GB2261892A

GB2261892A - Fire seal for building joints

Info

Publication number: GB2261892A
Application number: GB9221605A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Melvyn Charles Haywood
Original assignee: Simpkin Machin & Co Limit
Current assignee: Simpkin Machin & Co Limit
Priority date: 1991-11-29
Filing date: 1992-10-15
Publication date: 1993-06-02
Also published as: GB9221605D0; GB9125399D0

Abstract

A fire seal (1) for use at a joint (6) between constructional elements (7, 8) e.g. of a high rise building comprises a strip (2) of flexible, fire resistant material that is capable of being folded or bent to a longitudinally extending "L"-section, and adapted, in use, to be secured either vertically or horizontally at the inside of an orthogonal joint (6) between two constructional elements (7, 8, 13, 14) such as a floor/ceiling, wall, partition etc. The seal may comprise three layers of woven glass cloth, and the outermost layer (4) may have a silicone coating. The internal layer (5) is aluminized, and the layer (3) is of impregnated material. The layers of glass cloth can be spaced apart by layers of mineral wool. <IMAGE>

Description

FIRE SEAL This invention relates to a fire seal, for use at an orthogonal joint between constructional elements, e.g. of prefabricated concrete, partitions etc., particularly though not exclusively, for use in dwellings, high rise buildings, etc.

A requirement in the construction and/or refurbishment of high rise buildings etc., is the provision of a long term, effective joint seal, primarily for the prevention of the spread of fire from a lower level to an upper level via unintended gaps at poor horizontal joints (between horizontal floor/ceiling slabs and vertical wall slabs) and vertical joints (between two adjacent wall slabs and/or partitions3, and to a lesser extent the prevention of smoke, of odours such as cooking odours, and of noise perculating through the gaps present at such poor joints. In the past, insert boards have been provided primarily for fire resistance.Whilst such boards, provided they are satisfactorily and accurately fitted, initially provide an acceptable fire seal, the subsequent settlement of buildings, relatively large movements at the upper floors of tower blocks, differential thermal expansion and contraction, vibrations etc. result, in time, in fracture or splitting of the boards and/or the development of non-sealed gaps, which problems are not discernable as the boards are masked for aesthetic reasons, while the use of intumescents and mastics have not provided a satisfactory solution for various reasons.

A basic object of the present invention is to provide a fire etc., seal that is not adversely effected by differential movements, vibrations etc., after installation, and which consequently maintains its long term integrity.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fire seal for use at a joint between constructional elements e.g. of a high rise building comprising a strip of flexible, fire resistant material that is capable of being folded or bent to a longitudinally extending "L"-section, and adapted, in use, to be secured either vertically or horizontally at the inside of an orthogonal joint between two constructional elements such as a floor/ceiling, wall, partition etc., with one limb of the If "L" secured to one element of the joint, and the other limb secured to the other element of the joint.

Preferably, the strip is of a multi-element, laminated construction. The strip is preferably laminated from 2 - 4 separate layers. The layers may be of woven glass textile cloth (E glass fabric), with different layers being of different weave and/or having a different coating, so as to provide different characteristics. Thus, an outermost layer (by which is meant the layer at the inside of a room etc.) may have a silicone coating to provide both flexibility and resistance to smoke penetration. An innermost layer may be of glass fibre matting, impregnated with material to provide required fire resistance characteristics, e.g. resistance up to 1000 C for 1 - 2 hours.

In a first preferred embodiment, an internal layer is also provided, again of woven glass textile, which internal layer is aluminized, so as to act both as a thermal radiation surface and as a further smoke penetration seal. Such an embodiment is particularly suitable for use at the inside of a vertical, orthogonal joint, e.g. between two vertical external and/or internal wall slabs, with securing means, such as screws, passed through a rigid securing strip or batten also of fire resistant material, such as Glasroc (Trade Mark) and also through a peripheral edge of the strip into the constructional elements, e.g. walls, forming the joint. On the constructional elements where the securing strips are to be applied a bonding and bedding compound, e.g. of Gyproc (Trade Mark) is preferably applied.

In a second preferred embodiment, which is particularly suitable for use at the inside of a horizontal orthogonal joint, e.g. between a floor/ceiling slab and a wall, the first preferred embodiment is modified by the interposition between the internal layer and the outermost layer of a filling of inert material, preferably mineral wool.

