Using Pipe Collars to Protect Your Building from Fire

Health and safety is one of the most important aspects of governmental legislation.  And, the UK government takes this job very seriously.  Their dedication to developing the laws that promote the health and safety of their people follows through into almost every corner of everyday life.  It applies to the rules that must be obeyed within offices.  It applies to the manufacturing methods that can be used to make the products that we use within our homes.  And, it applies, very definitely, to the ways that buildings can be constructed. 

One of the most important aspects of health and safety building legislation is fire prevention.  There are a number of different ways that this legislation applies within this area, and all are equally important.

What Is Fire Safety Legislation?

In the United Kingdom, building laws and regulations are compiled into a group of legislation known loosely as the UK building codes.  There are a number of different codes involved in this legislation, and each one is assigned a letter.  Everything that must be regulated when it comes to building in the UK is contained within these codes.  That includes thermal insulation regulation, ground preparation and any other area that must be regulated when it comes to construction. 

Fire safety, insomuch as it applies to construction, is compiled into Part B of the UK building codes.  It is important to note that a lot more goes into the Part B of the building codes than simply the construction materials that can be used in the building.  It also relates to the way a building must perform when it comes to the safe evacuation of humans from a building in the case of a fire.  That means that there must be fire escapes and other measures in place within a building that will assist with this evacuation. 

Containing Fires within Compartments

One of the biggest areas that Part B of the building legislation deals with is the containment of fire within compartments in order to ensure that it does not engulf the entire building – and to allow for the evacuation of people from the building. 

It is important to note that a compartment can mean just about any space within a building – or even the entire structure itself if the entire building is one large open space.  It can also be something as small as a janitorial cupboard.  As long as it is a contained space, it is a compartment according to the definitions of the building codes. 

In principle, it should be fairly easy to contain fires within compartments; after all, these are areas that can be sealed off according to definition.  However, it is rarely as simple as it seems that it should be.  There are many reasons for that, including the windows that open to refresh that all important oxygen supply that all fires need to grow and spread.  More importantly, there are wires and pipes that move between compartments within a building.  These are, usually, essential services, and it would be simply inefficient for them not to be shared between all the different rooms within a building.  As such, extra measures must be taken in order for the spread of fire between compartments. 

Introducing Pipe Sleeves and Pipe Collars

Working with the understanding that pipes must pass through walls to different compartments, action steps must be taken to prevent the spread of fire through these apertures.  Of course, these pipes can be wrapped with insulation.  These are, usually, known as pipe wraps or pipe sleeves.  These items are insulation that is wrapped around the pipes before they pass through the aperture in the wall.  Often, these pipe sleeves are intumescent, which means that they expand when subjected to high levels of heat.  This process closes off the pipe which means that compartments are sealed. 

However, the application of these insulated pipes through and insulated wall still leaves an opening, or a gap.  Additionally, not all insulated sleeves are intumescent, so pipe collars are used.  These are fitted over the insulated pipes and then affixed to the wall around the aperture through which the pipes are fed.  Together, pipe sleeves (or pipe wraps) work with pipe collars to ensure that compartments are sealed off from one another.  This is vitally important in the event of a fire as the spread of fire stands in the middle of the safe evacuation of people from the building. 

Ultra Universal Pipe Sleeves

Fitting and installing pipes with a combination of pipe wraps and pipe collars is an easy enough process, especially for experienced technical insulation specialists.  However, there are new products available on the market that do the same job as this combination.  The Ultra Universal Pipe Wrap and Ultra Universal Pipe Sleeves are intumescent and designed to expand to 30 times the initial size of the product in the event of a fire.  And this is crucial because it means that pipe collars affixed to either side of the wall are redundant. 

These products work in roughly the same way – and are applied easily.  They wrap around the pipes in the same manner as traditional pipe sleeves.  Then tape is applied to keep these products in place.  After pipes fitted with Ultra Universal Pipe Wraps are inserted through the aperture in the wall, they are held in place through the use of a sealant, or glue.  It is as simple as that.

However, it is worth keeping in mind that even though the application of pipe sleeves, pipe collars or the latest Ultra Universal Pipe Wrap is fairly simple, it cannot be done by just anyone.  That is because there are so many rules, regulations and legislation surrounding fire safety measures in construction.  A registered government official must certify each step of the process.  If it has not been done correctly or there are any gaps in fire safety, then the job will need to be redone.  And that is something that no one is interested in doing – just as no one is interested in the loss or detriment to human life. 

For further information on pipe wraps and pipe sleeves, please follow the link below:

http://www.sigtechnicalinsulation.co.uk/show_prod.asp?ProdID=3046&CatID=22&SubCatID=212&isSearch=1&MySearch=universal%20pipe%20wrap&i=0&n=0&v=10

What Exactly Are Fire Collars and Pipe Collars?

