Siderise explains why effective perimeter joint sealing in glazed façades depends on carefully considered specification, correct installation and competent contractors
When constructing any type of building with curtain walling, protecting the void at the perimeter joint with the right passive fire protection solutions is crucial.
However, even the most robust and carefully considered fire safety specification can underperform, or fail completely, if not properly installed, increasing the risk of fire and smoke damage to life, property and the environment.
Firestopping contractors play a critical role in ensuring fire safety strategies are delivered in the way they have been designed.
Installation quality
Passive fire protection is built into the building envelope and contains the spread of fire, heat and smoke by creating areas of manageable risk using fire-resistant materials and gap-filling measures.
This limits the movement of flames and smoke, protects egress routes and reduces the chance of fire-induced structural damage, which could result in collapse.
While these solutions are designed to perform without operator intervention, they must be installed correctly in line with their manufacturer’s recommendations and, where applicable, their third party verified listings, to function as intended because breaches in compartmentation could provide an easy path for flames, heat and smoke to spread up and around the building in the event of a fire.
Incorrectly installed firestopping systems will not be reflective of the way the products have been designed, tested or listed.
Issues could include the use of incorrect fixings, installing safing products in the wrong orientation or without the right level of compression, using them alongside other passive fire protection products in untested ways, and applying the sealant in two-part pack-and-spray systems with an inconsistent wet film thickness or in unsuitable application conditions.
Product selection
A listing for firestopping systems is essential because it provides independent, third-party verification that a specific firestop system has been thoroughly tested to appropriate standards and if properly installed, will perform as intended in a fire, ensuring compliance with building codes and contributing to overall building and life safety.
Listings include essential, detailed information on how the system must be installed, including maximum allowable perimeter void sizes, the required materials and their specifications.
If the installation deviates from the parameters specified in the listing, its fire-resistance rating is voided, which compromises safety.
While listings are voluntary, it helps ensure that products supplied for testing are the same as supplied to market, with ongoing assessment and surveillance from the certification body.
Manufacturers should make this information easily accessible.
In circumstances where field conditions vary from the original design, or where unforeseen build obstructions arise, technical evaluations based on the closest listed system and that recommends different installation methods may be necessary to ensure performance is not compromised.
In such cases, the evaluation should be carried out by, or in conjunction with, the manufacturer, by suitably qualified and competent persons and provide clear installation instructions.
With mitigating the risk of human error in mind, using products that have been engineered to be installed easily and accurately can assist in meeting a project’s design intent.
This can not only help to ensure a safer project but can help to reduce additional costs and lost time associated with remedial works.
For example, the vertical fibre orientation of dry-fit stone wool Lamella firestopping products, coupled with clear instructions on the foil facings, can help guide the installer in the correct direction in which to install.
Inspection
Another key benefit of dry-fit firestopping products is that there is no need for destructive inspection to sign off on their installation, with visual inspections being sufficient.
Where required or desired, some manufacturers can also conduct these non-destructive inspections – in-person and / or via app – to verify if their products have been correctly installed.
This can be invaluable, particularly on large and complex buildings where there may be many different considerations.
The final report can be included in the handover documentation, providing a clear record of exactly what’s in the building and how it was installed.
This helps to maintain a continuous thread of information, which can be a useful reference point for any future modifications to the building that may affect the envelope.
Competency and training
Everyone in the construction process must have the appropriate levels of skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours to do their job properly and adhere to code requirements.
There are several independent schemes for installation contractors that can include training, third-party certification and professional qualifications.
For example, the FCIA (Firestop Contractors International Association) promotes high firestop installation quality through accreditation initiatives like the FM 4991 Standard for the Approval of Firestop Contractors, the UL Qualified Firestop Contractor Program, and the FIRAS scheme through UKAS to BS EN ISO/IEC 17065: 2012.
They help differentiate quality contractors via third-party audits of their quality management systems and field installations, ensuring compliance with tested systems.
Whilst voluntary, they are good practice and help ensure a strong foundation of competency.
These often include various assessments of both how projects are managed, and how installations are carried out and overseen.
However, for teams wanting to know more about the explicit methods and approaches needed to install a specific manufacturer’s products effectively, training packages offered by the manufacturer can provide installers with invaluable insight into the specific nuances of their firestopping products, as well as potential build challenges, allowing them to be addressed before the installation programme has progressed and preventing issues being baked into the construction.
This offering should include a combination of classroom learning and practical onsite training, including everything from toolbox talks that ensure installation instructions and method statements are clearly understood, to delivering hands-on training and benchmark installations to demonstrate best practice.
Unless a specialist façade contractor with dedicated firestop installers has been appointed, the individuals installing the safing measures could change from project to project, or even at different stages of a single project.
Therefore, having access to manufacturer training throughout, and not just at the start, can help to ensure continual adherence to the fire safety strategy.
For this training and onsite support to be effective, early engagement with the product manufacturer is crucial.
This is especially true for ambitious, complex designs that need a tailored installation approach, or where there are deviations from the original drawings due to unforeseen challenges or changes in conditions onsite.
Additionally, manufacturers can often give feedback to design teams so they can learn to help improve the practicality of future designs, ensuring continuous improvement and collaboration.
Hidden defence
The FCIA defines the ‘DIIM’ of Firestopping™ as the proper Design, Installation, Inspection and Maintaining Protection of Firestop Systems stating that “When all the pieces of the ‘DIIM’ puzzle are present, the result is greater reliability of installed fire-resistance-rated and smoke resistant assemblies and effective compartmentation.
This ensures that installed fire-resistance-rated and smoke-resistant assemblies have a better chance of performing as designed.” There is no room for compromise when it comes to the safety of our buildings, and the success of any fire safety strategy depends on both the quality of the products and the precision of their installation.
Therefore, it is vital that firestop installers feel confident and competent to deliver accuracy onsite.
Engaging with manufacturers as early in the process as possible can provide the support necessary to ensure products are handled and fitted in line with recommendations and that they will perform as expected in the unfortunate event of a fire.
Partnering with manufacturers, like Siderise, who offer expert guidance, robust testing data, dedicated product and project specific installer training and inspection tools and services can make all the difference in enabling project teams to design and construct buildings that meet the highest safety and performance standards – both now and in the future.