The next generation of composite fire doors
Suzanne Nicholl, business development manager at ODL, looks at the story behind the company’s G21 Award winning Guardsman fire door slab and why it has become the first in the next generation of reliable composite fire doors.
When the business took the decision to develop a new 30-minute composite fire door it was with a laser-focus determination to deliver the best in composite fire door stability.
We wanted a product that would perform over and above anything else currently seen in the composite fire door market and eliminate the unknown elements of a composite fire door’s performance. The doors also needed to offer reliable performance and product consistency with the robust credentials that the market required.
Fast forward two years and our award-winning Guardsman fire door has been nothing less than remarkable as it continues to make major inroads across the market.
Fire doors are vitally important as a fire safety measure. So much so that there’s a fire door safety week, an awareness campaign to increase public understanding of the vital role that fire doors play in protecting life and property. It’s supported by partners including the Home Office’s National Fire Safety campaign, the National Fire Chief’s Council and London Fire Brigade.
Developing a fire door that would perform over and above anything else currently seen in the 30-minute composite fire door market and eliminate the unknown elements of a composite fire door’s performance were the twin aims behind the Guardsman fire door.
When we teamed up with Capstone Engineering and a select number of experienced fire door fabricators, we knew there were two challenges to overcome. We needed to find a material that could replace the phenolic foam core that’s at the heart of most 30-minute composite fire doors. We also needed to develop a design that would consistently meet the required standards even when assembled by different fabricators.
To know we had succeeded, we set ourselves a stretching target. It needed to meet or exceed the European fire test standard of EN 1634, the more onerous test standard required by Part B of Building Regulations.
Following extensive research and a six-figure investment, the results are extraordinary. In the most recent tests, the Guardsman fire door achieved an average of 100% overrun past the 30-minute mark. At the extreme, this 30-minute fire door has achieved over 70 minutes. It has achieved these results across both glazed and unglazed versions and using versions from different manufacturers. As the G Awards judging panel said: “Achieving a 30-minute fire door with both glazing, a letterplate and with PAS 24:2016 performance is remarkable.” In short, Guardsman has set a new benchmark for the industry.
The phenolic foam core has been replaced with Agrifiber a board material made from resin-bonded agricultural fibres. It has very consistent material densities, superb structural properties and, most importantly, product stability. It’s also a green building product, which helps buildings achieve better environmental credentials.
To aid the repeatability of results across different fabricators, the door can be fabricated to a range of sizes from just two base designs.
The door not only delivers stability and innovation, it also delivers commercial opportunities. Fire doors are a staple of commercial and public sector contracts and they are fitted in high rise buildings, care homes, hospitals, schools and specialist housing.
The ability to manufacture a range of sizes from just two base designs delivers attractive cost efficiencies to fabricators. Plus, as a Capstone door, it offers impressive quality. It has hardwood stiles and rails and a 2mm GRP skin. This means it is low maintenance and robust enough to stand up to high-traffic areas, reducing maintenance and replacement costs.
It all means the Guardsman Composite fire door is the first in the next generation of composite fire doors, a generation that delivers better, more reliable protection in the event of fire.
