Pipework is often said to be a very common way through which a lot of fire and smoke seem to spread, even though the pipes are going through a fire-resistant ceiling, wall, or floor. In the event of a fire throughout the building, plastic pipes tend to soften easily and can quickly collapse in the heat of the fire.
In this case, people prefer to get fire sealing of pipe penetrations through the firewalls, often a popular choice is the standard fire collar. They are also known as Intumescent Fire collar or Intumescent Pipe collars. An intumescent fire collar or intumescent pipe collar is suitable to cover plastic pipes. These collars are made up of steel along with an added inner lining of intumescent material that can activate in the case of a fire.
How do intumescent fire collars work?
The intumescent material will then expand when exposed to extreme heat and quickly closes or covers any holes or gaps that are created in the pipes. This way, an intumescent fire collar or intumescent pipe collars can help in retaining the pipe’s structural integrity and doesn’t let it collapse. Once the intumescent material is expanded, it can easily resist fire for at least the next two to four hours. But that also depends on the material of the pipe and the way the collars are applied on the pipe.
There are different tricks or rules when you are applying intumescent pipe collars or fire protection boards. In the case of correctly installing a fire protection board on a wall penetration, it needs to be applied on both sides of the wall. But when it comes to covering either the floor or ceiling, installing a collar on just one side can prove to be enough.
A fire protection board or an intumescent fire collar can offer benefits like:
- Really easy to fit on new buildings as well as old ones
- Made available in a wide variety of sizes to fit all kinds of pipes, both old and new
- A really cost-effective solution to consider.
Fire Barrier Systems
Fire protection boards are of different types and one of the most popular ones is the Rockwool Fire Barrier Systems. Fire Barrier systems are also known as a fire protection board or a firestop slab. A Rockwool fire barrier system is essential in order to avoid the rapid spread of fire within concealed spaces of a building. The Rockwool fire barrier and fire barrier slab or firestop slab, are developed specifically so they can prove to be easy to install solutions that can effectively prevent the spread of a fire or smoke within roof and ceiling voids.
FireStop Slabs
For the use as a material in a fire prevention strategy that can provide resistance against fire spread, FireStop Slab is specifically designed to create an effective fire stopping insulation system that can form a cavity and can easily accommodate an element of movement if happens in the building. They can offer up to 2 hours of fire resistance and come with a dry fit system that can save a lot of time and resources.
FirePro Glue
Making use of all the boards, or the slabs, and the pipes is a good solution, but you need something that can hold it all together. This is where you will require a Rockwool FirePro Glue which will help you in holding all of it together. It is a fire-resistance adhesive that is one of the most essential resources to be used in a fire protection system.
The Rockwool FirePro Glue makes sure that in case of any fire the materials can remain stable and intact in order to protect the building from any damage that can be caused due to the fire. The FirePro glue offers a smooth application and dries up in as little as 4 hours.
Installing an intumescent fire collar
Installing intumescent pipe collars might sound like a complicated task, but it actually isn’t. In order to achieve the best installation, you need to make sure that all the intumescent fire collars are of the right sizes. There are different sizes, you shouldn’t have a problem in finding the right fit for your pipes.
You will find a hinge around that will allow you to add the collar around the pipe easily at the time of installing the pipework. Once you open the hinge, the collar will come open and you can easily put the pipe through it, or put it around the pipe. You will notice that the collar fits at the place where the pipe is penetrating through the separating surface. Then make sure the intumescent fire collar is in the right position and simply mark the bolt holes so you can drill them.
Once you have drilled it, you can easily put the collar back in its position and close the toggle clasp. It should then fit perfectly around the pipe. If you notice that the wall is uneven, you can offer support to the collar with the help of some intumescent mastic. You really need to make sure that the seal is efficient and in a very secure position. Even the slightest gap in the seal will mean that the intumescent pipe collar that you just installed is useless at avoiding any spread of fire through the building.
Wrap up
The best part about using intumescent fire collars or intumescent pipe collars is that once you fit them, these things do not deteriorate easily and come with a really long shelf life. The only time they will need to be replaced will be in the case of a fire spread when the intumescent material has been activated due to the extreme heat.
Depending on the kind of fire risk the pipes are exposed to, you will have to either fit the intumescent fire collars on both sides of the wall or just one side will be enough. Any plastic pipes that go through a fire-resistant wall must be fitted with intumescent pipe collars. This way you can make sure that the fire rating of the wall is managed even when the pipework has been a bit compromised.