Conveniently, the inert filling material stops short of the lateral edges of the strip, whereby each lateral edge of the strip, and specifically the innermost and outermost layers, may define a square "C'-shaped channel to receive, for example, a rigid securing strip or batten of fire resistant material such as Glasroc (Trade Mark), with a securing means, such as screws, passing both through the batten and the edges of the innermost and outermost layers defining parts of the channel and embracing the batten. On the constructional elements where the battens are to be located a bonding and bedding compound, such as Gyproc (Trade Mark) is preferably applied.

Irrespective of whether the strip in accordance with the invention has no inert filling (for vertical use) or has an inert filling (for horizontal use), the various laminating layers making up the strip are conveniently stitched together, at least around their perimeter, and clearly a fire resistant thread is required.

The strip may for instance be of 150 mm - 200 mm width and of any length that can be reasonably stored and manhandled, e.g. 10 mm, with storage conveniently being either in lengths or in roll form, so that the strip can be cut, on site, to the particular length required.

It will be appreciated that the fundamental advantage provided by the strip in accordance with the invention is its ability to flex without damage and consequently to be capable of accommodating building settlement, building movements particularly at the upper floors of tower blocks resulting from wind, vibrations, thermal expansion and contraction, etc., without fracture, thereby maintaining the long term integrity of the fire seal.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an orthogonal joint between constructional elements, such as a horizontal floor or ceiling and a vertical wall, incorporating a fire seal in accordance with the first aspect.

The joint may also incorporate fire resistant strips or battens adapted to secure edges of the strip to the constructional elements forming the joint.

Clearly, to be effective, the seal needs to extend completely around a room for instance, and as the latter would normally have rectangular walls, floor and ceiling, twelve strips in accordance with the first aspect would be required, being four vertical strips at the four vertical corners of the room, four horizontal strips at the four joints between the floor slab and the four walls, and four horizontal strips at the four joints between the ceiling slab and the four walls.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view through a fire seal in accordance with the first embodiment, vertical use; and Figure 2 corresponds to Figure 1 but shows a second embodiment, located horizontally.

In both embodiments like components are accorded like reference numerals.

A fire seal 1 for use at a joint between constructional elements e.g. of a high rise building, comprising a strip 2 of flexible, multi-element, laminated fire resistant material comprising an innermost layer 3, and outermost layer 4 and an internal layer 5, all layers being of woven glass textile cloth (E glass fabric), with different layers being of different weave and/or having a different coating, so as to provide different characteristics. The outermost layer 4 (by which is meant the layer at the inside of a room etc.) has a silicone coating to provide both flexibility and resistance to smoke penetration, while the innermost layer 3 is of glass fibre matting, impregnated with material to provide required fire resistance characteristics, e.g. resistance up to 1000 C for 1 - 2 hours.The internal layer 5 is aluminized, so as to act both as a thermal radiation surface and as a further smoke penetration seal.

Such an embodiment is particularly suitable for use at the inside of a vertical, orthogonal joint 6, e.g. between two vertical external and/or internal wall slabs 7 and 8, as exemplified in Figure 1. In detail, securing means, preferably constituted by screws 9, passes through a rigid securing strip or batten 10 also of fire resistant material, such as Glasroc (Trade Mark) and also through a peripheral edge 11 of the strip into the constructional elements 7 and 8, forming the joint 6. On the constructional elements where the securing strips are to be applied a bonding and bedding compound 12, e.g. of Gyproc (Trade Mark) is preferably applied.

In Figure 2 is illustrated a second preferred embodiment, which is particularly suitable for use at the inside of a horizontal orthogonal joint 6A, e.g. between a floor/ceiling slab 13 and a wall 14. This embodiment of strip 2A is modified by the interposition between the internal layer 5 and the outermost layer 4 of a filling 15 of inert material, preferably mineral wool.Conveniently, the inert filling material stops short of the lateral or peripheral edges 11 of the strip 2A, whereby each lateral edge 11 of the strip 2A, and specifically the innermost and outermost layers 3 and 4, may define a square "G"-shaped channel 16 to receive, for example, a rigid securing strip or batten 10A of fire resistant material such as Glasroc (Trade Mark), with a securing means, such as screws 9A, passing both through the batten 10A and the edges 11 of the innermost and outermost layers 3 and 4 defining parts of the channel and embracing the batten 10A. On the constructional elements 13 and 1 where the battens are to be located again a bonding and bedding compound 12, such as Gyproc (Trade Mark) is preferably applied.

