
⑩