Fire-stopping delays the spread of fire and, generally, the spread of smoke as well. This serves several purposes:

• It allows occupants time to safely exit a building if a fire breaks out, thereby saving lives;
• It allows the emergency services time and a better opportunity to fight the fire, with it being confined to a relatively small area, thereby saving property;
• It limits the overall damage caused by fire by obstructing its path, thereby limiting the financial costs of repair.

Simply put, joins within buildings between fire separating elements such as compartment walls, floors and doors, should be fire-stopped to maintain the required fire resistance of said compartment. Any openings which may be necessary to allow the passing of services such as cables, pipes, conduit, or ducts should be kept as small as practicable, as few in number as possible, and fire-stopped.

Construction phase fire stopping

All new public and commercial buildings, such as offices, flats and hotels, require adequate fire stopping measures to be put in place at the time of construction in accordance with Building Regulations: Approved Document B.

Verus Group works closely with designers, principal contractors and clients to ensure that the needs and demands of all aspects are met. Working from fire strategy and floor plan designs, we ensure all compartment lines hold their intended integrity. Our trained operatives are able to offer advice where they notice any omissions, and provide solutions to any problematic areas.

If you have a construction project in the planning stage, get in touch today to see how we can assist with your new development.

Whether your building is 10 or 100 years old, if fire stopping wasn't fitted at the time of construction, this is something you may now need to rectify.

Retrofitting can be a little complex, with some problem solving and brainstorming needed to provide suitable solutions to risk areas. 

Maybe you’re looking for additional passive fire protection within an historical building, such as fire-resistant wood coatings or underfloor barriers? Or perhaps you require remedial compartmentation works to risers or communal areas within occupied apartments following a recent Fire Risk Assessment. 

Every case of retrofit fire stopping is slightly different, but with a wealth of experience in this field within both heritage and more modern properties, we work closely with our clients to achieve solutions to satisfy both their needs, and the demands of any associated governing bodies.