GB2276186A

GB2276186A - Pre fabricated doorsets

Info

Publication number: GB2276186A
Application number: GB9220757A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Terence Michael Clasby
Original assignee: F R Shadbolt & Sons Ltd
Current assignee: F R Shadbolt & Sons Ltd
Priority date: 1992-10-02
Filing date: 1992-10-02
Publication date: 1994-09-21
Also published as: GB9220757D0

Abstract

The same design and thickness pre-fabricated door can be used to achieve different levels of fire resistance dependant upon the materials used. The doorset comprises extruded or pultruded hanging and closing jambs 10 and doorstop 12, PVC door seal 13, frame fixing 14, timber faced door leaf 15 and hinge 16. Suitable extruded and pultruded materials are aluminium and fibre reinforced resin polymer such as acrylic resin with alumina trihydrate. <IMAGE>

Description

PRE FABRICATED DOORSETS This invention relates to pre fabricated doorsets.

For this application pre fabricated doorsets relate to "extruded frame" high performance fire resisting doorsets embraced by a single thickness of doorset element that provides for a suited product range offering significantly different levels of fire and insulation performance options (0-120 minutes fire resistance) whilst retaining identical door frame and door leaf configurations of profile shape, dimension and thickness (i.e.

uniform design) from "extruded" framing components in conjunction with timber faced door leaves.

According to the present invention there is provided doorset framing elements as produced by the extrusion process which in relation to this Patent application includes not only conventional Extrusion (e.g. extruded aluminium) whereby the aluminium billet is pushed through a die but also applies to Pultrusion whereby the fibre reinforced resin polymer is pulled through the die. The Pultrusion process uti-lises a modified acrylic resin with special additives such as Alumina Trihydrate or similar and enables a high performance FRP (Fibre Reinforced Plastic) section to be manufactured, which with other technical aspects combine to provide the inventive features of the product.

Presently available doorset elements are produced in a variety of configurations of constructions, sizes and finishes and are generally fabricated using aluminium, steel or timber materials for the framing members and door leaves in tandem or as mixed permutations of type. Doorset elements are required to meet a variety of fire regulations and performance Standards and currently must satisfy the British Standard BS 476: Part 22: 1987 for fire resistance which requires an element of construction to achieve specific criteria for a given duration of time. As periods of fire resistance performance may vary according to Building Regulation requirements, it is cost prohibitive to market a product conceived to achieve the highest most onerous performance level, to satisfy all performance requirements. Therefore, doorset products are generally designed with ranges of performance levels to suit a variety of performance options and tend to be to the detriment of maintaining a uniform design, dimensional constancy and door leaf thickness and therefore in turn, offer various performance levels, with a wide variety of detailing, profile shape, dimension and appearance.

A prime objective of the proposed invention is to be able to offer a single thickness of door frame and door leaf to achieve a doorset design of identical shape, dimension and thickness with the frame element produced from "extruded" framing profiles (Extruded or Pultruded) offering a constant uniform profile of doorset product embracing all internal doorset applications across the performance band from 0-120 minutes fire resistance to the current UK British Standard test described above. To achieve the desired fire Integrity and Insulation performance requirements to British Standard BS 476: Part 22: 1987 in a uniform (i.e. identical) frame and door leaf profile is a technically demanding task and one that has not been solved by competitor companies to the best of the applicant's knowledge.

Whilst half hour and one hour fire resistant performance categories cover by far the majority of fire requirements for doorset elements currently required in the UK, many doorsets are not required to offer fire resistance at all and some may demand levels beyond one hour and up to two hours fire resistance, and therefore, we wish our invention to apply to our doorset design ranging from 0-120 minutes fire resistance.

The drawings enclosed (sheets 1 of 4, 2 of 4 & 4 of 4) clearly illustrate the inventive technical design solution of suiting one uniform design with every wall type currently used in the construction industry enabling all performance levels from 0-120 minutes fire resistance to be achieved in conjunction with one thickness of wall type (nominally 100mm thick).

FRP material used as a door frame component enables high levels of fire resistance to be achieved without the disadvantages associated with using steel, aluminium or timber at the higher levels of fire resistance. In tests, the FRP material when used in conjunction with our door constructions has achieved levels of performance far in excess of that possible when using steel, aluminium or timber. It is considered possible that a similar profile of material produced from extruded aluminium would enable high levels of fire resistance to be achieved but not to the higher levels possible with FRP material. The further advantage of the FRP material is that Insulation performance is equal to Integrity in the context of fire resistance when subjected to BS 476: Part 22: 1987 tests and up to 130 minutes Integrity and Insulation has been achieved a level of performance impossible to achieve if using aluminium, steel or timber instead of FRP.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which : Figure 1 shows in plan hanging and closing jambs of the Extruded (Pultruded) doorset assembly comprising 10 Extruded (Pultruded) door frame, 11 Sublining to door frame, 12 Extruded (Pultruded) doorstop, 13 PVC door seal, 14 Concealed frame fixing, 15 Doorleaf, 16 Hinge.

Figure 2 shows in plan hanging jamb of the Extruded (Pultruded) doorset assembly as described in Figure 1 above, together with 17 Extruded (Pultruded) wall adaptor in relation to 18 Wall.

The purpose of the Extruded (Pultruded) wall adaptor 17 is to enable the invention to be installed within non load bearing, or load bearing wall openings (typically of masonry construction) of varying dimensions and is intended to compensate for building tolerance variations. Wall adaptor 17 would not be required if the invention is installed into stud partition (as 100) as more control over building tolerances can be achieved.

Figure 3 shows a typical elevation or the Extruded (Pultruded) fire resisting doorset.

