Fire Stopping

Fire stopping is best defined as the sealing of gaps and openings (often with services passing through) to prevent fire and smoke passing from one building compartment to another. The degree of spread is controlled by creating fire-resisting compartments which subdivide the building. This may be vertically or horizontally.

However, a major threat from fire in most building structures occur where concealed cavities between fire separating walls and floors are interlinked. It is therefore essential that all openings and gaps are fire-stopped to restrict lateral and vertical fire spread and to achieve the required degree of containment. Failure to do so may cause fire to spread uninterrupted in cavities and penetrations in a building.

Services by necessity, breach compartment walls and floors allowing failure to occur where gaps around services have not been adequately fire-stopped. Fire-stopping products must be able to provide sufficient insulation to the penetrating services, in order to reduce the temperature rise.