Large-scale field study of smoke-resistant doors

GND provides doors that meet BBL requirements

Smoke spread is a major problem in building fires. How the smoke spreads and how this can be limited is still insufficiently known. The Fire Academy (part of IFV) will conduct research into this. Stichting Garantiedeuren GND is helping by supplying and installing S200 smoke-resistant doors that meet the requirements as included in the new BBL.

More knowledge about smoke spread is of great importance. In relatively small fires in residential (healthcare) buildings, smoke increasingly spreads through a large part of the building. As a result, residents suffer health damage or sometimes even death. Also, the fire department often has to evacuate the entire building. It is therefore important to know how smoke dispersion works and how it can be prevented. Therefore, starting Monday, June 24, the Fire Academy will conduct research for two weeks in a former residential care center in the municipality of Oudewater. The aim of the practical research is to gain more insight and answers to questions about smoke separation, escape possibilities, survival chances, stay-in-place recommendations and deployment tactics of the fire department.

Unlike the current Building Code, the new Building Works Decree (BBL) for new construction includes requirements for "true" smoke resistance. More stringent requirements for cold and hot smoke are included as resistance to smoke passage from building structures such as doors and window frames. However, it has not been proven in advance that introduction of the new requirements will also solve the problem of smoke propagation. Research is needed for this purpose. The BBL will take effect in 2021. The new requirements apply only to new construction.