Assessment (also referred to as Appraisal)
An independent, technical appraisal of the likely performance of a component or element of construction used in a specific manner and end use application if it were to be subjected to a standard fire test.

Blank Penetration Seal
An aperture through a separating element that has been sealed to maintain the integrity and insulation performance of the separating element for the duration of the specified fire resistance period.

Cavity Barrier
A construction provided to close a concealed space against penetration of smoke or flame, or provided to restrict the movement of smoke or flame/heat within such a space and of
greater than 100mm high or wide.

CEN
European Committee for Standardisation. This committee is responsible for the preparation of European fire related Standards.

Compartment
A part of a building, comprising one or more rooms, spaces or storeys constructed to prevent the spread of fire to, or from, another part of the same building.

Compartment (fire)
A building or part of a building, comprising one or more rooms, spaces or
storeys, constructed to prevent the spread of fire to or from another part of the same building, or an adjoining building. The basis of compartmentation is to subdivide buildings into areas of
manageable risk, to provide adequate means of escape, and to provide fire separation for
adjoining buildings.

Compartment wall
A fire resisting wall used to separate one fire compartment from another [as defined by Approved Document B].
Note 1 The fire resistance requirements of Approved Document B Tables A1 and A2 require load bearingcapacity in fire.
Note 2: Load bearing fire resisting partitions may be suitable for this application.

Composite Beam
A beam comprising a steel I section connected via shear connectors to a reinforced concrete orcomposite floor slab where the steel section and floor slab are designed to act together.

Construction Joints
Gaps left by design during the construction of a building which requires a rigid or flexible seal to maintain the fire resistance of the structural element.

Critical Temperature
The temperature at which failure of the structural steel element is expected to occur against a given load level.

Curtain Fire Dampers
Folding curtain fire dampers are constructed of a series of interlocking blades, which fold to the top of the assembly permitting the maximum free area in the airway. The blades are held open by means of a thermal release mechanism normally rated at 72°C ± 4°C. The blades fall/are sprung to fill the airway to prevent the passage of the fire. Test results or assessments are required for plane of installation (e.g. horizontal and vertical) and the method of installation.

Damper - Fire
A closure system within a duct which is operated automatically or manually and is designed to prevent the passage of fire and which, together with its supporting frame, is capable of satisfying the designated fire resistance criteria for a stated period of time.

Damper - Smoke
A closure system within a duct which is operated automatically or manually and is designed to control the movement of smoke. A smoke damper is not necessarily a fire damper. A combination fire and smoke damper shall meet the requirements of both.

Design Temperature
The ‘design temperature’ is the temperature determined by calculation at which failure of the structural steel element is expected against a given load level at a particular location in a building

Duct/ductwork
A system of enclosures of any cross sectional shape for the distribution or extraction of air.

Duct/Ductwork - Fire Rated
Ductwork that conforms to one or more of the following definitions of (types) of fire resisting duct/ductwork

Duct/Ductwork - Fire Resisting
A duct or ductwork used for the distribution or extraction of air, designed and tested to satisfy the criteria
defined in BS 476: Part 24. (ISO 6944).

Duct/Ductwork - Fire Resisting Smoke Outlet
A fire resisting smoke outlet duct, for the extraction of products of combustion, designed and tested to satisfy the criteria defined in BS 476: Part 24. (ISO 6944). A smoke outlet duct must retain at least 75% of its crosssectional area throughout the test.

Duct/Ductwork - Fire Resisting Kitchen Extract
A duct or ductwork that is installed entirely independent of any other duct or ductwork within the building and which serves as an extract for non-domestic kitchens (see clause 9.5 of BS 5588: Part 9), designed and tested to satisfy the criteria defined in BS 476: Part 24. (ISO6944).

Duct/ductwork - Self supporting
Self supporting fire rated ducts are those that are formed with fire protection boards, and possibly framework, without a steel duct.

