Firestop penetrations – How to choose the right protection?

Firestop penetrations are one of the key elements of passive fire protection in buildings.
Where pipes, cables, or ventilation ducts pass through walls or floors, they create potential gaps that fire and smoke can quickly penetrate in the event of a blaze.
That is why it is essential to secure these penetrations properly, in full compliance with applicable standards and regulations.

Firestop penetration protection – standards and regulations

Service penetrations that pass through fire-resistant walls or floors must achieve the same fire-resistance rating as the barrier itself.
Internationally, this is typically expressed as an EI classification, which measures both integrity (E)—the ability to prevent flames and hot gases from passing through—and insulation (I)—the ability to limit heat transfer to the unexposed side.

To meet these requirements, designers and contractors should consider:

• Diameter and material of the pipes, wall thickness, and any insulation present
• Size and shape of the opening in the barrier
• Type of service – different firestop systems are required for plastic pipes, metal pipes, and cable bundles
• Required EI fire rating specified by local building codes or project standards
• Location and construction of the barrier, whether wall or floor, including material composition and thickness
• Acoustic performance, often a key factor alongside fire protection
• Ease of installation and maintenance, especially in complex or frequently updated installations

Choosing the right firestop solution

When installing building services, it is essential to protect every penetration properly to reduce the risk of fire and smoke spread.
Common solutions include:

• Combustible pipes (e.g., PVC, PP, PE) – typically protected with intumescent wraps or collars that expand under heat and seal the opening.
• Metal pipes (e.g., steel, copper, cast iron) – usually sealed with firestop sealants or coatings that maintain integrity and insulation while preventing heat transfer.
• Cables and cable bundles – best protected with intumescent or endothermic fire-resistant coatings, which either swell to form a protective char layer or absorb heat to prevent flame spread.
• Ventilation ducts – require fire protection using specialized fire-resistant mats for metal ducts, or encasements with fire-resistant boards for both metal and self-supporting ducts, ensuring both fire resistance and smoke-tightness.

INTUSEAL Firestop Solutions

Intuseal brand offers a comprehensive range of firestop systems for service penetrations, including:

• INTU FR WRAP L fire-resistant wrap – applied directly to combustible pipes or pipes with combustible insulation, with the number of layers adjusted to pipe diameter. It is positioned in the center of a wall or beneath a floor slab, and the remaining gap is filled with cement mortar or mineral wool.

• INTU FR COLLAR and INTU FR COLLAR L SLIM fire collars – steel casings with intumescent inserts, ideal for combustible pipes (with or without insulation) that are already embedded in the barrier or where the opening is too small for wraps or sealants.

• ALFA FR MASTIC and INTU FR GRAPHITE firestop sealants – applied to the required depth, usually from both sides of the barrier. Also used to protect openings around ventilation grilles or fire-resistant boards.
• ALFA FR COAT I and ALFA FR COAT A fire-resistant coatings – based on intumescent (I) or endothermic (A) technology. Suitable for pipes, cables, and even the surrounding construction to improve overall penetration tightness.
  

With this wide product range, it is possible to select an optimal solution for every type of installation and opening size, achieving fire-resistance ratings up to EI 240.