SWECO BUILDING STANDARDS GUIDANCE NOTE
Fire Curtains: Building Regulations
Published on: 24/05/2024
This note gives guidance on considerations to be made when assessing compliance of fire curtains and to help navigate conflicting assertions made by manufacturers. The guidance specifically relates to the substantiation of products suitability through testing, which has become confused with the withdrawal of certification under BS 8524.
Fire safety and protection are more prevalent than ever before in building design and specification. Fire curtains are a critical fire safety product which, when used correctly and in adherence with current regulations, offer many fire-engineered possibilities, whilst maintaining fire compartmentation and protection of escape routes.
Fire curtains may also be used in a fire strategy to provide flexible compartmentation. We have seen an increased trend by designers to specify the use of fire curtains in order to challenge building layouts and create open-plan and free-flowing spaces.
Over the last decade the legislation applying to construction products has changed significantly. Since 1 July 2013, the Construction Products Regulations (CPR) have made it mandatory in the UK (and Europe) for construction products to be CE marked.
Up until 1 November 2019, BS 8524-1 (Specification) and BS 8524-2 (Code of practice for application, installation and maintenance) were the first unique standards in the world that related solely to active fire curtain barrier assemblies.
Aside from the legal requirement of the CPR, International Fire Consultants (IFC) and Warrington fire were able to offer third-party certification for BS 8524. However, within the last 2 years they have withdrawn their certification offering and there are currently no Notified Bodies certifying products tested to BS 8524. The last remaining third-party certification for BS 8524 expired on 9 June 2023, although products have certification issued beyond this date.
BS EN 16034 is the only harmonised standard available to CE mark to and has applied since 1 November 2019. The scope of BS EN 16034 being “applicable to all fire resisting and/or smoke control products intended to be used in fire and/or smoke compartmentation and/or escape routes, which are Rolling shutters or operable fabric curtains, and which are manually or power operated and normally held open but self-closing in case of fire or smoke and completed with or without any seals (e.g. for smoke control, fire resistance)”.
BS EN 16034 is limited and is only relevant to fire and smoke curtain installations acting as a pedestrian door set, for which the main intended uses are giving safe access for persons.
Guidance
BS 8524 is referred to in BS 9999:2017, the code of practice for fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings.
BS 9999 sets out that a fire curtain should be tested to BS 8524, however some fire curtains are tested in accordance with BS EN 16034.
Furthermore, we caution the use of fire curtains being sold without third-party certification that may put fire safety in the hands of commercial interests.
BS EN 16034 was harmonized and remains the only harmonised standard for fire curtains when performance tested as a pedestrian door set, and not for any other compartmentation purpose, sub-division or to satisfy a fire engineered design.
To satisfy a pedestrian door set fire curtain performance test, only the following standards with valid third-party certification apply:
- Vertical fire curtains – BS EN 1603
- Concertina fire curtains – BS EN 16034
- Horizontal fire curtains – ISO 21524
BS EN 16034 is limited and is only relevant to fire and smoke curtain installations acting as a pedestrian door set, for which the main intended uses are giving safe access for persons.
The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) have also produced Technical Guidance Document – TGD 21 in relation to the UKCA/CE marking of operable fabric curtains:
It should be noted that BS EN 16034:2014 contains a national foreword which states:
“Users’ attention is drawn to the fact that fabric curtains tested in this standard only apply to the fire door sets fire text. This standard does not cover their operation deployment speeds, initiation devices or warning devices, etc. and as such should comply with BS 8524-1 and BS 8524-2.”
We should also refer designers to review Table 1 of the ASFP Black Book (Active Fire Curtains: Compartmentation and Protected Routes) in order to determine the end-use of applications showing the appropriate type of product in each case.
We support the ASFP criteria for the selection of fire curtains as set out below, to ensure the appropriate fire curtain is specified and installed:
a) What is the mode of operation? Is to be used in a horizontal, vertical or inclined orientation?
b) Is it for compartmentation or means of escape?
c) What fire resistance period is required?
d) What are the dimensions? (overall size)
e) Is it required to have a particular reaction to fire performance?
f) Is there a requirement for smoke sealing?
g) Does the curtain require performance smoke seals?
h) Is there a requirement for a limit for radiation?
i) Is there a permitted deflection zone?
j) How many motors are required?
In the case of a Fire Curtain, it is only the complete assembly as described in the relevant supporting documentation (fire/other test reports, third-party certification certificates etc.), which should be deemed to provide the required performance.
Within the (ASFP) Black Book, Figure 13 in our guidance PDF also provides a useful guide to the classification and required properties for fire curtains.
It is our opinion that fire curtain products with valid third-party certification to BS 8524-1 remain valid beyond the 9 June 2023 date of withdrawal, subject to:
- No changes made to the design or manufacturing process since certification issue.
- Manufacturer must continue to be ISO 9001 (or equivalent) accredited for fire and smoke curtain manufacture and evidence this.
- Certification date current and set for a future expiration (many valid until 2025).
BS 8524 remains the only product specific test standard relevant to active fire curtains.
As such ASFP would point out that BS EN16034 and BS 8524 are not conflicting standards, but complimentary standards. It is recommended that where compliance with BS EN16034:2014 is mandated, this should still be augmented with certification to BS8524-1 and BS8524-2.
Designers and Specialists specifying fire curtains should carefully examine the documentation accompanying the products to ensure that it originates from a reputable Notified Body rather than the manufacturer. Therefore, we advise designers to conduct due diligence and scrutinise the documentation.
The contents of this Guidance Note are confidential to Sweco and the intended recipient and are subject to copyright in favour of Sweco. The content of this Guidance Note must not be reproduced by any person (including the intended recipient) without the prior written consent of Sweco.
The Guidance Note does not constitute professional advice and Sweco hereby offers no reliance and accepts no liability (in contract, tort (including negligence) or otherwise) for parties acting on the content of this Guidance Note without taking specific professional advice from Sweco. The Guidance Note is provided as generic guidance only and any opinion, views or advice expressed in this Guidance Note are made without any representations or provide any assurances or warranties as to the content. If you require specific advice with respect to your own project or circumstances, please contact Neil Badley.