Figure 30 shows in plan one example of the Extruded (Pultruded) doorset assembly as illustrated in Figure 1, installed within 100 stud partition and will achieve 30 minutes fire resistance when tested to the relevant British Standard as described previously.

Figures 0, 20, 60, 90 and 120 show the doorset configuration installed within 100 stud partitions of varying specifications according to fire resisting performance requirements from 0 120 minutes Integrity and Insulation. 100 stud partition is illustrated with different combinations of components but to one overall constant dimension.

Within the inventive uniform single configurations of Extruded (Pultruded) frame doorset, there is provided the facility for performance related material choices to frame and/or leaf such that differential levels of fire performance can be achieved in the most cost effective way.

Typical characteristics of alternative materials to FRP currently used as framing members in the construction of doorsets when used as fire resisting elements of construction are as follows : STEEL Advantages: High level of fire resistance and impact resistance.

Disadvantages: Whilst achieving high levels of fire resistance, when subjected to BS 476: Part 22: 1987 testing, steel expands substantially and distorts when constrained. As a result it is incompatible with timber components such as door leaves which shrink when fire tested and distort in opposite directions to steel. Poor levels of Insulation when fire tested.

Manufacturing process limits shape and design. Not Extruded or Pultruded.

ALUMINIUM Advantages: Able to withstand moderate temperatures when subjected to fire resistance tests to BS 476: Part 22: 1987.

Extruded to wide variety of intricate shapes providing considerable design options. Impact resistant.

Disadvantages: Softens and melts during testing to BS 476 : Part 22: 1987 and generally is unable to withstand periods exceeding 40-45 minutes of fire resistance. Poor levels of Insulation when tested to BS 476: Part 22: 1987. Incompatible with timber components such as door leaves as explained above for steel.

TIMBER Advantages: Able to withstand moderate temperatures when subjected to fire resistance testing to BS 476: Part 22: 1987.

Can be machined to wide variety of profiles. Good levels of Insulation normally equal to Integrity when fire resistance tested to British Standard mentioned above.

Disadvantages: Limited in intricacy of profile shape. Unable to offer in excess of 75 minutes fire resistance when tested to BS 476: Part 22: 1987. Incompatible with aluminium or steel faced door leaves. Intolerant to variations in temperature and humidity. Moderate impact resistance. Not Extruded or Pultruded.

Claims

1) A PREFABRICATED DOORSET assembly of one uniform single thickness of door lining & stop and door leaf capable of achieving a door frame configuration from Extruded and/or Pultruded frame components in conjunction with timber faced door leaves to provide a suited product range achieving integrity and insulation performance levels from 0 to 120 minutes fire resistance in a single thickness, dimensionally constant doorset product. The function of the single doorset element can embrace most internal doorset applications and wall types (both load-bearing and non-load-bearing) used in the U.K. construction industry, albeit subject to matching performance criteria of adjacent elements. Within the uniform single frame design there is provided the facility for performance related accessory choices to frame and / or leaf such that differential levels of fire or sound performance can be achieved according to Specification.

2) A prefabricated doorset, as described in 1), capable of achieving a designated fire resistance of 30 minutes, Integrity & Insulation, when tested in accordance with British Standard 476 : Part 22:1987.

3) A prefabricated doorset, as described in 1), capable of achieving a designated fire resistance of 60 minutes, Integrity & Insulation, when tested in accordance with British Standard 476 : Part 22 :1987.

4) A prefabricated doorset, as described in 1), capable of achieving a designated fire resistance of 90 minutes, Integrity & Insulation, when tested in accordance with British Standard 476 : Part 22 22:1987.

5) A prefabricated doorset, as described in 1), capable of achieving a designated fire resistance of 120 minutes, Integrity & Insulation, when tested in accordance with British Standard 476 : Part 22 :1987.

6) "Extruded frame" high performance doorsets up to 120 minutes fire resistance where Insulation performance equals Integrity performance when tested to B.S. 476 : Part 22:1987.

7) A prefabricated doorset, as described in 1) whereby the door lining profile is from Extruded material and the applied door stop is from Pultruded material to achieve designated fire insulation performance criteria.

8) A prefabricated doorset, as described in 1) whereby the door lining profile is from Pultruded material and the applied door stop is from Extruded material.

9) A prefabricated doorset, as described in 1) whereby the single uniform door lining profile in either Extruded or Pultruded material is carrier to a suite of matching applied door stops to suit varying timber door leaf thicknesses (e.g. 40, 45, 50, 54, 56 and 62mm) according to varieties of Performance functions.

10) A prefabricated doorset, as described in 1) of dimensional constancy and elevational uniformity for installations of mixed wall type and performance permutations.

11) A prefabricated doorset, as described in 1) suitable for wall types including steel stud partitioning; timber stud partitioning, masonry and blockwork constructions.

12) A prefabricated doorset, as described in 1) Works prepared as a fully prefabricated Doorset element or available in prefabricated kit form for site assembly.

13) A prefabricated doorset assembly (door lining and applied stop) produced from the differing EXTRUSION and PULTRUSION manufacturing processes to an identical profile configuration providing the functional ability of intermixing the four permutations of lining / stop material options to satisfy Fire integrity and Fire insulation performance alternatives with a matching Doorset element.

14) A fully prefabricated doorset, with the functional capability of "direct installation" into prepared door openings by virtue of the "stepped" doorlining configuration.

15) A prefabricated doorset, substantially as described herein with reference to: Sheet 1 of 4, Sheet 2 of 4, Sheet 3 of 4, Sheet 4 of 4 and FIGURE 4.

of the accompanying drawing(s) and text.