FSi Promat White Paper focuses on dynamic movement in fire stopping

The stress that movement may induce in a building can cause breaches, tears and cracks in the construction materials, which may encompass the fire stopping that has been used to reinstate the compartment in order to contain the spread of flames, smoke, heat and toxic gases.

Despite the potentially serious impact on building safety, accommodating dynamic movement in fire stopping plans is often overlooked.

Approved Document B (Fire Safety) stresses the need for an “appropriate fire seal” that will last for the lifetime of the building. With no formal testing mechanism under the EN 1366-3 standard or European Technical Assessment specifically for movement within penetration seals, this element often falls out of the scope of building design.

‘Managing Movement: Accommodating Dynamic Movement in Fire Stopping for Penetration Seals’ affords an in-depth appraisal on the impact of movement on fire stopping, concentrating on existing legislation and guidance around the issue.

Flexibility in the system

Craig Abbott, technical director at FSi Promat – which is part of The Etex Group – explained: “Service penetrations are part and parcel of construction and must be accommodated within passive fire protection using appropriate fire stopping systems. Where movement is present in a building, it’s essential that sufficient flexibility is built into this system to mitigate the effects of dynamic movement on the performance of the penetration seal.”

Abbott continued: “We always encourage early engagement with manufacturers to identify how to tackle issues such as movement as effectively as possible and ensure lifetime compliance. The White Paper details the work we’ve undertaken to successfully demonstrate how movement of +/-25% can be accommodated with the right fire stopping solution.”

*Discover more about the impact of dynamic movement on fire stopping in penetration seals and how to find a solution to maintain compliance by downloading the White Paper.

**Read Craig Abbott’s excellent article on this subject, which appears on pp36-38 of the May 2024 edition of Fire Safety Matters. View the digital edition