12/12/2023

Efectis was recently asked by De Meeuw Oirschot B.V. to make a test set-up of an actual situation where smoke control membranes are combined with a fire damper. The smoke control membranes are located in the horizontal tubes on the bottom and top. The fire damper is located in the vertical tube. The horizontal tubes have a diameter of 160 mm and the vertical tube has a diameter of 250 mm.

In the Netherlands the NEN 6075 is mandatory. The standard is a methodology for determining the resistance to smoke passage between spaces in buildings. Since little is known about how smoke might develop in this configuration, De Meeuw asked for it to be tested.

Efectis used various parts of the test standards EN 1634 3:2004 + C1:2007 – Smoke resistance of fire doors and shutters, EN 1366 2:2015 – Fire resistance of fire dampers and the NEN 6075: 2020 – Determination of resistance to smoke passage between spaces to enable the test. The NEN 6075 refers to the EN 1634 3:2004 + C1:2007 as an alternative method for determining smoke penetration for all configurations. A test performed on this basis is considered a request for equivalence and has to be approved by the authorities.

Various scenarios that could occur during an incipient fire were applied. Testing was done at ambient temperature, intermediate temperature (70°C) and medium temperature (200°C). The intermediate temperature was at the special request of De Meeuw Oirschot B.V. It was also tested with pressure differentials of 25, 50, 100, 200 and 300 Pa. The test duration for each pressure differential was 180 seconds.

To test the system to its limits, pressure differentials of 400 and 500 Pa were applied at medium temperature. For 500 Pa, the test duration was expanded to 480 seconds.

The test results were very positive as there was hardly any leakage on the smoke control membranes. Throughout the test, the temperature in the vertical tube remained low enough that the fusible link in the fire damper was not activated. The activation temperature of the fusible link was 72°C. All in all, a very successful test for De Meeuw Oirschot B.V.

Efectis NL is the only accredited test laboratory in the Netherlands that can build such a test setup and perform the test.

For more information, please contact Michiel Klijn