What is a Fire Door?
Fire Doors, also called fire resistant doors, are designed to protect persons and property. Fire doors are an important part of any building's safety measures. They keep fire, smoke, and gasses away from people trying to escape, and they stop the fire from spreading, helping to make it easier to control and put out.
They are also required by law in South Africa. All fire door manufacturers are required to adhere to the standards established by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS). Buildings in SA must adhere to the regulations set out in SANS 10400: Part T – Fire Protection Act, and all fire doors need to comply with SANS 1253.
The SABS and SANS 1253 lays out the criteria for 6 classes of fire door and fire-shutter assemblies. Fire doors are divided into the following classes:
Class A Fire Door
Class B Fire Door
Class C Fire Door
Class D Fire Door
Class E Fire Door
Class F Fire Door
These are meant to close permanent openings in walls or partitions, stop the spread of fire, and limit the spread of smoke for at least 30 minutes. In addition, each fire door class must meet the SANS minimum resistance periods for stability, integrity and insulation. A fire might be on either side of a fire door, thus it is crucial to test the door on its weakest performing face, which is the face that opens into a fire.
Fire Door Criteria
The class of a fire door is based on how well it meets three criteria:
Integrity: This refers to how well the door stands up to fire in general and how much it moves from its frame, with a maximum of 25mm allowance.
Stability: This refers to how well the door stays up and how many gaps form on the door itself.
Insulation: This refers to how well the door can block the heat of a fire. The temp on the side that isn't exposed to the fire should be below 140° celsius.
Class A Fire Door Criteria
For a fire door to be classified as Class A, it must meet the following criteria:
Stability: 1 hour
Integrity: 0.5 hours
Insulation: 0.5 hours
This class fire door needs to be able to withstand fire for at least 60 minutes.
Class B Fire Door Criteria
The criteria for a Class B fire door is as follows:
Stability: 2 hours
Integrity: 1 hours
Insulation: 1
A Class B fire door stops flames from spreading through large portions of a structure. They are typically used at staircases and in elevator shafts.
Class C Fire Door Criteria
For a fire door to be classified as a Class C fire door, it must meet the following criteria:
Stability: 2 hours
Integrity: 2 hours
Insulation: NA
Class D Fire Door Criteria
The criteria for a Class D fire door is as follows:
Stability: 2 hours
Integrity: 2 hours
Insulation: 2 hours
Class E Fire Door Criteria
For a fire door to be classified as Class E, it must meet the following criteria:
Stability: 0.5 hours
Integrity: 0.5 hours
Insulation: 0.5 hours
Class F Fire Door Criteria
The criteria for a fire door under Class F is as follows:
Stability: 0.5 hours
Integrity: 0.5 hours
Insulation: NA
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A fire door greatly enhances the safety of structures against fires for both residential and commercial properties. For fire door quotes and assistance in choosing the most appropriate fire door class, look no further than industry experts, Smoke Fire Extraction Services.
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