When should you seal in new construction?
As soon as the pipework through a fire separation is final, and before the penetration disappears behind a ceiling, boxing or shaft wall. In practice this means several rounds per building section: after the shell installation, after the fit-out installation and just before the ceilings are closed. One round at the end is rarely enough, because some penetrations can no longer be reached.
Sealing per construction phase
| Phase | What is happening | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| Work preparation | Openings plan, fire separations on drawings, choice of pipe materials. | Propose a system for each type of penetration and check the openings against the conditions of that system. |
| Shell construction | Openings in concrete floors and masonry walls, first pipework. | Seal what is final, and mark and record open openings. |
| Installations and fit-out | Installers work in waves; cable trays are filled later; lightweight partitions are added. | Return for each round. Where cables will be added later, use a system that allows additions within its instructions. |
| Before closing | Ceilings, boxings and shaft walls are closed. | Finish per zone or floor and record it with photos, so you can release the zone. |
| Handover | Handover file, snagging, inspection by the client. | File per penetration: location, system, documentation, date and photo, in your format. |
System choice starts with the openings plan
A penetration seal only delivers its performance within the field of application of the system. The classification report or ETA sets conditions for, among other things, the pipe material and diameter, the size of the opening, the distance between penetrations, the distance to the edge and the build-up of the wall or floor. Under NEN-EN 15882-3 an application can also be substantiated outside the tested arrangement, but only within the rules of that standard.
Those conditions either fit the openings plan or they don't. During work preparation, a spacing that is too small or an opening that is too large can still be solved with a different opening size or another system. On site, with the pipework in place, that is usually a lot harder. That is why we prefer to review the plans before the openings are fixed.
Who makes the hole, who seals it?
On a project with several installers, the question is not whether penetrations will be added, but who reports them. Agree in advance which party makes the opening, which party passes through it and who seals it. We recommend putting the sealing for all disciplines in one hand: then one party is accountable for the choice per penetration and there is one file, instead of a seal per installer, each with its own system and documentation.
We report and assess any new penetration through an opening that has already been sealed: does it fall within the instructions of the system used, or does the seal need to be repaired? Repairs outside the agreed scope are reported in advance as additional work.
Standards and documentation
Penetration seals are tested to NEN-EN 1366-3 (linear joints to NEN-EN 1366-4) and classified to NEN-EN 13501-2, for example EI 60. The WBDBO between spaces is determined to NEN 6068; the route with the lowest resistance is decisive. Smoke resistance is a separate performance, determined to NEN 6075.
Two kinds of documents belong to the handover: product documentation (classification report or ETA, declaration of performance and installation instructions) and installation records (location, system used, date and photo per penetration). Read more in fire-resistant penetrations: requirements and costs and the WBDBO requirement explained.
