Profab Access, a leading UK manufacturer of riser doors and access panel solutions for ceilings, walls and partitions, is supporting construction professionals in achieving a new standard of compliance throughout each stage of the design, construction and maintenance processes.
The formation of the National Construction Products Regulator, combined with the release of the Building Safety Bill and the findings of the Grenfell Inquiry, is forcing the construction industry to take accountability for the adequate testing and certification of all fire-integrity building products.
With regard to riser doors, there are current disparities between the guidelines outlined in BS EN 1634 Standard and Annex B of Approved Document B2. As a result, some manufacturers may only conduct product assessments via a third party, whilst others may respond to Dame Hackitt’s findings and undertake a proactive and rigorous approach to testing, certification and verification of their products.
It is the responsibility of the manufacturer to ensure the fire-integrity products they are supplying to the industry are not only compliant but suitable for the proposed application. However, this accountability is also shared by the customer, who has a legal obligation to evidence comprehensive due diligence. By working in partnership, manufacturers and construction professionals can ensure best practice by requesting and supplying comprehensive testing and certification evidence to prove the building materials specified are compliant.
Profab Access has led the way in increasing standards within this area, being the first manufacturer in the UK to bi-directionally fire test its riser doors via an independent third party. As the riser door is physically tested in both directions, it offers the highest levels of fire safety, as professionals can be confident the riser door will withstand exposure to fire and smoke from both directions for the certified time period.
This adequately prevents the spread of fire throughout a multi-storey building, as the opportunity for the fire to enter the riser shaft through a riser door located in a corridor and exit through another riser door in a different area or floor of the building is entirely eliminated because both sides of the door have been successfully tested.
Beyond the testing of the doorset, it is also critical that it is installed into an approved wall construction in a method consistent with the sample originally tested. In practice, the installation process potentially poses a number of risks to the overall fire integrity of a construction through variables such as the packer type and intumescent mastic bead application.
To overcome this potential gap in compliance, professionals should look to work with manufacturers who are taking this commitment to third-party testing and certification even further and providing a revolutionary approach to the installation and maintenance processes.
This includes Profab Access’s PRECISION adjustable frame, which features a unique construction that enables the frame to precisely adjust to the specific dimensions of each structural opening, without the need for traditionally used packers during installation. This dramatically reduces fitting times by up to 30%, whilst superseding current building regulations.
The frame also eliminates the need for intumescent mastic bead application as a secondary operation on site, as it utilises a factory-applied integral all-in-one smoke, intumescent and acoustic FS1000 seal, to provide firestopping between the frame and the wall. Whilst eliminating the reliance of the correct thickness of intumescent mastic bead, it most importantly ensures the compliance and adequacy of the entire installation, as its fire integrity performance has been sufficiently documented by an independent assessor. As a result, this also subsequently increases the efficiency of installation and removes any potential margins for error.
For more information, go to www.profabaccess.com
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