The Nullifire Answer to Service and Deflection Movement
The movement of critical building services is typically caused by live loads on a single area of the structure causing the floor level to deflect downwards and the ceiling height on the floor below to decrease. Assuming the critical building services are attached to underside of the soffits, if the soffits moves, the service moves. The service is very likely to pass through walls beneath the designed deflection area. This movement type has the potential to apply undesired stress to services and any constructed fire seal around the service.
Nullifire’s Research team, alongside Warrington Fire, developed The “Movement test” – the ability to test replicative movement within a lab setting and under laboratory conditions. This enabled the practical testing of full wall movement prior to subjecting the same wall to the required EN fire testing conditions.
This “first of its kind” test was designed to move the wall up and down to replicate ceiling deflection and evidence how we had removed any pressure from being applied to the reinstated compartment seals and service penetrations included.
Nullifires latest product FZ400, using patented GXT Technology, was compress fitted around the 3 sides of the seal. The open cell foam in FZ400 accommodates any potential movement providing the necessary continual relief of fatigue on fire stopping seals.
After cyclical testing - moving the wall 50 times by 30mm over a 4 hour period. FZ400 compressed to accommodate movement, protecting the integrity of the service penetration keeping the fire seal and compartmentation intact. The rig was then placed into a furnace and fire tested.
The result - FZ400 when tested to EN-1366-3/4 achieved up to 2 hours fire rating.
