A month-long contract to upgrade the fire protection to a residential building in a popular suburb South-east of Birmingham has been undertaken using the FIREFLY® FB180 ablative batts, together with other products from the manufacturer’s range, to provide a fully tested system solution.
As a specialist in the field of passive fire protection systems serving customers across multiple sectors – carrying FIRAS as well as IFC certification – Coventry based KRASI Fire Protection was appointed to carry out all the upgrades within the roof-space to the late 20th century residential development. As well as undertaking the design work, KRASI installed a temporary walkway within the roof zone and began erecting studwork partitions to either side of the central access corridor, creating a framework into which the FIREFLY® FB180 batts could be built. This construction was then treated on both sides with more of the ablative coating, while the manufacturer’s very versatile Penowrap was used to protect service penetrations.
The Contracts Manager for KRASI, Daniel Oldacre commented: “We were awarded the project by the property company which owns the development and decided to install the FB180 fire batt system to achieve the specified fire rating in terms of both integrity and insulation (up to 90 minutes integrity and up to 60 minutes insulation). The total installed area was in excess of 200 m2 incorporating the cavity closer at the head to achieve full compliance. Meanwhile, access through the barriers for any future work in the compartments has been facilitated by installing a total of eight FR120 access hatches which form part of an integrated, fully tested system. Everything has gone smoothly and the Technical Manager for FIREFLY®, Chris Boam, visited site to inspect the work and confirm that everything had been carried out in accordance with the standard details.”
Chris Boam, Technical Manager at FIREFLY® commented: “Having visited the site during the works, I was impressed with the quality of the installation completed by KRASI. The batt walls have been installed to a very high standard and it was clear that attention had been paid to ensuring the details followed FIREFLY® guidance throughout. Having worked with Daniel and the KRASI team on a number of projects, their focus on compliance and getting the details right is always evident. The inclusion of the FR120 access hatches means future access can be achieved without compromising the compartmentation, while the overall finish demonstrates the high standards of workmanship KRASI.
The 1200 x 600mm batt sheets are 60 mm thick and feature the specially formulated ablative coating on both sides of the layered, non-combustible mineral fibre which has a density of 180 kg/m3. The product is tested in accordance with BS EN 1363-1 2022 and BS EN 1364-2 while offering 90 minutes integrity and one hour’s insulation.
Also available for floor and raised computer access floor applications, FIREFLY® FB 180 Batts further deliver a sound reduction up to 32dB when installed within floor and ceiling voids. Full details on the product certification and installation guidance can be accessed by contacting the FIREFLY® support team or downloading the technical documents from the website.
Images shown are taken during installation and some sections of the installation might be incomplete.
