ASFP hosts inaugural meeting of Task Group 14

The gathering brought together a group of experts from varying fields, among them designers, engineers and façade experts plus specialists in penetration seals, cavity barriers and fixings in addition to professionals who concentrate on testing, certification and installation.

Mike Ward, CEO at the ASFP, began proceedings by announcing that the next logical step towards industry-wide competence in passive fire protection is within the void between the façade and the building structure.

Hannah Mansell (principal technical consultant at ADOORABILITY and facilitator of the UK Fire Door Think Tank) has worked on the ASFP’s Green Book (which looks at fire doors) and the Clear Book (fire-resistant glazing). With the Design Guide for internal passive fire protection nearing completion, Mansell observed that the aim is for “the process of simplification” to be transferred to external systems.

‘What is a façade?’ and ‘What does passive fire protection mean in this context?’ underpinned the conversation that ensued.

Mansell commented: “While I recognise that I’m not a façade expert, part of my objective for the first session was to break down façades into typologies. For example, is the façade external to the building structure or is it recessed within it? If so, what are the next natural steps in identifying the principles of each one?”

Further, Mansell noted: “To go even further, how many common approaches of façade are there in each location and how do we determine the approaches when it comes to how passive fire protection is applied from a cavity barrier, a door, a window or even a flue discharge? What about the wall junctions from the internal compartments that separate room space? In addition, what type of building safety risks could they contain?”

Determining the interfaces

ASFP member and technical consultant Paul McSoley has pointed out that the approach taken for the internal substrates within the ASFP’s Purple Book (referencing fire-resisting partitions) should have some comparators and be common. Each passive fire protection system is either a system that applies a weight to the wall substrate or is otherwise supported from the slab.

“The way in which these products are installed is usually specific to partition-type systems or rigid structures,” said McSoley. “The difference here is that the external wall becomes a non-standard supporting construction. How we form the best way in which to test and determine these interfaces will be a key part of the Technical Group’s work.”

McSoley went on to comment: “You can research façades using many sources, and try to break things down into the best process your mind can offer at the time, but nothing beats being enlightened as to what you don’t know.”

The Technical Group will move forward by going on a journey of breaking the system types down and applying the work of the ASFP Colour Books to these external substrates.

“At the next meeting,” affirmed McSoley, “we should be in a better position to have compiled the feedback from the Technical Group’s work. We can identify some principles of common approaches to the interfaces of the passive fire protection system that make the façade a whole system.”

*Further information is available online at www.asfp.org.uk