Performance of non upgraded heritage doors in actual fires

[rn976]

  I am currently helping someone look into the performance of non upgraded historic doors in actual fires where the room sizes, ceiling heights and fire loading is typically different from more usual/modern buildings. The purpose of this research is to provide evidence of actual performance in support of the non-prescriptive, risk assessed approach to the protection of means of escape in heritage buildings whilst minimising the need for the application of intumescent treatments to 'fine' surface finishes and the more invasive methods used to upgrade doors to comply with existing tests relating to fire resistance.
 
I would, therefore, appreciate your help. Do any of you have case studies, photographs, post fire investigation reports or other information relating to actual fire incidents where existing unmodified doors have contributed to the prevention of fire spread in large heritage buildings? If so I would be pleased to receive a copy of any reports or details which would assist with further investigation. 

for ever hopefull

rn976

[kurnal]

Good Luck rn976 but I reckon there would be too many variables and unknowns involved in historic incidents.
I have seen a document published by either the National Trust or English Heritage some time ago with lots of diagrams of different door constructions and a commentary on their likely fire performance. Will dig into the archives and see if I can bring it to light.

[nearlythere]

I'm not clever enough to post a link to it here but I have an English Heritage document on Upgrading of Panel Doors in pdf if that helps.
Might have the other if K can't lay his hands on it.

[Auntie LIn]

There has been quite a lot of work done on heritage doors, but such as there is will be in the possession of the sponsors of the projects - so unless you can wheedle info. out of people like NT and EH you could have a long wait for info. - so don't hold your breath.

[kurnal]

The document I was referring to was published by English Heritage in May 1997, it has no ISBN but carries a product code XH20054.  The research was carried out by IFC and warrington, and fire tests were carried out on many different types of door with and without upgrade.

[rn976]

Dear all
many thanks for info,
 I have accessed this info, and am now hoping to start getting evidence of real examples where doors have been attacked by fire and maintained there function to help in RA process i.e. to show how a three inch thick oak door with only two hinges and a good frame could be effective without the need to add another hinge (it has happened) or would two doors ie. a lobby approach to a room work if we cut down on fire load in the room and allowed for room size.
some of these doors would be for property protection as well as for life safety purposes.

for ever hopefull

rn976

 

[Auntie LIn]

m (if I can call you that) - if you're going to get involved in any big way in this sort of thing, a course in timber identification would be a great help!
If you know a bit about the characteristics of the species of timber the doors are made from there are ways and means of formulating an opinion on how the doors would perform in fire.

[Fishy]

If the data exists, & is accessible, the best source is likely to be English Heritage's 'FReD' database...

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.1108

Bodies such as EH & the HRPA will have routinely considered the issues that you describe (i.e. "is what's there good enough"), so a trawl through that database (& perhaps a 'phone call or two) might be helpful in discovering 'best practice'.

[BLEVE]

Hi first post on this site.

The performance of the door can not be taken in isolation it is impotant to consider the door set as a whole.

In reality the suitability would depend on the heat relaease rate from the materials in the room of origin versus the radiant heat flux anticipated at the door set, the materials of construction and anticipated char rate of the timber taking into account the likely unpiloted ignition temperature?

Regards
Bleve

[BLEVE]

By the way PM me if you need more information