There are so many dangers in the world today.  Some of them are manmade; some of them we have inherited from Mother Nature herself.  Fire is one of the few dangers that transcends the boundaries between the two very separate realms.  And it can be scary indeed.  And, as our towns become more populated, it becomes even more life threatening.  That’s why it must be taken so seriously.   And, that is exactly the reason behind all kinds of fire prevention and containment accessories.  This, of course, includes everything from walls to fire collars and pipe collars.  And, whether you are constructing a new building or renovating an old one, you’ll need to know all about fire collars and pipe collars before you begin your project.

The Basics of Fire Protection

There are a few different components to fire protection in the modern world.  Although the different aspects are linked, they are considered independently of each other to begin with.  The first component is obviously prevention, as this is the best case no matter what the situation.  However, no matter how much prevention is undertaken, there is still always a risk of fire.  In the event that a fire does break out, then the next component becomes important. 

This second component deals with the containment of a fire within a compartment.  This is essentially the prevention of the movement of fire between different rooms or areas within a structure.  Although this sounds quite simple, it is a rather technical process to insulate against the transfer of fire between compartments.   But, once a fire has been safely contained, there is a third factor to consider.  That’s the safe and timely evacuation of people from building that is experiencing a fire.  And this is the crux of the matter as everything leading up to this step is the foundation on which human safety is derived.

The Legalities of Fire Safety

In the UK, there is a set of building codes that regulate all new builds and material change of purpose conversions.  In some cases, these codes also apply to existing structures.  That is the case when it comes to fire safety.  These regulations are each assigned a letter and updated as new and safer methods, and materials are developed.  Fire safety regulations fall under Part B of these building codes.

Part B covers everything from prevention in terms of the materials that can be used in the construction of a building and the containment of fires within individual compartments to the safe evacuation of occupants in the event of a fire.  All three parts are treated as equally important in the quest for health and safety.  As such, each component requires specific materials and procedures – and certification throughout every step of the building and occupation process.

Structural Fire Protection

Given the type of structure, fire prevention is often less concerned with the materials used in construction and more to do with safety standards once occupied.  That includes things like the safe use of gas and electricity as well as the maintenance and supervision intentional fires.  However, the materials used in buildings plays a great part in the containment of a fire should one ever break out. 

To begin with walls, floors and ceilings must be considered.  These are obviously the largest structures in any building, not to mention the ones that offer the greatest deterrents when it comes to containing the spread of fire between compartments.   Fortunately, protecting these structures is usually fairly straightforward.  They can either be made of fire resistant materials, or they can be coated with additional protection once they are constructed.  Provided it is done correctly, either of these can and will be effective. 

However, it must be noted that there are very few compartments that do not share service provisions with other, neighbouring compartments.  This is usually the case with water and electrical connections.  Unfortunately, when these services pass through the walls between compartments, they negate the fire safety measures already in effect.  And, in these instances, additional safety precautions must be taken in order to contain fires within the compartment where they erupt. 

Pipe Collars and Fire Collars

When services and pipes pass through walls, something additional needs to be done in order to prevent the passage of fire between compartments.  This has traditionally been done through the use of pipe collars and fire collars.  These handy fire protection accessories are used to maintain the high level of protection between compartments.  As a pipe passes through an aperture in a protected wall, fire collars are applied on either side of the wall.  These collars hold the pipes in place and are designed to work with other pipe insulation to contract in the event of a fire.  In other words, these collars shrink to cut off the pipes that connect compartments.  This effectively cuts a fire’s ability to move between passages.

In addition to pipe collars and fire collars, there is a new product on the market called Ultra Universal Pipe Wrap.  This product offers the same protection as two pipe collars.  However, instead of requiring the use of additional insulation and collars, Ultra Universal Pipe Wrap simply enfolds itself around the pipes crossing through chambers.  Pipe wrap is held in place with tape and then passed through the wall.  Instead of requiring a pipe collar, Ultra Universal Pipe Wrap is simply held in place with an adhesive.  Fortunately, this product is not only easy to install, it is also remarkably effective.  It expands to times the size its normal thickness, burning to a char and thus cutting off the ability of fire to pass between walls. 

Of course, the installation of these items requires professional attention.  Because fire safety is taken so seriously (as it should be), installation is only the beginning.  Certification is required after fire protection has been implemented in a structure.  Without this, a building is deemed unfit to occupation, and violations are treated extremely seriously.  That’s good news in a world that’s so inherently filled with danger.

