Improving the fire resistance of existing facade and partition structures

1. It is a thermosetting gasket designed to improve the thermal insulation properties of fire-resistant structures, as well as for use as a sealing element to fill voids and gaps between structural elements at elevated temperatures.

SF FRM is a plastic film reinforced with a glass mesh and coated with thermosetting gel.

The underlying principle of the SF FRM is its ability to expand at elevated temperatures up to forty times. When it expands, the material forms a dense structure with a high air pore content, which can significantly increase the thermal insulation properties of the structure.

In addition, SF FRM is a moisture-containing material. The moisture contained in the SF FRM starts to evaporate while heating, taking away the thermal energy of the heated structural elements for the dehydration process thereby increasing the thermal insulating properties of the construction. A nice feature of SF FRM is that it is produced in sheets of 1000x2000 mm. It can be easily cut with ordinary scissors, and if necessary, it is possible to cut an element of any geometric shape from the sheets offered, including cutting it into strips and using it as a thermosetting seal for gaps and slots in structures, which has become a common practice.

SF FRM is ductile and suitable even for curved structures. To maintain its ductile properties during production, SF FRM is wrapped in foil on both sides. It is NOT necessary to remove the protective packaging film during use. The material is offered ready for use.

SF FRM is flexible and can be used even in curved structures. To retain its ductile properties during production, SF FRM is packed in foil on both sides. It is NOT necessary to remove the protective packing foil during use. The material is offered ready-to-use.

Altogether, the listed properties (advantages) of the SF FRM allow:

• Improve the thermal insulation properties of the structure;

• Use heat-insulating filling materials of less thickness and density;

• Form (cut out) thermal gaskets and seals of any geometric shape;

• Fill gaps and voids, including those which formed as a result of thermal deformations, between structural elements;

• Prevent damage to the internal elements of the structure by forming an air barrier for heat transfer and heat removal;

• Reduce the cost of the construction;

• Increase the fire resistance of the structure as a whole.

SF FRM is most commonly used to improve the thermal insulation properties of steel fire doors. The SF FRM is placed between the thermal insulation layers of the door leaf filling. At the same time, as noted above, there is no need to use high-density mineral wool insulation, and insulation with a size corresponding to the size of the leaf. SF FRM allows the use of mineral wool insulation with a density of 80 - 100 kg/m3, with a standard size of 400 x 600 mm. Thus, by using SF FRM it is possible to reduce the cost of construction, its weight and thickness.

The experience of tested fire tests of fireproof steel doors made with SF FRM shows that fire resistance limit EI60 (according to GOST R 53307-2009) can be achieved with a leaf thickness of 53 mm.

2. A-I-C-T is actively working with manufacturers of fire-rated timber structures to improve their resistance to fire. One of the engineering solutions developed through this collaboration is the SF Coating (SFC) fire retardant putty.

SFC fire-retardant putty is a sour creamy, white substance designed for application to the surface of wooden structural elements to prevent them from premature combustion.

Having flexibility and high adhesive properties SFC putty is easy to use and can be applied to any surface, including solid wood, chipboard, plywood, MDF, etc.

Among other things, SFC putty is a moisture-retaining material (by more than 25%) and at high temperatures, applied to the surface of the construction, it takes away the thermal energy of the heated elements of the construction for dehydration, cooling them down and thus increasing the fire-resistance of the construction as a whole.

Experience of the fire resistance tests carried out with wooden doors shows that the layer with thickness of 2 mm of SFC putty applied to the surface of chipboard substrate of wooden fire door constructions improves their performance in terms of loss of integrity (E) by 25-30 minutes!

One of the experiments, conducted to determine the through-burn time of a wooden door structure (loss of integrity - Eo), was a test with a directional flare of a diesel burner with a flame temperature at the contact point of more than 1,100 °C. The tested construction leaf was an 18 mm thick chipboard base plate, treated on both sides with SFC putty with a thickness of 2 mm, with 3.2 mm thick exterior decorative double-sided isorgalite cladding. The experiment proved that this combination of materials allowed the structure to keep the integrity of the door leaf for 47 minutes! The same leaf construction, but without the PFC putty in it, burned through in 26 minutes of a similar test.

Further experiments carried out on structures with different substrate thicknesses, such as solid wood, chipboard and plywood, showed that as the thickness of the substrate material increased, so did the effectiveness of the SFC fire-retardant putty.

The use of SFC putty in wooden door structures allows:

• Improve the thermal insulation properties of the structure;

• Reduce the cost of the construction;

• Use construction filling materials with less thickness;

• Reduce the weight of the structure and the load on the fittings and, as a result, increase the service life of the product;

• Prevent damage to internal elements of the structure, due to the formation of a non-combustible barrier to heat transfer and the implementation of heat removal;

• Increase the fire resistance of the structure as a whole.

SFC putty is offered ready-to-use in 20 kg pails with a volume of 10 liters.

The SFR thermosetting crossbar SFR, or, as it is also called - "shooter", is designed to limit temperature deformations and the formation of through gaps in the area of the door leaf of fire door structures.

Inside the SFR thermoblock body bounded by a durable fusible insert. At elevated temperatures (60 ° C), the fusible link softens and the SFR pushes (“shoots”) the steel pin into the counter hole in the door frame profile, thereby blocking the development of through gaps and holes in the area of ​​the door structure as a result of thermal deformations.

Temperature deformations begin to develop from the first minute of fire influence on the construction, and in the first 5-7 minutes of heating can lead to through gaps and slots up to 80 mm in the area of "free" corners of the "active" web and even its opening. Therefore, the response speed of the thermoblock is very important.

Unlike comparable devices, the fusible link in the SFR thermoblock design is located at the top, which allows it to react quickly to temperature rises, ensuring 100% triggering and preventing gaps at the earliest stage of temperature distortion.

This technical solution, as well as the combination of the materials used, are patented!

The SFR has a softening temperature of approx. 60°C (the temperature corresponding to the first minute of fire exposure to the structure), which allows the thermoblock to operate in the first or second minute of heating, but at the same time to avoid spontaneous operation (melting) under normal (normal) operating conditions.

Thermosetting SFR locks are usually installed on the upper end of the "active" door leaf of a fire door (or gate) on the locking side. The installation of the crossbar is very simple, it is enough to drill a hole of the required diameter and depth at the end of the curtain, install the SFR blocker in it and fix it with two self-tapping screws or rivets. A hole must be drilled in the box profile in front of the fitted SFR blocker for subsequent "free-flowing" and subsequent fixation of the SFR blocker.

The SFR thermosetting SFR is available in several versions: in 45 mm length for translucent door constructions, in 70 mm length for steel or aluminium profiles for steel and wooden fire doors.

The functionality of the SFR thermosetting fire dampers has been tested many times in fire testing of the fire-resistant doors.

Thermosetting SFR locks are recommended by leading manufacturers of fire doors and gates.