What is compartmentation?
Compartmentation in structures is an objective of passive fire protection, in which a structure is divided into fire compartments, which may contain single or multiple rooms, for the purpose of limiting the spread of fire, smoke and flue gases, in order to enable the three goals of fire protection:
- Life safety and evacuation;
- Property and asset protection;
- Continuity of operations.
What is Passive Fire Protection?
Passive Fire Protection can be defined as features built into the structure to slow the spread of fire. It protects occupants by keeping the fire contained in its place of origin or delaying its progress to other parts by using a technique known as Compartmentation. The code legislates that buildings are subdivided into ‘Fire Compartments’ and dictates the FRL for each element within such compartments. This affects the choice of material used in fire resistant construction like concrete, clay bricks and plasterboard which are known to provide good ‘Fire Resistance Level’ (FRLs).
What is an FRL?
FRL stands for ‘Fire Resistance Level’. It is a grading period (of fire resistance) in minutes determined by the NCC for the following three criteria –
- Structural Adequacy: The NCC defines structural adequacy as the ability of a building element to maintain stability and adequate loadbearing capacity as determined by AS1530.4.
- Integrity: The NCC definition of integrity is the ability of a building element to resist the passage of flames and hot gases specified in AS1530.4.
- Insulation: The code states that insulation of a building element is its ability to maintain a temperature on the surface not exposed to the furnace below the limits specified in AS1530.4
How do I read a FRL rating?
To illustrate the three components of an FRL, let’s consider a concrete wall with an FRL rating of
120/120/120. Here’s how the FRL rating is applicable to the concrete wall:
- Holding up (Structural Adequacy – 120 minutes): The wall must remain strong and stable for 120 minutes during a fire. This means it can support its own weight and any additional weight it carries (beams, floors) without collapsing or bending significantly.
- Keeping flames out (Integrity – 120 minutes): The wall needs to prevent flames and hot gases from passing through for 120 minutes. In simpler terms, it shouldn’t develop cracks or holes that would allow fire to spread.
- Blocking heat (Insulation – 120 minutes): The wall should act as a barrier, slowing down heat transfer from the fire side to the other side. This ensures the non-fire side stays cool enough for a safe evacuation.
An FRL rating with a dash in the first position, eg. -/120/120, tells a different story. Here the focus is on fire resistance, not structural support. Take a plasterboard wall, for instance. With a -120/120 rating, it doesn’t need to have structural adequacy during a fire. However, it still needs to perform well in the other two aspects, ‘Integrity’ and ‘Insulation’. Such elements are known as non-loadbearing elements.
What are service penetrations?
In theory, building elements with the right FRL rating should hold up well in a fire. But what about building services like pipes and cables that cut through firewalls? These penetrations weaken the firewall’s FRL because they create openings for flames and hot gases to pass through. To address this issue, fire stopping systems are used to seal these gaps and restore the firewall’s integrity. They use materials that transform on exposure to heat and fire and create seals that block the flames and hot gases. These systems are crucial for maintaining fire compartmentation, preventing flames from spreading to other parts of the building. The NCC requires that such fire stopping systems establish that they can restore the FRL of the building element they are breaching. This is done using AS1530.4 and AS4072.1..
What are fire dampers?
Fire dampers are a type of fire protection device that are used to control the flow of air in a building.
Fire dampers can be installed in a variety of places, including ducts and shafts, as well as at the ends of corridors and stairwells. They help prevent the spread of fire by restricting the flow of air through these spaces.
FIREFLY are stockists of Lorient intumescent fire dampers, providing even more trusted solutions for fire containment and ventilation integration.
What is the yield I can get out of each FIREFLY sealant?
All the quantities are indicative only.
- FIREFLYMastic: 1x 600mL cartridge treats approximately 2x 50mm diameter penetrations on a 100 mm thick seal.
- FIREFLYMasticBG: 1x 5L tub is required per every 10x FIREFLYBatts;
- FIREFLYMasticHP: 1x 600mL cartridge treats approximately 2x 50mm diameter penetrations on a 100 mm thick seal.
Tested solutions vs. performance solutions. What is the difference?
The National Construction Code (NCC) is Australia’s performance-based building and plumbing code. It sets the minimum technical requirements for the construction of new buildings (and new building work in existing buildings). This document gives an overview of the Assessment Methods contained in the NCC.
Assessment Methods are used when determining if a Performance Solution or Deemed-to-Satisfy (DTS) Solution complies with the relevant Performance Requirements. Compliance with the NCC’s mandatory Performance Requirements is achieved by developing a Performance Solution, a DTS Solution, or a combination of the two. A Performance Solution uses any method other than the DTS Provisions to comply with the Performance Requirements. DTS Solutions use the NCC’s DTS Provisions to comply with the Performance Requirements.
What is deemed-to-satisfy (DTS)?
A DTS solution follows a set recipe of what, when and how to do something. It uses the DTS Solutions from the NCC, which include materials, components, design factors, testing and construction methods that, if used, are deemed to meet the Performance Requirements set in the NCC.
How can FIREFLY help with passive fire protection in a project?
Amongst other things, FIREFLY supports customers by:
- Making the FIREFLY PFP app. available to all the customers, enabling users to browse and select compliant passive fire protection solutions and manage their passive fire protection projects/activities efficiently;
- Assisting with selecting appropriate (cost effective, easy to install, etc.) and compliant passive fire protection systems;
- Preparing project tailored specifications;
- Providing training on FIREFLY passive fire protection systems;
- Supporting consultants and contractors with passive fire protection applications, including:
- Supporting the design stage of a project;
- Supporting the planning stage of a project, including different trades and contractors;
- Providing installation training;
- Assisting with installation and compliance review.
What is the yield I can get out of each FIREFLY sealant?
All the quantities are indicative only.
- FIREFLYMastic: 1x 600mL cartridge treats approximately 2x 50mm diameter penetrations on a 100 mm thick seal.
- FIREFLYMasticBG: 1x 5L tub is required per every 10x FIREFLYBatts;
- FIREFLYMasticHP: 1x 600mL cartridge treats approximately 2x 50mm diameter penetrations on a 100 mm thick seal.
Can I use systems that achieve higher FRLs on applications that require lower FRLs?
Yes, provided the service and substrate conditions of the application meet the conditions of the solution with the higher FRL, e.g.:
- Service material and size;
- Substrate composition and thickness.
