COP 1005 Code of Practice for fire resisting metal doorsets Scope The aim of this document is to provide guidance on the best practice for, and a better understanding of, hinged or pivoted fire resisting metal doorsets that are required to satisfy the requirements of the Building Regulations and other fire resisting doorset standards. The guidance is also intended to assist specifiers and approving authorities. This guide was produced with the assistance of BRE Global (incorporating LPCB) and is endorsed by the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers, Bodycote Warringtonfire and Chiltern International Fire.
Introduction When installed, a complete metal fire resisting doorset comprises an assembly of the following components: DOOR(S) (with or without glazed vision panels and louvres) FRAME (with or without overpanels and side panels) HARDWARE (hinges, locks, door closers etc) Vision panel Frame Hardware Assessment reports These are prepared under the guidelines of the UK Fire Test Study Group by UKAS accredited laboratories (termed agreed expert opinion), or suitably qualified independent fire engineers with laboratory test experience of the performance of metal doors. The PFPF and FTSG Agreed Assessment Rules for Metallic sets provide a common, widely accepted approach to the assessment of steel doorsets. Assessment reports normally take into account evidence from a number of fire tests sponsored by a particular manufacturer in arriving at an assessed performance for a range of doorset sizes, construction and hardware combinations. Agreed expert opinion may also take into account evidence from third party tests, e.g. tests sponsored by glass or hardware manufacturers, provided written permission is obtained from the test sponsor. Most established metal fire door manufacturers have conducted tests over many years on a variety of doorset sizes, configurations, constructions and hardware combinations. Assessment reports prepared by recognised competent organisations are an authoritative and meaningful guide to the likely performance of the product. Typically a door which is required to satisfy the Building Regulations for the particular period of fire resistance referred to in Approved Document B is usually subject to a test in accordance with the relevant clause of BS EN 476-22 or BS EN 1634-1. Approved Document B provides guidance to the Building Regulations for England and Wales. These are similar requirements for Scotland and Northern Ireland. The test must be performed on a specimen of the complete door assembly and its performance reported in terms of integrity and insulation for a period of minutes. However, insulation is not currently a requirement of the Building Regulations and additional performance requirements may be specified by insurance bodies and other organisations. The performance of fire resisting metal doorsets should be covered by: Product conformity certification Approved Document B of the Building Regulations strongly recommends that independent product certification of the fire performance of products is accepted as providing reliable evidence of compliance with standards. Certification is a process involving independent third party testing, inspection and random auditing, intended to ensure that the product or service delivered and installed complies with an agreed standard. Product conformity certification of a metal fire door product is available through independent bodies such as LPCB, CERTIFIRE and BM Trada Q Mark. Certification defines the field of application of the product i.e. variations in size, mode of action, hardware etc that will achieve the specified fire performance. Such certification schemes are backed-up by audited manufacturing and installation procedures of a BS EN ISO 9001 quality system. Fire test reports These are issued by UKAS accredited test laboratories to report the performance, in terms of integrity and insulation in minutes of a specific size and combination of frame, door construction and hardware when tested to the relevant clause of BS EN 476-22 or BS EN 1634-1. Fire test reports, which are quite lengthy documents are limited to the performance of the exact specimen test assembly and contain confidential design data. For this reason manufacturers are often reluctant to release test reports in full, even though they are required to do so by most test bodies. In such circumstances the doorset design must be covered by an assessment report and/or a third party certification scheme, and these documents should be produced in full to support the claims of the manufacturer. 2 However, the presentation of a copy of a test report - even when accompanied by a letter of assessment - is not product certification. Only products subjected to the inspection and random auditing of an independent certification scheme can be properly described as certified. Mere possession of a test report and an assessment is not sufficient. The DHF Guide to Fire and Shutter Verification http://www.dhfonline.org.uk/public/downloads/pub118.pdf provides an authoritative supplement to this Code of Practice. Characteristics of fire resisting metal doorsets Appropriately designed and correctly installed metal doorsets can be capable of providing extended periods of fire resistance. However the design and construction of metal fire resisting doorsets varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and performances when tested to BS EN 476-22 or BS EN 1634-1 may differ considerably. Some designs may be more prone to distortion and bowing leading to potential gaps occurring. Some designs, whilst more stable under test, may use core materials and adhesives which may release flammable gases. Either of these factors may lead to integrity failure under test. Metal doorsets which do not satisfy the insulation criterion of BS EN 476-22, or BS EN 1634-1 conduct considerable levels of heat to the unexposed side of the assembly and even doors constructed with a degree of insulation are inclined to conduct high levels of heat at the perimeter of the door adjacent to the frame. For this reason it should not be assumed that items such as hardware, glass and frame seals that have been tested with timber doors will perform satisfactorily with metal fire resisting doorsets unless supported by independent test evidence. Evidence of performance of fire resisting metal doorsets Documented evidence of performance of the metal fire resisting doorset should be available from the door manufacturer, or his agent. The evidence of performance should be in the form of: Product conformity certification Fire test reports or Assessment reports The evidence should support the claimed performance for the complete fire doorset, as a combination of door, frame, glass, hardware and ancillary fittings. The evidence of performance, which may be in one or several documents, should always state the maximum fire resistance performance for the complete doorset configurations. Variations not included in the scope of evidence of performance may not have undergone an appropriate technical assessment and therefore they must be considered to be likely to affect the performance of the doorset.