Engineered Judgements (EJ)
Solution to specific technical problem that may lie outside that for which it would be considered reasonable to have test data. They should only be issued by competent persons and covered by appropriate guidelines. Products and systems may only be used in applications covered within the scope of the EJ which usually means for a single application.
An engineered judgement is not a best guess or a “best practice” solution based on the cheapest way round the problem linked to “the way things have been done before. If there is any doubt that a third party (notified body) would be unable to arrive at the same conclusion an EJ should not be made.

Engineering appraisal/judgement
An independent, technical appraisal of the likely performance of a construction component used in an end use application if it could be subjected to a standard fire test.

Expansion Frame
A factory fitted installation frame supplied by the damper manufacturer that forms a complete assembly with the appropriate damper fitted therein. This frame allows the damper to expand under fire conditions and must be to a design which has been successfully fire tested or assessed. (A HEVAC frame can be regarded as falling within this definition.)

Exposed face
The side of the element being tested that is exposed to the heating conditions of a fire.

Fire Barrier
Floors, walls, partitions and other fire separating elements of construction having a period of fire resistance as determined in accordance with BS 476 Parts 20, 21 and 22 or the relevant European Standard.
NB! Whilst the term ‘Fire Barrier’ is the Industry preferred terminology, the technically correct reference is ‘Fire Separating Element’

Fire Load
The energy per square metre of floor area of the combustible material present within the internal bounding surfaces of a room, compartment or building.

Fire Protection - Passive
Fire protection that carries out its function without requiring manual or automatic initiation of its operation in the event of fire.

Fire Protection - Active
Fire protection system which, in event of fire, can function only after its operation has been manually or automatically activated.

Fire Resistance
The ability of a component or construction to satisfy, for a stated period of time, the appropriate criteria specified in the relevant part of BS 476. The following criteria are applied to fire resisting ductwork.
Stability
The ability of a duct, ductwork and the support system to remain intact and fulfil their intended function for a specified period of time, when tested to the requirements of BS 476: Part 24 (ISO 6944).
Integrity
The ability of a duct or ductwork to remain free of cracks, holes or openings outside the compartment in which the fire is present for a specified period of time, when tested to the requirements of BS 476: Part 24 (ISO 6944).
Insulation
The ability of a duct or ductwork to maintain its integrity without developing temperatures on its external surface, outside the compartment in which the fire is present, which exceed:
i) 140°C as an average value above ambient and/or
ii) 180°C as a maximum value above ambient at any one point
when tested for a specified period of time to the requirements of BS 476: Part 24. (ISO 6944). For kitchen extract ductwork (duct A) these limitations also apply to the internal surface of the duct within the compartment in which the fire is present.

Fire Resistance Period
The fire resistance period of each tested loaded steel section is the duration of the test until the specimen is no longer able to support the test load (see Section 1).
The fire resistance of a compartment wall or floor that is penetrated by protected structure also needs to be considered, so that the required ‘load bearing capacity, the integrity and insulation’ criteria of the wall are not diminished by the protected steel and fire-stopping / penetration components.

Fire-resisting (fire resistance)
The ability of a component or construction of a building to satisfy, for a stated period of time, some or all of the appropriate criteria for flame/heat specified in the relevant part of BS 476 or appropriate BS EN standard (Approved Document B and BS 5588-11).

Fire-resisting partition
An internal non-load bearing vertical dividing structure designed to resist the spread of fire, heat, and the products of combustion for a stipulated period of time. Such a partition can include a glazed section or a fire door.

Fire-resisting suspended ceiling A suspended ceiling designed to contribute to the overall fire resistance of a floor assembly or to prevent the collapse of steel beams supporting a floor or roof, for a stipulated period of time. It may also provide fire resistance as a membrane in the same way as a partition.

Fire Safety Engineering
The application of scientific and engineering principles, rules [Codes], and expert judgement, based on an understanding of the phenomena and effects of fire and of the reaction and behaviour of people to fire, to protect people, property and the environment from the destructive effects of fire.

Fire separating element
A compartment wall, compartment floor, cavity barrier and construction enclosing a protected escape route and/or a place of special fire hazard. (Approved Document Building). It is the means by which the building is divided into compartments of manageable size and specific area, to ensure secure containment of fire and smoke for as long as specified.

