GB2149867A

GB2149867A - Insulated pipe support

Info

Publication number: GB2149867A
Application number: GB8330757A
Authority: GB
Inventors: George Alfred Forbes
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-11-18
Filing date: 1983-11-18
Publication date: 1985-06-19
Also published as: GB8330757D0

Abstract

Support for a plurality of pipes and/or ducts (16) extending through an aperture (11) in a fire rated wall, is provided by a fire retardant panel, which is perforated to receive the pipes and/or ducts and is contained in a frame (13) fitted at at least one end of the wall aperture (11) to inhibit the spread of fire through the aperture. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Insulated pipe supports This invention relates to supports for pipes and/or ducts requiring thermal and/or sound insulation and more particularly to supports for such pipes and ducts in building structures at positions where they pass through boundary walls, ceilings, and floors of compartments of such structures.

In my British Patent No. 1,597,128 there is described insulated supports for a pipe or ducting extending through a fire-rated wall member. Such unit can afford a measure of retardation to the spread of fire through the aperture in the wall through which the pipe or ducting extends.

The present invention provides fire retardant means for supporting a plurality of pipes and/or ducts extending through the same aperture in a structural partitioning member of a building, said fire retardant means comprising a frame for location in an end portion of said aperture and a panel of fire retardant material located within the frame, the panel having a plurality of perforations through which said plurality of pipes and/or ducts extend respectively, the arrangement being such that the encapsulating panel inhibits the spread of fire through the aperture.

Preferably said frame has an outwardly directed flange around its periphery for abutting regions of said structural partitioning member irregularly surrounding said aperture therein to allow a hermetical seal to be formed between the flange and the partitioning member around the aperture using a mastic material.

In this way toxic smoke, flame and/or air of high relative humidity can be effectively prevented from penetrating into the aperture.

The panel may comprise load bearing material to support the weight of pipes and/or ducts extending therethrough. The load bearing material may be in addition to the fire retardant material but alternatively the panel may be made of a material which has load bearing and fire retardant properties.

Preferably the load bearing material is also a heat and/or sound insulating material, e.g.

calcium silicate, exfoliated vermiculite or suitable foamed silicaceous material.

It is desirable that said load bearing material is capable in use of isolating the pipes and/or ducts from the surrounding building structure so as to prevent noise being absorbed by the structure thereby to reduce noise levels in the building. It is also desirable that such material is capable in use of isolating and thermally insulating the pipes and/or ducts when carrying heated or refrigerated fluids in order to minimise heat losses therefrom or the formation of frost thereon. It is also preferred that said fire retardant material has a fire rating of at least 1 hour, and most preferably at least 4 hours, fire retardancy when tested to the relevant part of British Standard BSS 476.

The panel is preferably bonded, or otherwise firmly located, within the frame to form an integrated structure therewith.

The invention further provides an assembly comprising a plurality of pipes and/or ducts extending through an aperture in a partitioning member of a building structure and a pair of fire retardant means as aforesaid inserted in opposite ends of the aperture to support said pipes and/or ducts therein, with the frames of the fire retardant means being spaced apart in the aperture to inhibit conduction of heat through the aperture through the frames.

Heat insulating material may be provided in the space defined within the aperture between said pair of fire retardant means.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:~ Figure 1 is a front view of a fire retardant support in accordance with the invention; and, Figure 2 is a side view of a pair of such supports located in a wall aperture to support a plurality of pipes therein.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a pair of supports 10 located in an aperture 11 in a wall 12 of a building structure. The wall 12 may be made, of a material, e.g. brick or concrete, and having a thickness, which provides a fire rating of, for example, 4 hours fire retardancy when tested to the relevant part of British Standard BSS 476.

Each support comprises a metal frame 13 which in this embodiment is generally oblong.