Evidence of performance should include Typical non-compliant deviations from the evidence of performance Maximum door For each door widths or heights exceeding the maximum leaf size construction approved. Examples of door construction features leaf face material, Changes to the internal framing or reinforcing, the Jointing Face material construction jointing, core material, core material, the door thickness, the door face or internal framing or face material should not be made unless covered in reinforcing, and the scope of the evidence of performance. In Thickness door thickness addition any perimeter forming for the purpose of maintaining integrity should not be altered. Internal framing or reinforcing Core materials Single leaf, Any configuration or action excluded from the configuration double leaf scope of the evidence of performance. and action single swing, double swing latched, unlatched Single swing - single leaf Single swing - double leaf Double swing - single leaf Double swing - double leaf Vision panels Type of glass, glass size, Glass Vision panel sizes exceeding the size tested or shape, framing/beading, otherwise approved for the doorset. The glazing material Bead performance characteristics of the different types of fire resisting glass installed in metal doors varies considerably and unauthorised substitution of the glass or the glazing system should not take place. Location of door closers adjacent to glazing The glazed area of a vision panel should not extend beneath the position of an overhead door closer fitted to the non-fire risk side of a metal door unless the door closer is covered by appropriate evidence of performance for this type of location - refer notes on door closing devices below. Frames, profiles, Identification of the frame Frame profiles Installation in supporting constructions not covered fixings and wall type or profile and fixing Type of fixings by the evidence of performance e.g. fire tests construction requirements with types of carried out in masonry walls only do not necessarily wall covered - masonry, cover installation in stud partitions or vice-versa. structural steelwork, stud partition etc. Masonry wall Steelwork Stud partition Over panels and Identification of The size and construction of frames with over side panels arrangement details panels and side panels should not exceed or differ and maximum sizes from that covered by the evidence of performance. The limitations governing substitution of fire resistant glass in over panels and side panels are as for vision panels. Smoke Seals Type by brand name or Frame seals can ignite and flame, causing integrity failure, when the frame and edge of a door reach performance specification critical temperatures. Only seals which are covered by the evidence of performance should be fitted. Incorrect seals can force open unlatched doors even when door closers are fitted. sets when fitted with smoke seals should satisfy the requirements BS EN 476-31.1 or BS EN 1634-3. Hardware Model type and/or brand name of hinges, locks, door closers, and Refer to notes on pages 4 & 5 other items of hardware which may be fitted Timber fire doors installed in metal door frames It should not be assumed that timber fire door leaves installed in metal door frames will achieve the required performance unless the door leaf (facing, lipping, core and intumescent seals) has been satisfactorily tested in the proposed metal door frame assembly (hollow or back-filled or with partition) and is covered by appropriate evidence of performance for sizes and door configuration. Such evidence should be available from the timber door manufacturer or his agent. 3
Hardware Only hardware listed in the evidence of performance should be installed, unless alternative types are covered by CERTIFIRE, LPCB, Q Mark or other recognised approval schemes for installation with fire resisting metal doorsets, or appropriate evidence of performance is available from the hardware manufacturer, or his agent. It is advised that the hardware should comply with appropriate BS EN technical standards and CE marking requirements which are detailed in the Code of Practice: hardware for fire and escape doors published jointly by the DHF and GAI. The guide is available from www.firecode.org.uk. Metal doorset manufacturers may refuse to install specified hardware for which appropriate evidence of performance with metal doorsets is not available. Locks and latches Where the scope of evidence of performance covers latched doorsets only, the doorsets must include locks incorporating a latch bolt, covered by evidence of performance as defined above. closing devices, surface mounted, single action Fire test evidence shows that surface mounted door closing devices fitted to the non-fire risk (unexposed) face of uninsulated fire resisting metal doorsets are susceptible to ignition of leaking fluid, causing integrity failure of the doorset. Overhead door closer surface mounted Any surface mounted door closing device may be fitted to the fire risk side of a latched metal doorset, provided the risk side can be positively identified. However if the doorset is unlatched, or if both faces of the door are potentially at risk, whether latched or unlatched, only door closers covered by appropriate evidence of performance should be fitted. Latch bolt closer closer Locking mechanisms which rely on manual operation only e.g. deadlocks, and bolts on the inactive leaf of pairs, should not be installed in fire resisting metal doorsets unless the scope of evidence of performance covers unlatched doors and the approval authority accepts their use. Fire Fire Fire Fire attack from one side Fire attack from either side Manually operated deadbolt