Fire-stopping
Sealing products that take up imperfections of fit or design tolerance between the fireresisting fixed elements of a building to restrict the passage of fire and smoke. They continue to take up any imperfections of fit at all times and have the same fire rating as the fixed elements of which they form a part and/or interface.

Frame and panel partition
Framed partition in which the panels are supported by an exposed framework.

Frame and sheet partition
Framed partition in which the framework is exposed.

Framed partition
Partition consisting of a continuously supported plane frame with facings or infills.

Glazed partition
Partition that includes transparent or translucent glass or plastics in its construction.
Note: It may be fully or partially glazed.

Hollow partition
Partition that has usable voids throughout most of its area.

Insulated Fire Dampers
Insulated fire dampers are dampers that satisfy the appropriate integrity/leakage requirements and show insulation characteristics when tested.

Insulation
The resistance to the transfer of excessive heat, i.e. an ability to provide insulation from high temperatures.

Integrity
The resistance to fire penetration, i.e. an ability to maintain the integrity of the element.

Intumescent Coating / reactive coating
A coating which reacts to heat by swelling in a controlled manner to many times its original thickness to produce a carbonaceous char, which acts as an insulating layer to protect the steel substrate.

Intumescent Fire Resisting Dampers
Intumescent fire dampers incorporate components, which expand by intumescent activity under the action of heat, to close the airway to prevent the passage of fire. The intumescent materials form the main component for fire integrity. In some instances this may be supported with a mechanical device to prevent cold smoke leakage. Activation temperatures will be influenced by the type of intumescent material selected and these temperatures typically range from 120oC to 270oC. Some intumescent dampers, whilst containing fire and hot smoke, also incorporate an electro-mechanical device that provides cold smoke containment by interface with smoke sensors via a fire alarm panel.
Test results or assessments are required for plane of installation (e.g. horizontal and vertical) and the method of installation.

Limiting Steel Temperature
The maximum temperature of the critical element of a steel member prior to failure, under fire conditions.

Linear joint seal
A system designed to maintain a fire separating function or, if relevant, to accommodate aspecified degree of movement and of less than or equal to 100mm high or wide.

Load bearing capacity
The ability of a test specimen of a load bearing element to support its test load, where appropriate, without exceeding specified criteria with respect to the extent and rate of deformation.

Load bearing element
An element that is intended for use in supporting an external (applied) load in a building and maintaining this support in the event of a fire.

Material of Limited Combustibility
i) A material performance specification that includes non-combustible materials
tested to the method specified in BS476: Part 11: 1982.
ii) Any material of a density of 300kg/m³ or more which, when tested to BS476: Part
11: 1982, does not flame nor cause the rise in the temperature of the furnace
thermocouple to be more than 20ºC.
iii) Any material of density less than 300Kg/m³, which when tested to BS 476: Part 11:
1982 does not flame for more than 10 seconds and the rise in temperature on the
centre specimen thermocouple is not more than 35ºC and, on the furnace
thermocouple, is not more than 25ºC
iv) Any material with a non-combustible core at least 8mm thick having combustible
facings, on one or both sides, of not more than 0.5mm thick. (Where a flame
spread rating is specified, these materials must also meet the appropriate test
requirements).
Where such materials/products are exposed

Mechanical Fire Resisting dampers
The basic purpose of fire resisting dampers is to maintain the fire compartmentation provided by fire separating/compartment walls and floors when HVAC ducts penetrate walls and floors. Unlike fire resisting ducts, that extend the boundary of the fire compartment, dampers are designed to close the opening at the plane of the wall or floor in the event of a fire. Mechanical fire dampers may be actuated by an integral thermal release mechanism that is activated by heat and causes the dampers to close. Some mechanical dampers incorporate a motorised system that is interfaced with smoke sensors via a fire alarm panel, thereby providing smoke containment as soon as it is detected.

Monobloc panel
Prefabricated partition unit capable of being removed without affecting adjacent units.