With both embodiments of fire seal, the various laminating layers 3, 4, 5 making up the strip 2, 2A are conveniently stitched together, at least around their perimeter, and clearly a fire resistant thread is required.

The strip 2, 2A is conveniently of 150 mm - 200 mm width and of any length that can be reasonably stored and manhandled, e.g. 10 mm, with storage conveniently being either in lengths or in roll form, so that the strip can be cut, on site, to the particular length required. The flexible nature of the strip 2, 2A provides during installation a capability of being folded or bent to a longitudinally extending "L"section, and adapted, in use, to be secured either vertically as in Figure 1 or horizontally as in Figure 2 at the inside of the orthogonal joints 6, 6A between two contructional elements such as walls, partitions, etc. 7, 8 of Figure 1 or a ceiling/floor slab 13 or a wall 14 of Figure 2, with one limb L1 of the "L" secured to one element of the joint 6, 6A and the other limb L2 secured to the other element of the joint 6, 6A.

Claims

1. A fire seal for use at a joint between constructional elements e.g. of a high rise building, comprising a strip of flexible, fire resistant material that is capable of being folded or bent to a longitudinally extending "L"-section, and adapted, in use, to be secured either vertically or horizontally at the inside of an orthogonal joint between two constructional elements such as a floor/ceiling, wall, partition etc., with one limb of the "L" secured to one element of the joint, and the other limb secured to the other element of the joint.

2. A fire seal as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the strip is of multi-element, laminated contruction.

3. A fire sal as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the strip is laminated from 2 - 4 separate layers.

4. A fire seal as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the layers are woven glass textile cloth (E glass fabric).

5. A fire seal as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein different layers are of different weave and/or having a different coating, so as to provide different characteristics.

6. A fire seal as claimed in Claim 5, wherein an outermost layer (by which is meant the layer at the inside of a room etc.) has a silicone coating to provide both flexibility and resistance to smoke penetration.

7. A fire seal as claimed in Claim 5 or Claim 6, wherein an innermost layer is of glass fibre matting, impregnated with material to provide required fire resistance characteristics, e.g. resistance up to 10000C for 1 - 2 hours.

8. A fire seal as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 7, wherein an internal layer is also provided, which internal layer is aluminized, so as to act both as a thermal radiation surface and as a futher smoke penetration seal.

9. A fire seal as claimed in Claim 8, wherein the internal layer is of woven glass textile.

10. A fire seal as claimed in Claim 8 or 9 wherein, a filling of inert material is interposed between the internal layer and the outermost layer.

11. A fire seal as claimed in Claim 10, wherein the filling is of mineral wool.

12. A fire seal as claimed in Claim 10 or Claim 11, wherein the inert filling material stops short of the lateral edges of the strip.

13. A fire seal as claimed in Claim 12, wherein each lateral edge of the strip, and specifically the innermost and outermost layers, define a square "C"-shaped channel to receive, for example, a rigid securing strip or batten of fire resistant material such as Glasroc (Trade Mark), with a securing means, such as screws, passing both through the batten and the edges of the innermost and outermost layers defining parts of the channel and embracing the batten.

14. A fire seal as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 13, wherein the various laminating layers making up the strip are stitched together, at least around their perimeter, and clearly a fire resistant thread is required.

15. A fire seal as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the strip is of 150 mm - 200 mm width and of any length that can be reasonably stored and manhandled, e.g. 10 mm, with storage conveniently being either in lengths or in roll form, so that the strip can be cut, on site, to the particular length required.

16. A fire seal substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

17. A fire seal substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

18. An orthogonal joint between constructional elements, such as a horizontal floor or ceiling and a vertical wall, incorporating a fire seal in accordance with any preceding claim.

19. h joint as claimed in Claim 18, also incorporating fire resistant strips or battens adapted to secure edges of the strip to the constructional elements forming the joint.

20. A joint substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

21. A joint substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 2.