The frame has an outwardly extending, peripheral end flange 14 abutting respective opposite sides of the wall 10. In this way the frames 13 can be hermetically sealed with respect to the wall 10 by providing mastic between the flanges 14 and the opposed surfaces of the wall 10. This provides an effective and durable barrier to stop toxic smoke, flame and/or air of high relative humidity (which could cause condensation) penetrating the wall aperture. Normally the imperfections between the pipe supports and the wall of the aperture through which they extend, are covered by backfilling material 9, e.g. cement-said, which tends to crack and break up when it gets hot thereby destroying the seal provided by this material. This is overcome by the present construction allowing a mastic sealing layer to be provided between the flanges of the frames and the wall.The flanges also provide a convenient surface for services, identification of the facilities passing through the aperture, e.g. by suitably coloured plastic strips, and/or wording in accordance with British Standard BSS 1710.

A panel 15 of fire retardant material is provided within each frame and is bonded thereto to form an integrated structure. Each panel 1 3 has a plurality, in this use three, of apertures 17 therethrough to receive a plurality of corresponding pipes 16 and/or ducts.

Each panel is made of a material which has load bearing and sound insulating properties, e.g. calcium silicate exfoliated vermiculite or foamed silicaceous materials, and of sufficient thickness to support the weight of the pipes 16. Alternatively the panel could be composite layers of fire-retardant material, e.g. heavy density mineral or glass fibrous materials, and load bearing material, preferably having heat and sound insulating properties. In such an arrangement the fire-retardant layer should be located nearest to the adjacent end of the wall aperture 11. The panel could be located within its frame by means other than bonding, e.g. in peripheral recesses formed in the frame.

A space is formed within the wall aperture 11 between the frames 13. This space may be filled with a loosely packed fibre glass or other suitable heat insulating material to assist in reducing conduction of heat between the metal frames.

Claims

1. Fire retardant means for supporting a plurality of pipes and/or ducts extending through the same aperture in a partitioning member of a building, said fire retardant means comprising a frame for location in an end portion of said aperture and a panel of fire retardant material located within the frame, the panel having a plurality of perforations through which said plurality of pipes and/or ducts extend respectively, in use, the arrangement being such that the encapsulating panel inhibits the spread of fire through the aperture.

2. Fire retardant means as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said frame has an outwardly directed flange of adequate depth/width around its periphery for abutting and protecting regions of said partitioning member irregularly surrounding said aperture therein to allow a hermetical seal to be formed between the flange and the partitioning member around the aperture using a mastic material so as to protect any infill material necessary between the framed panel and the irregular aperture to maintain the integrity of the fire delay characteristic (to BSS 476: Part 8) assigned to the partitioning member.

3. Fire retardant means as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the panel comprises load bearing material to support the weight of pipes and/or ducts extending therethrough.

4. Fire retardant means as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the load bearing material is in addition to the fire retardant material.

5. Fire retardant means as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the panel is made of a material which has load bearing and fire retardant properties.

6. Fire retardant means as claimed in any of Claims 3 to 5 wherein the load bearing material is a neat and/or sound insulating material.

7. Fire retardant means as claimed in any preceding Claim wherein said fire retardant material has a fire rating of at least 1 hour fire retardancy when tested to the relevant part of British Standard BSS 476.

8. Fire retardant means as claimed in Claim 7 wherein said fire retardant material has a fire rating of at least 4 hours fire retardancy.

9. Fire retardant means as claimed in any preceding Claim wherein the panel is bonded, or otherwise firmly located, within the frame to form an integrated structure therewith.

10. Fire retardant means as claimed in any preceding Claim when located in an aperture in a partitioning member of a building structure with a plurality of pipes and/or ducts extending through the correspondingly spaced holes in the panel, respectively, such that the encapsulating panel inhibits the spread of fire through the aperture.

11. An assembly comprising a plurality of pipes and/or ducts extending through an aperture in a partitioning member of a building structure and a pair of fire retardant means as claimed in any preceding Claim inserted in opposite ends of the aperture to support said pipes and/or ducts therein, with the frames of the fire retardant means being spaced apart in the aperture to inhibit conduction of heat through the aperture through the frames.

12. An assembly as claimed in Claim 11 wherein heat insulating material is provided in the space defined within the aperture between said pair of fire retardant means.

13. Fire retardant means substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.