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WHAT ARE FIRE DOOR CLASSES?

OCTOBER 4, 2017 BY ALUGLASS BAUTECH

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Fire doors are a crucial part of safety design for buildings. A fire
door serves two purposes: it separates the fire and its gasses
from people trying to escape the blaze, and it limits the fire’s
expansion, making it easier to control and extinguish.

Depending on the location’s complexity, size and functions,

different fire doors are used. For example, a fire door in a
convention centre should be large and easy to open, but not
necessarily intended to withstand a blaze for much longer than
it takes to clear out the occupants. On the other hand, a fire
door for a kitchen would likely have to be very resilient, as it
may be what stops a fire there from spreading to the rest of the
building.

The point is that not all fire doors are alike. Understanding their
differences will help you select or approve the right doors
suited to their locations. Factually, there are classes dictating
this.

The basics of fire door classes

A fire door is rated in three areas: integrity, stability and

insulation:

Integrity: This rates a door’s overall ability to stand up against a

fire. The measuring criteria here is how much it moves out of
the frame – no more than 25mm. This is why the appropriate
frame for a fire door is as crucial as the door itself.

Stability: This measures how well the door itself holds up,
looking at gaps that form on the door’s surface. A common
stability failure would be the door handle mechanism melting
and exposing its hole.

Insulation: This determines how well a door can keep the

temperature of the fire at bay. The temperature on the
unexposed side – the side not facing the fire – is measured for a
tolerance below 140 °C. This temperature can vary depending
on which specific areas of the surface is being tested.

A door’s class indicates how well it performs in these three

areas. This helps avoid installing the wrong door in the wrong
place. You don’t want a door at a critical juncture that will fail
too fast. But installing a door far too capable for its placement
will be a waste of money. By balancing the right classes across a
building, you get the best mix of safety and investment. Fire
regulations will also provide rules on what class different
openings are.

The six classes

Class A: These doors should hold integrity for an hour, and
stability and insulation for 30 minutes each. A Class A door can
have a small viewing panel.

Class B: These doors typically have a fire-resistant core. They

can maintain integrity for two hours, and stability and
insulation for an hour each. Stairwells and elevator shafts tend
to use this class, helping prevent a fire spreading through large
chambers in the building. A Class B door can have a small
viewing panel.

Class C: These doors should provide at least 2 hours of

integrity and stability, but do not need to meet any benchmark
for insulation. Such doors would be typical for room doors or
doors opening into corridors. A Class C door cannot have a
small viewing panel.

Class D: These doors are similar to class B, but in addition to

two hours of integrity, they also exceed two hours of stability
and insulation. In addition, they have been tested to withstand
impacts such as flying debris from explosions. Such doors are
typically used externally. A Class D door cannot have a small
viewing panel.

Class E: Class rankings are not a scale and Class E doors are
actually a lower tier. These doors will maintain integrity,
stability and insulation for 30 minutes. A common use for these
are providing access to fire escapes. A Class E door can have a
small viewing panel.

Class F: These doors are similar to Class E doors, except they

don’t have an insulation requirement.

Fire doors are rated in a class, only after they have been tested
for it. In South Africa, approval is critical to ensure the doors
you use are rated to do the job they promise. It is also wise to
consult safety experts on the best door for your needs.

Aluglass Bautech provide Varikust Acoustic Fire Doors and it is

important to note that they are not only ideal for safety but
also for acoustic treatment.

Please click Here to see the Aluglass Bautech fire testing video.

FILED UNDER: Acoustic Fire Door

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