Exploring the potential for a certification scheme for fire stopping: report

Appendix 2 - Current definitions

Building Standards Technical Handbooks, 2019

Cavity barrier means any construction provided to seal a cavity against the penetration of fire and smoke, or to restrict its movement within the cavity.

Compartment means a part of a building (which may contain one or more rooms, spaces or storey and includes, where relevant, the space above the top storey of the compartment) constructed so as to prevent the spread of fire to or from another part of the same building; and compartmented and compartmentation should be construed accordingly.

Compartment floor means a floor with the fire resistance required to ensure compartmentation.

Compartment wall means a wall with the fire resistance required to ensure compartmentation.

Fire door means a door which, together with its frame and furniture as installed in a building, is intended, when closed, to resist the passage of fire and, where prescribed, smoke and is capable of meeting specified performance criteria in section 2.

Fire-stop means a seal provided to close an imperfection of fit or design tolerance between elements, components or construction so as to restrict the passage of fire and smoke through that imperfection. Fire-stopping and fire-stopped should be construed accordingly

Protected door means a fire door giving access to:

Protected zone, part of an escape route which is within a building, but not within a room, and to which access is only by way of a protected door and from which there is an exit directly to a place of safety. Includes a protected lobby, a fire-fighting shaft, another compartment or, a place of safety, an unenclosed external escape stair, an open access balcony, or an escape route across a flat roof or access deck.

Protected enclosure in a dwelling means a circulation area constructed to resist fire in adjoining accommodation. It includes a hall, landing or private stair or ramp but not a room.

Protected lobby means a lobby within a protected zone but separated from the remainder of the protected zone so as to resist the movement of smoke from the adjoining accommodation to the remainder of the protected zone.