Technical Article in AIBS Magazine on Evidence of Suitability

Technical article published in the AIBS Magazine & re-published in the Australian Plumbing Industry Magazine on Evidence of Suitability for passive fire protection products.

Read the Article Here

The insulation part of an Frl may be waived on all metal pipes (Not quite that simple)

Option 1 In accordance with C3.15 (a)

Tested Systems (ii).

The Insulation may be waived on pipes made entirely of metal which pass through a fire wall/floor if they have been

Tested in accordance with AS1530.4 and AS4072.1 and achieved the required Integrity part of the FRL and:

• Any combustible building element is not able to be located within 100mm of the service for a distance of 2m from the penetration; and

• Combustible material is not able to be located within 100mm of the service for a distance of 2m from the penetration; and

• It is not located within a required exit.

Requirements to meet this clause:

• A report from a Registered Test Authority which covers the following information:

a. The metal pipe has been tested in accordance with AS1530.4 and AS4072.1

b. The fire stopping products used

c. The FRL achieved (Integrity)

d. Min-Max Pipe sizes

e. The specific substrate it may pass through

• There are various options to ensure that nothing combustible may be located within the 100mm exclusion zone for a distance of 2m either side of the penetration:

a. Box-out from either side of the penetration for a distance of 2m using plasterboard.

b. Create a metal cage around the metal pipe for a distance of 2m from either side of the penetration.

c. Wrap out 2m using 100mm thick flexible non-combustible material Tested to AS1530.1

• It is not always possible to wrap out 2m to either side of the penetration due to space issues

Option 2 In accordance with C3.15 (c) Compliance with Specification C3.15.

To enable the insulation to be waived on metal pipes that are not normally filled with liquid the application must meet ALL of the following criteria:

• The pipe must be made entirely of metal

• The metal pipe must be in a single core hole that does not contain any other services and the core hole must be a minimum of 200mm from any other service penetration.

• The metal pipe cannot pass through more than 2 fire compartments.

• The pipe must have an exclusion zone of 100mm around its perimeter for a distance of 2m either side of the fire

wall/floor so that nothing combustible can come into contact with it.

• The pipe does not contain flammable or combustible liquid or gas

• In addition all of the requirements of Specification C3.15 part 3 and Clause 7 must be met.

• The gap between the metal pipe and wall/floor or ceiling must be fire stopped using a fire stopping product which meets Clause 7 of Specification C3.15

Clause 7 Fire-stopping

• (a) Material: Detailed in a report from a Registered Testing Authority that the material used for fire stopping ie:

mastics, sealants, insulation, mortars, compounds or boards etc. have been proven by test to not flow at temperatures below 1120 degrees C, when tested to ISO 540.

• (e) Test: Detailed in a report from a Registered Testing Authority that the fire stopping material has been tested

to AS1530.4 and met the required FRL when tested using the Test Criteria contained within Clause 7 (e) Test.

It’s quite a complicated, nigh impossible and potentially expensive task to meet either of the 2 options when attempting to waive the Insulation criteria of a metal pipe due to the vast amount of restrictions which both solutions entail.

NONE of the restrictions contained within option 1 or 2 are applicable to a system which has been tested to AS1530.4 and assessed in accordance with AS4072.1 and has met the full Integrity and Insulation criteria of the FRL. Therefore the easiest and most cost effective way to meet compliance is to simply specify a fire stopping system for the pipe, which achieves the full Integrity and Insulation of the floor or wall through which it penetrates. C3.15 (a) Tested Systems (i): 

The TBA Firefly Intubatt seal in a Speedpanel wall with a steel sprinkler pipe, protected by the new TBA Firefly

Insulated Peno-Wrap. The Peno-Wrap is only required to be wrapped out by 300mm to either side of the seal,

providing an FRL-/120/120.

Thanks to Brookfield Multiplex

for the use of their Construction

Training Facility in Sydney.

Trevor Kempster, TBA Firefly

www.tbafirefly.com.au/fire-stopping.html