Movable partition
Partition of separate sections that is capable of re-arrangement by the occupants of a building.

Multi-blade Fire Dampers
Multi-blade dampers are constructed with a number of linked pivoting blades contained within a frame. The blades are released from their open position by means of a thermal release mechanism normally rated at 72°C ± 4°C. The blades pivot/move to close the airway to prevent the passage of fire. Test results or assessments are required for plane of installation (e.g. horizontal and vertical) and the method of installation.

Multi-section dampers
Where the duct exceeds the maximum tested size of an individual damper (or single section), manufacturers may provide multi-section units. These will generally be supplied with some type of joining strip or mullion to allow the unit to be assembled on site. This joining is not, necessarily, structural. Consideration must be given by installers for additional support, particularly on larger multi-section units. Test/assessment evidence should be available for multi section dampers.

Neutral pressure plane
The elevation at which the pressure is equal inside and outside of the furnace.

Non-Combustible Materials
i) Any material/product classified as non-combustible when tested in accordance
with the requirements of BS476: Part 4: 1970.
ii) Any material which, when tested to BS476: Part 11: 1982, does not flame nor
cause any rise in temperature on either the specimen or furnace thermocouples.
iii) Any material which is totally inorganic, such as concrete, fired clay, ceramics,
metals, plaster and masonry containing not more than 1% by weight or volume of
organic material.
Any material conforming with the above requirements can be classified as Class 0 in
accordance with Approved Document B of the England and Wales Building Regulations
1991.

Notional floor level
The assumed floor level relative to the position of the building element in service.

Orientation
Plane in which the exposed face of the test specimen is located, either vertically or horizontally during testing.

Panel partition
A partition of rigid panels without supporting framework.

Partition
A load bearing or non load bearing vertical construction, used internally to buildings, which may have sufficient fire resisting properties for use as a fire resisting wall
Note: It is incorrect to assume that such partitions are not subjected to incidental loads, particularly lateral loads.

Passive fire protection products (e.g boards and sprays)
Products which do not change their physical form on heating, providing fire protection by virtue of their physical or thermal properties

Penetration
An aperture through a fire barrier, e.g. an aperture for the passage of a ventilation duct or ductwork.

Penetration seal
The system used to restore/maintain the fire rating of the fire barrier at the position where the damper/ductwork to pass through the barrier.

Penetration Sealing System
The assembly consisting of the penetrating item, service or services and the penetration seal, materials and devices, together with any supporting construction, designed to maintain the integrity and insulation performance of the separating element for the duration of the specified fire resistance period.

Plate Thermometer
A 100 x 100mm insulated thin steel plate to which a thermocouple is attached, used to measure the fire
test furnace temperature(s).

Pressurisation
A method of protecting escape routes against the ingress of smoke by maintaining the air within them at pressures higher than those in adjacent parts of the building.

Protected corridor/lobby
A corridor or lobby which is adequately protected from fire in adjoining accommodation by fire resisting construction

Protected shaft
A shaft which enables persons, air or objects to pass from one compartment to another, and which is enclosed with fire-resisting construction.

Reaction to fire The performance of a material or system in a fire situation with regard to the amount and rate of heat evolved, the amount and rate of spread of flame and the amount and rate of smoke and toxic fume evolved.

Reactive Fire Protection Products (e.g. intumescent coatings)
Products which are specifically formulated to provide a chemical reaction upon heating such that their physical form changes and in so doing provide fire protection by thermal insulative and cooling effects.; eg intumescent products

Re-locatable partition
Partition capable of removal and re-assembly elsewhere without substantial repair other than replacement of ancillary seals and fixings.

Responsible person
The employer, where there is one, and where there is not it will be the person responsible for the activity undertaken on the premises which might give rise to a risk to those present. It includes; a) the employer in relation to any workplace which is to any extent under his control; b) in relation to any premises where there is no employer –
i the person (whether the occupier or owner of the premises or not) who has the overall management of the premises; or
ii where there is no one with overall management responsibility, the occupier of the premises; or
iii where neither (i) or (ii) apply, the owner of the premises

Restraint
The constraint to expansion or rotation (induced by thermal and/or mechanical actions) afforded by the conditions at the ends, edges or supports of a test specimen. Examples of different types of restraint are longitudinal, rotational and lateral.

