In a wide variety of locations, fire rated doors are used. Be it the hospitals, or the shopping malls or the business centers, the roles played by these doors are of immense responsibility, especially for the high rise HDB apartments in Singapore. These doors could be the difference between life and death in dire situations.
But it will be wrong to come under the assumption that the use of these doors is only for security. When the fire breaks out, it is these doors that make proper and safe escape routes possible. According to the HDB rules, most of homes are equipped with proper escape routes and each level have the fire rated doors.
Fire-rated door: What Is It?
These doors are also called as the fire-resistant doors. This means that they can withhold or prevent the spread of fire and smoke. They happen to be heavy doors and they are made with the materials that are generally not inflammable.
All components must adhere to the product certification requirements. Many fire doors are designed to be kept closed all the time. Some are designed to be opened during normal circumstances and closed automatically during a fire. Whichever method is being used, the movement of the door should never be blocked by a door closer or other obstacle. The in tumescence and smoke-proof seal must be checked routinely, as well as the closing and locking of the door.
Structural requirements
Each model must comply with precise structural requirements in order to perform its function in the best possible way. Many deaths, in fact, are not due to the heat or wrath of the fire but due to smoke: for this reason it is important to have specific characteristics and components capable of not letting the smoke pass from the edges of the frame.
The fire / smoke seals and the various components are analyzed by precise fire tests to verify the hours of fire resistance. Each component must have a certification label to certify the passing of these tests.
The models
Fire doors can have different sizes, types of opening and be made with different materials. If safety is the primary factor, then aesthetics can also affect the choice: on the market, in fact, there are several models with different colors and designs. The flush-to-wall models, for example, respect the chromatic balance of the surrounding design, making them visually less invasive from a design perspective.
As far as fire safety goes, fire doors is not the only factor that safeguards the well-being of people. The size of the spaces in relation to the number of workers, the brightness, the ventilation system: each feature contributes significantly to the working efficiency of a fire escape route.
Conclusion
Depending on the function they have to perform and the context of use, fire doors can vary in price and size. They might also need to be customised for use. To make the right choice, it is important to know the different models of industrial fire doors on the market and understand which one is right for us.
If you need to know more about fire-rated doors and HDB regulations on these doors in Singapore, check out https://www.homees.co/articles/fire-rated-doors-rules-and-regulations for more details today.