Smoke Seal Test

[lynxlooo]

Anyone familar with the smoke seal test. Its application and statutory requirement on what kind of premises?
Any exemption or equal requirement with British Standard.

Many thanks.

[kurnal]

Hi Lynxlooo
Which smoke seal test is this?
Bit puzzled by your question. Please give a bit more info so we can try to help you

[lynxlooo]

Hi! Kurnal,
Firstly, I would thank for your reply.

Actully, I am not quite understand the statement below and its implication;

Fire Rate Doors : Tested to ratings indicated on drawings in accordance with International Building Code….” And the smoke- and draft –control tested according to UL1784, required under IBC Section 715.3, esp. Section 715.3.3 for door along corridors.

As I understand that normally that for fire rated timbe door only required to fullfill the ” Test Pressure – Test according to UL 10C……”.    Neither UL 1784 nor IBC as the particular requirements on fire doors are clearly mentioned.      

2)     From Section 08210 – Flush Wood Doors and Section 08211-Flush Wood Door, IBC is mentioned only under the subheading of 1.03 References.   I assume that IBC is only a reference material for the particular requirement stated on the later parts, but not an absolute standard.

By the way, could you tell me UL 1784 or IBC will do anything about it, I mean requirement in particular, in common practice.

Thanks,

Lynxlooo

[kurnal]

the UL standards are North American Underwriters Laboratories tests. I dont have access to those standards and am not familiar the standards applied in the US, though there will surely be somone on this forum who is.

Generally athe manufacturer of a  fire door will submit prototypes to an accredited test establishment to undergo testing to British or European standards (in the UK BS476 part 22 for doors). The door assembly will be fitted to a test furnace and subject to heat from gas burners. The pressure in the furnace will be raised slightly- higher at the top of the furnace, lower pressure at the base, this is intended to simulate the pressure gradient that occurs in a real fire. If the prototypes pass the test then the manufacturer may sell the doors of that design with a test certificate. The installer has to fit the door exactly in accordance with the manufacturers instructions- but no further tests have to be carried out.

The enforcement agencies will just want to see a copy of the test certificate and will make a judgement based on the workmanship of the installation.

[Fishy]

Lynxlooo... simple question - in which country are the doors going to be installed?

[lynxlooo]

Kurnal
As you mentioned I know the BS 476 mostly covered all about fire issues for those countries and places using British Standard. Many thanks.

Fishy,

This issue is raised out by some kind of architect without North American experience.  Anyway, this project is in Macau with US client who using IBC as  standard.  Those IBC and UL have some gray area that require smoke seal test on public corridor for hotel guest floor.

[kurnal]

Lynxloo
Have you tried asking your question on the forums at www.naffainc.com?

Good luck- and if you find the answer I would be interested to hear about these smoke tests. In the UK hot smoke tests are sometimes a last last resort to prove engineered smoke control solutions where the enforcement agencies are not convinced by the engineering calculations.