Testing penetration sealing systems
Pipe penetrations are tested according to EN 1366-3 for penetration seals.
The testing evaluates whether the penetration sealing system maintains the fire separation of the wall or floor during fire exposure.
Depending on the intended field of application, manufacturers may need to document different pipe materials, insulation types, wall or floor constructions and installation configurations.
Planning documentation and test programmes
Manufacturers rarely need documentation for a single penetration setup.
In many cases, they need documentation covering multiple product variants, pipe dimensions and installation situations.
At DBI, the process therefore often starts with the manufacturer’s intended product range and documentation needs rather than an isolated test setup.
This helps customers define relevant test programmes and avoid testing configurations that do not support the intended use of the product.
Fire technical assessments
When penetrations are installed in a building element, the fire performance of that building element is altered. It is therefore essential that penetration seals are only used within the field of application for which they have been fire tested and classified.
However, it is possible to extend the field of application. DBI performs a range of different fire technical assessments for penetration systems, which can extend the field of application covered by tests and classification reports.
Together with the customer, we plan a testing and classification programme that may, in some cases, also include fire technical assessments. In this way, manufacturer’s need for different product variants can be accommodated.
We have furnaces in different sizes and can therefore also carry out accredited tests of smaller penetrations in one of our smaller furnaces. This makes the process faster and more cost-effective.
