During the construction of a new building, construction companies invest heavily in the piping, HVAC ducts, and other fixings that pass through compartments. This creates "weak spots" in the building, where gases, smoke, and flames can spread if not handled or protected properly. As a result, protecting the building, or stopping a fire if it begins, is imperative in the modern world.
A penetration sealing system is essential for maintaining the fire rating and preventing smoke from spreading between fire compartments in walls and floors containing mechanical, electrical, and general services. Building regulations identify fire stopping and penetration sealing compliance as a crucial element to preserving the integrity of the fire compartments of a building and to maximising the time available to escape.
PES has a complete range of fire stopping solutions, including load-bearing composite seals, batt and mastic seals, graphite, wraps, collars, and linear joint seals with deflection capability when needed. Our fire stopping systems are third-party accredited by FIRAS scheme, Health & Safety accredited, and ISO 9001 certified.
Surfaces that penetrate a firewall will result in fire and smoke spreading. Batt and Mastic Seals provide an innovative air seal barrier that keeps fire out, but noise and heat in. Using the latest industry guidelines, we can incorporate deflection that surfaces have when going through penetrations. Types of penetrating services may include steel and copper pipes, PVC/HDPE/ABS cables often supported on ladders or trays or mechanical ducts. Typically, fire barriers are tested for up to two hours of fire resistance, as well as heat insulation. In extreme cases, solutions are available to achieve fire resistance of up to four hours.
Most commonly found in acrylic, silicone, and graphite form, intumescent sealants adhere to most types of surfaces to create a non-hardening, flexible seal. The use of intumescent sealants can provide fire resistance to walls, floors, fire-rated door frames, and glazing systems. As a fast-setting gypsum-based system, fire compounds also provide a seal around service penetrations in walls and primarily in floors due to their design for use where a large load may need to be applied to the surrounding area.
A pipe wrap is designed for installation around plastic piping or trunking that passes through fire resistant structures, including walls and doors. Once the mechanical and electrical services have been installed, an additional tolerance is created to allow fitting of Pipe Wrap during the primary construction phase. Collars should include a coated steel sleeve containing a flexible graphite-based intumescent liner which is mechanically secured to the structure.
Intumescent wraps are often made with sheets of graphite intumescent encased in a polythene sheath or as a flexible roll which can be rolled up and adapted to suit various diameters of pipes from 160mm to 200mm.
The Fire Pillows are designed to prevent fires from spreading where cables and other non-combustible services penetrate walls and floors in a fire compartment. When exposed to heat, the intumescent material reacts, forming a barrier of carbonaceous char or foam, which provides an effective barrier against flames and hot gases. It is particularly useful to use fire pillows in situations such as creating a temporary firestop or when estimating the extent of penetrations.
The use of Fire Curtains allows larger open plan areas to meet fire compartmentation regulations by providing an effective barrier of non-fibrous materials.These systems can be mounted vertically or horizontally on steel, wood, and between soffits and ceilings, which allow services to pass through and be sealed using methods that can create an effective penetration seal.
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