Assessing the fire performance of a steel roller shutter door

[kurnal]

I am trying to find information on an old historic all steel roller shutter door manufactured by Holt donkeys years ago. The company has ceased trading and there seems to be nothing of their history on google.

I need to determine the salient points of a fire rated shutter to compare with what is already in situ. The old door is all steel, no plastics or alloy in the construction  and in good working order. Housings in the frame are 50mm deep steel channel securely bolted to the steel frame.

This is a landlord tenant issue in which the landlord is trying to impose on their tenant (who is subject to a full maintain and repair clause) that for insurance purposes they need a 2 hour integrity performance as recommended by the Landlords building insurer, (insulation is not a concern)  whereas for life safety  (and Building Regs) fire compartmentation is fine without the shutter. It would be a shame to take out a  perfectly good shutter in perfect working order for no good reason at all other than it lacked a fire rating certificate.

Any tips please?

[Phoenix]

It is reasonable to assume that when this roller shutter was installed it met the required fire safety standard at the time.  Further, it is reasonable to assume that if it has been maintained and is in good condition that it will still perform as it would have done when first installed.

If it does happen to possess two hour FR integrity then there is no problem. 

If it does not possess two hour FR integrity then taking it out and installing a new two hour shutter would be an improvement.  A maintenance/repair clause in the lease cannot require an improvement.

I cannot see how a landlord can logically impose this requirement on the tenant under such a clause.

Unless the shutter is rusty and deteriorated, in which case the requirement might be fair.

Stu

[kurnal]

Thanks Phoenix
I have modified my post a little to remove the implication that it may once have had a fire rating certificate- there is no reason for the shutter to have had a fire rating at the time of installation. But it looks similar to others that are fire rated and I was hoping for tips on any key differences to look for as the manufacturer no longer exists.

The landlord is in a position of strength as my client wishes to make some changes to the use of the building externally in the vicinity of the shutter and the Landlord will not allow it unless the shutter is uprated to a 2 hour standard. The changes are not significant from a life safety or Building Regs perspective.

[John Webb]

If the shutter is fire-resistant, it would have presumeably been tested by or on behalf of FOC, FIRTO, LPCB or who ever it was at the time the shutter was made. It might be worth contacting LPCB, now at BRE Ltd., of course, to see if they hold any records?

[wee brian]

Worth noting that FR shutters have lots of clever details to allow for thermal expansion. A non FR shutter may look pretty robust but would probably buckle if exposed to high temperatures.

[Golden]

Kurnal have you seen this guidance issued by the Door and Shutter Manufacturers’ Association? Not sure how much it will help but I came across it yesterday while looking for some other stuff.

http://www.dhfonline.org.uk/downloads/pub42.pdf

John.

[kurnal]

Many thanks to all who replied. Some very good advice given and useful pointers.