Screen
Partition that may not extend fully from floor to ceiling, sometimes self-supporting, that provides a degree of protection or privacy.

Section Factor (A/V)
The rate of increase in temperature of a steel cross-section is determined by the ratio of the heated surface area (A) to the volume (V). This ratio, A/V, (also known as Hp/A), has units of m¯¹ and is known as the ‘Section Factor’. Members with low section factors will heat up more slowly. In profiled protection: The ratio of the inner surface area of the fire protection material per unit length, to the cross sectional volume (area) of the steel member per unit length.
In boxed protection: The ratio of the inner surface area of the smallest possible rectangle or square encasement that can be measured round the steel member per unit length to the cross sectional volume (area) of the steel member per unit length. Note that the section factor for cellular beams is calculated differently – see Section 6

Service Supporting Construction
Mechanical support provided in the form of clips, ties, hangers, ladder racks or trays, or any device designed to carry the load of the penetrating services.

Services Services consist of cables, conduits, pipes, chimneys, ducts, trunking, air ventilation systems, fire rated ventilation ducts or fire rated service ducts and shafts.

Shunt System
A duct or ductwork used solely for extraction in flats and maisonettes which may be used to avoid the need to provide fire dampers in extract ductwork from bathrooms and WC’s. (See clauses 6.1, 6.2 and 9.6 of BS 5588:
Part 9).

Single Blade Fire Dampers
Single blade fire dampers are constructed with a single pivoting blade within a frame. The blade is released from its open position by means of a thermal release mechanism normally rated at 72°C ± 4°C. The blade pivots/moves to close the airway to prevent the passage fire. Test results or assessments are required for plane of installation (e.g. horizontal and vertical) and the method of installation.

Smoke barriers An internal non-load bearing dividing structure designed to resist the spread of smoke for a stipulated period of time.

Smoke Control Damper
Smoke control dampers are single or multi-blade dampers that would generally have two safety positions, open to allow smoke extraction, or closed to maintain compartmentation. They do not have thermal release mechanism, relying on a control system to ensure that they achieve the correct position.

Solid area partition
Partition without glazing.

Solid partition
Partition that has no internal void throughout most of its area.

Stud and sheet partition
Framed partition in which the studs and other ancillary members are concealed by the facings.

Steel UB or UKB
Universal Beam of steel as manufactured to BS 4: Part 1: 2005

Steel UC or UKC
Universal Column of steel as manufactured to BS 4: Part 1: 2005

Stickability
Ability of a fire protection material to remain coherent and in position for a defined range of deformations, furnace and steel temperatures, such that its ability to provide fire protection is not impaired.

Structural fire protection
Products used to insulate the structural frame of a building or other construction to allow it to retain its required load bearing strength or limit the core temperature for a stipulated period of time. The time periods may be stipulated as requirements in building regulations, safety case studies or Safety designs according to the type of structure involved.

Supporting construction
The construction that may be required for the testing of some building elements into which the test specimen is assembled, e.g. the wall into which a door is fitted.

Support system
The components used for suspending and/or fixing a damper assembly to either the fire barrier itself or an adjacent floor, wall or soffit.

Sustained flaming
Continuous flaming for a period of time greater than 10 seconds.

Test construction
The complete assembly of the test specimen together with its supporting construction.

Test Evidence
Data obtained from a fire resistance test carried out to determine the suitability of a product, system or combinations to seal service penetrations. In respect to fire dampers, this usually means the use of BS 476 pt 20 historically but will now mean BS EN 1366 2.

Test frame
The frame containing the test construction for the purpose of mounting onto the furnace.

Test specimen
An element (or part) of building construction provided for the purpose of determining either its fire resistance or its contribution to the fire resistance of another building element.

UKAS
United Kingdom Accreditation Service (National Accreditation of Measurement and Sampling)