Compartmentation is the cornerstone of a successful passive fire protection strategy. Dividing buildings into fire-resistant compartments helps suppress the spread of fire, should one occur. Generally speaking compartmentation strategies are designed around life safety requirements rather than business continuity and property protection objectives.
But who is ultimately tasked with ensuring that compartmentation systems are legally compliant? Regulations specify the need for a designated ‘accountable person’ to take responsibility for fire protection compliance by initiating surveys and importantly the delivery of any identified remedial works.
The Accountable person must be fully informed of requirements and regulatory guidelines, which are constantly evolving so that safety remains at the forefront of the building’s management. This article summarises some of the main requirements for compliant compartmentation to help bring those responsible for building safety up to speed.
Fire compartmentation requirements
Requirements for the compartmentation are applied by the fire engineer during design and is based on factors like the height, occupancy demographic and intended purpose of a building. Compartmentation requirements will therefore vary, but will be based on the fire resistance of the following structural features:
Compartmentation requirements – walls
Compartment walls must contain fires for a specified time. Since any breach in the compartment will compromise its efficacy, fire-resistant materials must be applied to service openings and joints between walls so that fire and smoke cannot progress through the compartment line.
When there are voids between two adjacent walls, which is often the case in multi storey buildings, cavity barriers are used to achieve the necessary fire resistance. These are usually specified during the design phase and are installed by those constructing the building. With general use and modifications over time, breaches can occur in compartments and as such older buildings may not meet current their specified compartmentation requirements – hence, the need for periodic compartmentation surveys.
Compartmentation between floors and in ceiling voids
Just as walls must contain fires for a specified time, floors and ceilings must also contain fire in order to maintain the integrity of compartments. Depending on the context, this could call for solutions such as fire-resistant cavity barriers, fire dampers, pipe collars, and sealants to protect building infrastructure elements that pass through adjacent compartments. You can delve into this subject in more detail by reviewing our guide to fire protection between floors.
Compartmentation requirements for pipes and ducts
If pipes or ducts pass through compartments, they should be protected with appropriate fire resistant solution. At times, professionals such as electricians or plumbers who install services can inadvertently cause compartment breaches, otherwise known as ‘service penetrations’. This is one of the main reasons why compartmentation surveys should be conducted, even on relatively new buildings. To learn more, consult our guide to fire stopping for pipes.
Fire compartmentation regulations
The Building Safety Act (2022) includes requirements for the maintenance and provision of fire compartmentation, but there are no specific fire compartmentation regulations, but you should also refer to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order of 2005, Fire Safety Act 2021 as well as the Building (Amendment) Regulations of 2018, for additional detail.
Hoping to find all the information you need in one place? Documents such as Approved Document B, BS9999, BS 9991 include detailed guidance on the levels of fire resistance and how certain scenarios should be solved. There are additional places to find information such as from the Association of Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) and through competent fire stopping contractors and designers such as CLM Fireproofing.
The fire compartmentation requirements applicable to your building depend on a variety of factors including how tall your building is, how many people are likely to be inside, and the presence of any vulnerable occupants. In short, your building’s context determines the requirements it needs to comply with. Besides this, buildings in which potentially hazardous materials are kept will also have more robust and rigorous compartmentation requirements.
CLM Fireproofing has over 34 years of experience in passive fire protection, including compartmentation and fire stopping. As industry leaders in compliance, we are adept at identifying and rectifying all instances of non-compliance within a structural fire protection strategy. Clients can therefore be assured when working with CLM Fireproofing that they will avoid any risks associated with non-compliant passive fire protection. To find out more, contact our team of specialists today.