Specify passive fire protection for façade systems with clarity

Neeraj Nayyar of Siderise India analyses and emphasises the need to specify firestop solutions and how Siderise addresses this challenge.

Specifying the most appropriate firestop and cavity fire barrier solutions for façade systems can be challenging. With various manufacturers, product types, and standards, the onus is often on architects or building/system designers to ensure that the safety measures selected suit their application.

This involves reviewing product information, which is often spread across various documents, such as technical datasheets, test certificates, etc. Collating these documents can be time-consuming; some manufacturers of life safety-critical products have created their own digital specification packs, providing industry professionals with convenient access to a single source of up-to-date technical information.

What are Specification Packs?
Specification Packs are typically centred around a single façade application type, such as curtain wall or cladding systems. They summarise all the relevant technical information needed for robust and accurate specifications, with live links to key documents and data sources.

For example, Siderise Specification Packs are available for curtain walls, external cladding (ventilated and non-ventilated), and precast and sealed external wall applications. They include technical datasheets, third-party certifications, standard detail drawings, BIM objects, specification information and clauses, installation instructions, and Environmental Performance Declarations.

They can usually be downloaded free of charge, without forced sign-up, from the manufacturer’s website. As these are digital documents, the manufacturer can periodically check and update them, ensuring you always use the most up-to-date data and certifications. This reduces the risks associated with holding outdated material, such as unknowingly specifying a product whose performance has changed.

Additionally, while they can complement and integrate with digital specification platforms, these packs are available as separate, standalone *.pdf documents that do not require specific software or licenses.

Added expertise
Passive fire protection is a complex, safety-critical area of façade design. Those specifying firestops and cavity barriers must have access to technical support from the earliest design stages. This helps ensure that the products chosen are suitable for the application, that these crucial elements meet compliance criteria, and that they are appropriately cost-factored, reducing the risk of inadequate substitutions later in the construction process.

Specification packs typically contain information about additional services available from the manufacturers themselves. As experts in their products, manufacturers can provide project-specific specification guidance, ranging from product selection advice and calculations to helping to prepare and review drawings.

Specification Packs often point specifiers to the most appropriate training for that application. For passive fire protection, understanding how product performance is measured and how a product should work can make it easier to review and compare technical information from different suppliers and check that the correct test standards have been used.

Support at your fingertips
Ensuring building fire safety must be a priority across India. Specification Packs, like those developed by Siderise, can help designers easily access the information and support they need to ensure that all new and refurbished buildings have appropriate passive fire safety measures built into their designs from the beginning, protecting people and property in the long term.

For more information, contact:
E-mail: siderisein@siderise.com
Website: www.siderise.com