Product category:
Doors, Shutters, Air Curtains and Screens
News Release from: Dorma UK | Subject: Change In Access Regulations
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 30 September 2004
Conflicting Fire Doors Standards Will
Add Costs
Conflicting standards over fire doors are likely to result in higher costs. Graham Hulland, Product Marketing Manager at DORMA UK Limited, Door Controls Division, explains why.
As a result of the change in access regulations, many fire doors will now need to be electromagnetic or power operated The root of the problem is a conflict between the requirements for door closers fitted to fire doors (BS EN1154) and the standards relating to the Disability Discrimination Act (BS8300 and Approved Document M)
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 21 May 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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BS EN1154 stipulates that door closers of size EN3 (18Nm closing force) and above must be used on fire doors.
However, BS8300 stipulates a maximum closing force on all doors of 20N.
In addition, Approved Document M, which came into force on May 1st this year, states that for a person to manually open a self-closing door, the opening force required at the leading edge should not exceed 20N.
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Under the laws of physics it is simply not possible to meet all three standards simultaneously! If the closing force demanded by BS8300 equated to the opening force demanded by Approved Document M, then 100% efficiency, or perpetual motion would be achieved, solving the world's energy crisis - not something any manufacturer has so far accomplished! The reality of the situation is that door closers, depending on their quality and design, have efficiencies ranging from 55% (the minimum permissible under BS EN1154 for size EN3) to around 80%.
So to achieve the closing force of 18Nm required by BS EN1154 for fire doors, the initial opening force has to exceed - and with the less efficient closers exceed by a large margin - the permissible Part M opening force of 20N.
An example would be a 900mm wide door fitted with a door closer at the minimum required size of EN3 at 18Nm and 80% efficient.
The closing force would be 20N, thus complying with BS8300 (20N maximum closing force) and EN1154 (18Nm minimum closing force), however it would not comply with Approved Document M (20N maximum opening force) as the opening force would have to be at least 25N.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does admit that there is an issue to be resolved.
A spokesperson said, "We are aware that there may be some detailed design challenges associated with Part M and the use of self-closing doors.
We have therefore recently been in discussions with the relevant stakeholders within the industry and have agreed to assist them in the preparation of an industry guidance document on the subject".
The discussions continue and while they do there are immediate solutions to the problem.
The ideal answer is to fit fully automatic door operators OLE_LINK1to new build or retro-fit to existing doors - but this simply may not be economical for many organisations, particularly when large numbers of internal doors are involved.
For swing doors a more economic alternative to fully automated operators are low energy door operators.
These units can be fitted either to new build or be retro-fitted to existing doors and offer a range of operating modes that enable the door to be opened under power when assistance is required, most commonly by means of a wall mounted push pad.
One benefit is that because the door is not fully powered and operates at a slow speed - stopping if it meets an obstruction - it does not need full safety sensors and barriers.
Secondly, the door will operate as a normal manual door, until overridden by the activation of the low energy door operator.
Another solution is to remove the 'barrier' for all users of the building by fitting electro-magnetic hold-open door closers.
These enable the door to be held-open during normal use, yet release the door in the event of fire or power failure so that it closes fully.
The closer will then operate as a conventional door closer during evacuation until the alarm is deactivated or the power is restored.
Hold-open electro-magnets can be used in conjunction with conventional door closers or floor springs, a solution particularly suitable for retro-fit situations.
Again, if there is a fire alarm or power cut the door becomes self-closing.
Although a relatively less expensive option than an electro-magnetic door closer, care has to be taken when opting for magnets.
They must be fitted on the same fixing plane as the door closer, as fitting a magnet to the bottom of a door which is also fitted with an overhead closer will lead to the door twisting as a result of the opposing forces exerted on the door.
Also, having decided on which plane they are to be fitted, a suitable fixing point needs to be found and this is not always possible in wide corridors where the adjacent walls may be too far away from the door in its desired open position - and, even if floorsprings are used, the fitting of magnets on the floor can become a 'trip hazard'.
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