For more information about fire collars and pipe collars please visit the Technical Insulation website - http://www.sigtechnicalinsulation.co.uk/ultimate-guide.asp

What You Need to Know about Fire Collars and Pipe Sleeves

Whether you are constructing a new single family home, a multi-family block of units or a commercial structure, you have got to be concerned about fire safety.  Structure fires are relatively uncommon in the UK, but that is due to strict legislation and diligent fire safety audits rather than a simple lack of fires.  And, that means that any builder, developer or landowner needs to understand and comply with the current regulations.  It is simply necessary when it comes to the health and safety of human life.

Fire Safety Legislation

Buildings in the UK are regulated by an ever updated list of building codes.  Each area of the build is covered with a separate code which is assigned a letter.  Fire safety laws fall under Part B of the building code legislation.  This relates to both the safe evacuation of people from a building in the event of fire and the containment of fire into individual compartments.  This not only enables evacuation but also allows the fire brigade to extinguish is as quickly as possible. 

Part B of the UK building codes is necessarily strict.  It dictates both the materials that can and should be used and the tests that must be passed before a building can be certified.  Without the certification from a fire safety inspector, a public building can be closed without notice and owners may even be liable for fines.  Because it is such a tightly regulated area of construction, fire protection and insulation is not usually a job for DIY teams.  Of course, that’s not to say that it isn’t possible, especially given the latest fire protection products, but as certification is required, it is always best to consult the professionals rather than having to redo the job. 

Insulating Walls and Floors

Insulation deals with the containment side of Part B in the building regulations.  And, in principle, insulating individual compartments within a building is relatively easy.  Solid insulation applied to walls and floors maintains a high level of fire and smoke stopping properties.  And, this is even easier when it applies to brick or concrete structures, as opposed to timber framework.  With technological advances in materials and fire safety in general, it is relatively easy to create a firewall that can withstand extreme temperatures without crumbling under pressure.  However, not all walls and floors are solid.  There are plenty of gaps and holes that construction teams and fire safety specialists must cover adequately to provide the type of protection that saves lives. 

Typically, the cavities created through walls and floors are filled by pipework that channel water, gas and electricity through a building – and connecting one building to others nearby.  While this ensures efficient service delivery to residents and businesses, it can also compromise the level of fire protection in these areas.  As a result, additional fire safety measures must be undertaken wherever compartments are joined to one another.  This means insulating pipes in such a way that, should a fire break out, fire and smoke cannot travel to another compartment via these pipes. 

Without this step, containment becomes compromised, rendering the entire building unsafe.  And, although pipes can be re-routed, fire safety products now make it easy to install high levels of protection without spending a fortune. 

Working with Pipe Collars

For many years, builders worked around the problem of compromised fire safety through the use of pipe collars.  These are attachments that must be fitted over individual pipes, or a collection of pipes fit through a single larger pipes.  Because fire can strike in any compartment, at any time, collars were required on both sides of the wall or floor.  The main (and indeed only) exception to this are pipes that travel through the bottom layer of solid concrete which has been poured directly over the ground.  In this instance, pipe collars are only required on the above ground side. 

When a building employees pipe collar, they are protected in the event of a fire breaking out in a compartment or group of compartments.  Once triggered by heat or flame, pipe collars expand, forcing a closure in the pipe and effectively blocking the spread of fire (provided the wall or floor has been adequately treated.  But, while pipe collars were the prime choice in fire safety for many years, new technology has rendered this item superfluous. 

The New Ultra Universal Pipe Sleeve

Where pipe collars previously needed to be applied on both sides of the wall, often requiring the cut back of other insulation, a new product which can be applied during building has made this task easier – and more cost effective.  Ultra Universal Pipe Sleeve is a superior product that offers protection to plastic and metal pipes up to 168mm in diameter.  And, it does not require the cut back of other insulation.

Ultra Universal Pipe Sleeve is sold in sheets that are made to be easy to tear. Builders must simply tear a piece that covers the complete diameter of the pipe, and that is at least as long as the aperture through the wall.  This is then wrapped over a pipe.  Overhang in a wrap is fine as long as it still fits through the wall.  However, even 1mm too short could create problems.  Insulation is held in place with special tape and then fitted through a fireproofed wall (or floor).  As long as the pipe sleeve covers enough of the pipe on both sides of the wall to apply a sealant, the job is very nearly done.  All that remains is to use a fire sealant.

In the event of a fire, Ultra Universal Pipe Sleeves will expand up to 30 times its standard thickness to force the closure of the pipe.  This process creates a solid char rendering it rather impossible for fire to pass through a protected wall.  With the containment side of the Part B building regulations adhered to, builders can move on to the other part of the equation – evacuation.  Fortunately, that too is becoming easier as more knowledge is gained, and fires take longer to spread (if they can do so at all). 

For more information about Universal Pipe Sleeves then please visit the SIG Technical Insulation website -
http://www.siginsulation.co.uk/show_prod.asp?ProdID=3046&CatID=22&SubCatID=43