Deadlock: set requires unlatched evidence of performance except for door normally kept locked shut Similarly the use of emergency exit (panic) hardware in which the components, essential in maintaining the door closed under fire conditions, are made with low melting temperature materials should not be installed in fire resisting metal doorsets unless the scope of evidence of performance covers unlatched doors. closing devices, concealed, single action There are three categories of concealed single action door closer: Fitted in the head or transom of the frame Fitted within the top of the door leaf Edge mounted in the hinge side of the door leaf These door closing devices should only be installed in fire resisting metal doorsets when covered by appropriate evidence of performance. Typical emergency exit device Concealed door closer door mounted Concealed door closer transon mounted Edge mounted door closing devices which do not incorporate a snap action facility to overcome latch bolt friction or to firmly hold unlatched doors in a closed position, are unsuitable for use with fire resisting doorsets. Hinges Metal door manufacturers generally provide their own architectural quality steel hinges as part of the fire resisting metal doorset covered by the evidence of performance. Alternative hinges should not be installed unless covered by evidence of performance as defined. 4 Example of concealed door closer door mounted in door and jamb
Floor spring door closers With this type of closer the risk of integrity failure on the face of a door is minimal. However as a metal door expands and bows stresses can build up at the floor pivot position which could lead to bursting of fluid seals and flaming at the bottom of the door. Evidence of performance that the floor spring has been tested with metal doors should be available. Electronic hardware Items of hardware such as electric strikes, electro magnetic locks, electronic door control key pads etc are susceptible to flaming on the non-fire risk side of metal doors and frames and should not be fitted to either unless covered by evidence of performance. Floor spring door closer Plastic fittings Signs, and other items of hardware made of, or containing plastic, should not be fitted to the non-fire risk (unexposed) side of metal fire doors or frames unless covered by appropriate evidence of performance. Plastic signs may be suitably sited above or to the side of fire resisting metal doorsets. Metal signs may be fitted to the door leaf. Louvres, letterplates and door viewers viewers, letterplates and other items of hardware which require a significant penetration through a metal fire door should not be fitted unless covered by evidence of performance for the doorset assembly. Letterplate Louvres viewer Installation It is critical that correct methods of installation are adopted to ensure that the fire resisting doorset, when fixed into the opening, will achieve the fire rating designated for the door opening. It is strongly recommended in Approved Document B of the Building Regulations that installation is carried out in accordance with the manufacturers instructions by installers trained and certificated under an independent installation certification scheme. Such certification schemes for metal fire doors are operated by BRE/LPBC/BM TRADA Q Mark and FIRAS. Labelling Every fire resisting metal doorset should bear the label of an accredited product conformity certification scheme, when the doorset is installed within the scope of that certification scheme. Otherwise it is recommended that the doorset should bear a label showing the manufacturers name, the fire rating of the doorset and a traceable serial number. 5
This Code of Practice is published by the and Hardware Federation with the aim of promoting better practice and understanding of fire resisting metal doorsets. The document has been compiled by members of the DHF Metal set Forum with the assistance of BRE Global (incorporating LPCB), and is endorsed by the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers, Bodycote Warringtonfire (including CERTIFIRE and FIRAS) and Chiltern International Fire (including BM TRADA). The information in this guide is correct at time of publication and is intended for guidance only. Information may have since changed and readers should consult the appropriate standards and authorities to confirm its veracity. and Hardware Federation 2010 The and Hardware Federation is the leading trade association representing the interests of suppliers of industrial and commercial doors and shutters, garage doors, and suppliers of locks and building hardware. It provides professionals in all sectors of the building industry with a single source for technical expertise. It upholds members standards of technical competence, professional integrity, quality and service. This gives specifiers and end users the confidence to choose products and services from DHF members rather than from non members. It has the ultimate aim of maintaining standards throughout the industry. The Metal set Forum of the DHF represents the leading manufacturers and installers of metal doorsets in the UK, with the aim of furthering the use of metal doorsets via the promotion of good practice and better understanding throughout the industry and its markets. Further information on the products and services available from members of the Metal set Forum and from other product groups within the DHF membership is available from the Secretary at the address below or from the DHF Website www.dhfonline.org.uk 42 Heath Street, Tamworth, Staffs B79 7JH Tel: (01827) 52337 Fax: (01827) 310827 E-mail: info@dhfonline.org.uk website: www.dhfonline.org.uk DHF 1005:10/09