What is a fireproof door, how to choose it?

Fireproof doors withstand the impact of fire and contain it, making it easier for firefighters and people to evacuate the building. They are made from powder coated metal. Products are expensive, with an undemanding design, but they allow you to fully comply with the requirements of the fire inspection.

Where are fireproof doors installed?

Ideally, they should be present in any crowded building, but in practice they are equipped with:

• residential buildings adjacent to non-residential premises (for example, offices);
• production – dividing workshops, warehouses, work and leisure areas;
• any fire hazardous facilities (for example, where specific equipment or combustible materials are present): garages, laboratories, special workshops and warehouses.

 The leading function of a fire-resistant door is protective. The degree of protection is determined by the type and class of the door. Choice The fire resistance limit is the main parameter that determines the reliability of the door and the degree of fire safety in the building. It is expressed by the abbreviations EI and REI, expressing various consequences of the work of fire: R – loss of load resistance (destruction leading to the collapse of the door); E- loss of integrity (holes and cracks in the canvas through which fire penetrates); I – loss of thermal insulation properties (the door heats up, transferring heat to the room).

The more complex the abbreviation, the higher the strength of the door. For example: R 30 – loss of bearing capacity in half an hour; RE 30 – destruction or loss of bearing properties within 30 minutes after ignition; REI 30 – the door withstands exposure to an open flame for 30 minutes before losing integrity or protective properties. As the numerical value increases, the strength of the door and resistance to flame increase. With an R or RI value, the door will lose its heat-shielding properties before it breaks into fragments, so the figure should be higher (60-120 minutes).

The choice of fire resistance limit

Here several factors play a role at once: the type of room to be fenced off, the magnitude of the risk of fire, the expected speed of burning. It is difficult to predict the course of a possible fire, but statistics show that fire destroys living quarters in about 20 minutes, an office in half an hour. If all materials capable of burning are burned, the fire can self-destruct. Therefore, a fireproof door that cuts off the room from the rest of the building and prevents an open flame from capturing other rooms will save the people in them if it withstands the onslaught of fire for 30-40 minutes.

A warehouse or a production workshop burns longer, respectively, the destructive effect of fire is stronger, which means that doors of high fire resistance are appropriate for them, which will become a reliable barrier to the elements for 60-120 minutes. It must be understood that a fire door of even the highest quality is not able to fully protect against a fire. Sooner or later, it will collapse under the onslaught of fire, and adjacent rooms will burn. It only allows you to gain time, during which it is necessary to remove people from the building, and ideally, to put out the fire.