Testing the fds Fire Door
System
Approved Document B of the current building regulations, requires all composite fire doorsets in the UK to be furnace tested to both sides and certified to BS476 Part 22 or to BS EN 1634-1:2014, the European equivalent, by a UKAS or European test house. This is to demonstrate how the doorset will perform in a fire and provide unequivocal evidence to validate the performance of the door.
Before the Test
Before a fire door test commences, the manufacture of two complete fire doorset samples must be witnessed and assessed by an independent, third-party auditor. Each sample is examined to ensure all gaps are within specified tolerances, and component brands are recorded. This is to ensure that the fire doorset samples that are to be tested exactly match the stated specification in the Primary Test Evidence.
Two doorset samples are produced because a GRP composite fire door must be bi-directionally tested to establish its performance when either face is exposed to fire conditions.
After manufacturing, both samples are labeled and signed to prevent alteration or replacement before the furnace test.
The Fire Door Test
To demonstrate and prove performance, a composite fire doorset sample must be tested from both sides. This involves securing two fire door samples to the furnace wall, representing its use in practice. One doorset will be installed to open towards the furnace and the other to open away, resulting in a accurately bi-directionally tested door. Again, the doorset samples are assessed to ensure they have been installed correctly. Sensors are then attached to each door to record the temperature of the furnace and the performance of the door.
Watch the furnace test of the Neuma fds Fire Door in the video below.
The Fire Door Test Result
A fire door classified as FD30 is designed to keep fire at bay for 30 minutes. The furnace test will run for 30 minutes or until there is a detectable flame (or cotton pad/ gap gauge failure) which is proven to show the integrity of the door has been visibly compromised. Should the fire door remain uncompromised, any additional time is recorded in the test report. This overrun accounts for variation in furnace testing across Europe and ensures that the fire door will always meet the required level of integrity.
The Neuma fds fire door system has achieved an average resistance time of 44 minutes which is longer than the FD30 standard requirements and classed as Category B status.
The Primary Test Evidence
The resulting fire door test report forms the Primary Test Evidence and demonstrates that the specification defined within the Field of Application can be effectively reproduced to meet the required performance standard.
This evidence is used to support the Third Party Accreditation process resulting in the award of the industry recognised standard Q Mark Certification.
All of the test evidence relating to the fds fire door is available upon request. Talk to our knowledgeable team today to find out more.
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