Often, firestopping products like fire collars, fire wraps, and fire sleeves are installed at the early stages of a project when the building is open and exposed to all kinds of weather conditions: UV and high temperatures in summer and wind, rain, snow, and freezing temperatures in winter. A common example of this is cast in fire collars, installed when the concrete is being poured.
Therefore, it is possible that the durability of the reactive materials in these products may change significantly when exposed to extreme weather conditions. This change may result in a product not achieving the expected performance, which would indicate that it does not meet the required resistance in the intended application conditions.
The following types of ‘final intended use conditions’, set out in the EOTA Technical Report (p.15), are considered to be relevant for reactive materials, components, and products and thus, should be tested accordingly:
Type X: Product intended for use at conditions exposed to free weathering
Type Y1: product intended for use at temperatures below 0°C with exposure to UV, but not rain
Type Y2: product intended for use at temperatures below 0°C occasionally, but with no exposure to wetness, rain, or UV (exception: re-drying short-term condensation)
Type Z1: product intended for use at internal conditions with high humidity (permanent, changing, or temporary condensation), excluding temperatures below 0°C
Type Z2: product intended for use at internal conditions with relative humidity lower than 85% relative humidity, excluding temperatures below 0°C (frost-free and dry).
Generally, materials that meet requirements for Type X meet the requirements for all other types; Type Y1 meets the requirements for type Y2, Z1, and Z2; Type Y2 meets the requirements for Type Z1 and Z2; and Type Z1 meets the requirements for Z2.
That is why we carried out Type X durability testing on our intumescent, which means our fire collars, pipe wraps, and fire sleeves can be exposed to extreme weather conditions, including at temperatures below 0°C, without any detrimental effects to the products. Consequently, Quelfire products can be installed into partially constructed buildings and exposed to outside conditions without affecting the products performance.
When choosing fire collars, pipe wraps, and fire sleeves, we recommend looking for products that have Type X durability testing.
Watch the video:
View our product range tested for Type X durability >>
For any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at technical@quelfire.co.uk.
