Firestop Service Penetrations – Selection of Appropriate Fire Protection

Firestop service penetrations constitute one of the key elements of passive fire protection systems in buildings. At locations where pipes, cables, or ventilation ducts pass through walls or floor slabs, potential discontinuities in the fire-separating construction occur. In the event of a fire, these openings may allow rapid propagation of fire and smoke between fire compartments. Therefore, the proper fire protection of such penetrations in accordance with applicable standards and regulations is of fundamental importance.

Fire protection of service penetrations – standards and regulatory requirements

During the design of firestop service penetrations, several key parameters should be taken into consideration, including:

• the diameter of the protected pipes, the pipe wall thickness, and the presence, absence, or type of pipe insulation,
• the dimensions of the opening within the separating element,
• the type of installation system – different firestop solutions are applied for plastic pipes, steel pipes, and electrical cables,
• the required EI fire resistance classification, meaning that the system must ensure both fire integrity (E) and thermal insulation (I) corresponding to the performance required for the fire-separating element,
• the location of the penetration (wall or floor slab) as well as the construction of the separating element (material type and thickness),
• acoustic tightness – in many facilities acoustic performance is equally important as fire protection,
• ease of installation and the possibility of future maintenance, particularly in buildings with complex or frequently modified service installations.

Fire protection solutions for various types of service penetrations

During the installation of building services, appropriate fire protection measures must be applied to each type of penetration in order to prevent the spread of fire and smoke between compartments.

The most commonly applied firestop solutions include:

• Combustible pipes (e.g. PVC, PP, PE) – typically protected by firestop wraps or fire collars containing intumescent materials which expand under high temperature, sealing the opening and effectively preventing the spread of fire and smoke.
• Metal pipes (e.g. steel, copper, cast iron) – generally protected using fire-resistant masses or firestop coatings which create a barrier maintaining the fire integrity and insulation of the separating element and preventing excessive heat transfer through the installation to the opposite side of the partition.
• Electrical cables and cable bundles – commonly protected with fire protection coatings which, when exposed to elevated temperatures, either expand to form an insulating layer or act endothermically to absorb heat and dissipate it into the surroundings, thereby limiting fire propagation along cable routes.
• Ventilation ducts – require fire protection in the form of fire-resistant mats applied around metal ventilation ducts or firestop board enclosures that provide both fire resistance and smoke tightness.

ALFASEAL GROUP firestop solutions for service penetrations

ALFASEAL GROUP Sp. z o.o. offers a range of certified systems for the fire protection of service penetrations, including:

• The intumescent pipe wrap roll INTU FR WRAP L – installed directly around combustible pipes or pipes with combustible insulation. The number of wraps is determined according to the pipe diameter. The wrap is positioned within the wall thickness or on the underside of the floor slab, while the remaining opening is filled with cement mortar or mineral wool. This solution is typically used when the opening in the separating element allows insertion of the pipe together with the wrap.
• INTU FR COLLAR and INTU FR COLLAR L SLIM firestop collars – consisting of a steel casing containing an intumescent insert. These are suitable for combustible pipes with or without combustible insulation already installed in the partition, particularly when the clearance around the installation is too small for the application of sealants or wraps.

• INTU FR MASTIC and INTU FR GRAPHITE fire – retardant mass – applied at an appropriate depth, typically from both sides of the separating element. These masses are also used for sealing openings associated with the installation of ventilation grilles or fire protection boards.
• INTU FR COAT I and INTU FR COAT A fire protection coatings – based respectively on intumescent (INTU FR COAT I) and endothermic (INTU FR COAT A) technologies. These coatings may be applied to pipes, cables, or directly to the building partition around the opening in order to improve the overall fire tightness of the service penetration.

Thanks to the wide range of available products, it is possible to select an optimal firestop solution for virtually any type of installation, depending on the opening dimensions and the required fire resistance classification, even up to EI 240.

Author: Marta Piekarniak
Senior Specialist – Technical Support Department