There are numerous manufacturers of Passive Fire Products worldwide, however, not all of them are available in New Zealand, and even fewer are tested to New Zealand Standards. As a result, it is very common for a professional to be more familiar with only one or a few brands of products and not provide a wider range of solutions for Passive Fire Penetrations. It is very important to remember that all installed systems should be tested, to a recognised/approved Standard and there is not one manufacturer or supplier that has solutions for all situations found on-site; working with multiple options is always required.
So, who are the main suppliers of Passive Fire Products in New Zealand, and what range of products/brands do they have?
Ryanfire is a New Zealand-based manufacturer and supplier that has often been referenced in the New Zealand passive fire industry as a pioneer. The so-called "V drawings" started to be produced at Ryanfire and are now a commonly used term for 3D drawings with detailed specifications for installation requirements and a summary of the information in the test report. Ryanfire is constantly running new tests in New Zealand for passive fire products and bringing innovative products.
Passive fire product brands available from Ryanfire:
Services and support that Ryanfire provide:
V Drawings provided on their website
Products Datasheet/MSDS
Test reports are supplied upon request to their technical team
Flame Seekers (A consultancy service for product specification)
Ryanfire App for self-assisted product specification.
Technical Support over the phone and e-mail.
Firestop Centre is a New Zealand-based supplier that has a large variety of Brands. They were the second company to provide drawings for all their solutions online. In fact, all documentation regarding their products is found on their website, including all available test reports. Firestop Centre is constantly running new tests for passive fire products and bringing innovative solutions to the market.
Passive fire product brands available from the Firestop Centre:
Services and support that Firestop Centre provide:
FC Drawings provided online on their website
Products Datasheet/MSDS are supplied on their website
All Test reports are supplied on their website
Technical Support over the phone and e-mail.
Potters is the New Zealand-based supplier of Boss Fire Products. With great responsiveness for solutions and a technical team which is very supportive, especially when the installation is complicated. Together with Boss, Potters is also renewing and bringing new tests to the New Zealand market and working towards providing their own 'V drawings' online.
Passive fire product brands available from Potters
Services and support that Potters provide:
V Drawings provided upon request (upload in progress on their website)
Products Datasheet/MSDS
Test reports are supplied upon request
Technical Support over the phone and e-mail.
Comfortech (formerly known as Forman)
Comfortech is the New Zealand-based supplier of Promat Products, which has a very large number of tests performed. With great responsiveness for solutions, and a very supportive technical team that often have some 'tricks up their sleeves' for difficult situations.
Passive fire product brands available from Potters:
Services and support that Potters provide:
Products Datasheet/MSDS
Test reports are supplied upon request
Technical Support over the phone and e-mail.
Allproof is a New Zealand-based Manufacturer specialising in Fire Collars. Allproof has been the "go to" company for Plumbers for many years, having very good testing data for pipe penetrations and is now entering the electrical penetrations field. Allproof Plumbing and Electrical Brochures with all their solutions are found on their website. Allproof is also running new tests for passive fire products and bringing innovative products. Allproof Collars can be found in Plumbing supply shops or from the Firestop Centre.
Services and support that Allproof provide:
Allproof Brochure containing all the testing information provided online on their website
Products Datasheet/MSDS are supplied on their website
Test reports may be supplied upon request
Technical Support over the phone and e-mail.
Hilti is a multinational product manufacturer that has some good tested products for Passive Fire Protection. With specialised support worldwide, the New Zealand Hilti team can also provide some new project-specific solutions for the "too hard basket" situations.
Services and support that Hilti provide:
Products Datasheet/MSDS are supplied on their website
All Test reports are supplied on their website
Technical Support over the phone and e-mail.
Documentation from Manufacturers
When dealing with passive fire protection, it is common to refer to the performance of a system generically as “60 minutes fire rated” or, more precisely “FRR -/60/60”. In a previous post, we explained the meaning of these values. But where can we obtain this information regarding a specific product or system?
It is essential to ensure that the fire protection documentation is following the Manufacturer’s specifications and installation instructions. The Manufacturer is usually the one to provide all the information regarding a system and may provide this information in a simplified way for easier understanding (i.e. drawing, catalogue). However, Manufacturers or Product Suppliers must ensure all product specifications, technical literature and fire performance claims offered are supported by test reports, engineering evaluations or other relevant documentation. Some different types of documentation are listed below:
Fire Test Report: A detailed report prepared by a registered testing authority that describes the tested specimen and results. It generally includes a full description, graphs, observations, results, FRR and direct field of application. It also states what variations can be made to the product that does not require referral to a registered testing authority.
Regulatory Information Report (RIR): A Regulatory Information Report is prepared by a registered testing authority and provides the minimum information about a tested system required for regulatory compliance. It includes details of the fire test, the construction of the test specimen and results obtained. It is also common for these to be a summary of various test reports for the same product family.
Assessment report or letter of opinion: Assessment reports are useful for extending the specification of a tested specimen (for example, to allow the dimensions of a component to be varied within stated limits). Assessment reports should be based on test results or by applying a relevant standard, calculation method or engineering principles, and this should be described in the report. An assessment report should be signed/dated and should be prepared by an accredited fire testing laboratory or an independent third-party fire-testing expert acceptable to the Territorial Authority.
They may be necessary because it is not practical to include all possible minor variations in a component within a single fire resistance test. It is also usually not practical or necessary for all possible variations to be subjected to a separate fire resistance test.
CodeMark certificate: A CodeMark certificate gives the stated performance of the passive fire protection and lists the NZBC clauses that apply. A BCA must accept a CodeMark certificate as evidence of compliance. CodeMark certificates must be carefully read to ensure that the product is used within the scope of the certification to the applicable NZBC clauses and the level of performance. CodeMark-certified products have to be assessed by an accredited product certification body.
Appraisal certificate: Various independent organisations produce documents ascribing conformity of a product to specific performance criteria – for example, BRANZ Appraisals. These documents confirm the fire performance of a product or system. An appraisal should involve a review of all the relevant reports and assessments by an expert. It may cover multiple NZBC clauses and will generally include processes to ensure quality control checks on the manufacture of the appraised product. A manufacturer’s catalogue may also be reviewed as part of an appraisal, providing independent verification of the technical content.
Manufacturer’s recommendation, datasheet, and catalogue: A manufacturer may provide catalogues and datasheets. These may contain references to test reports, assessment or appraisal reference numbers and the organisation issuing these documents. A manufacturer’s recommendation is generally linked to a specific form of construction that they are prepared to back with a warranty, provided the installation follows their detailed specification. These documents should not be used as the sole means of verifying the performance of a building element.
Test certificate: This may be only a single page and is used for marketing and initial verification of fire performance. It is not intended for regulatory acceptance or to give sufficient information for the construction of the specimen to be verified on site. The certificate may not provide enough information for installation and should be used in conjunction with the Manufacturer’s full specification.
Designers may use any of the documents to assist them in the selection and specification of the appropriate passive fire protection systems. However, only the first five should be used to verify the FRR, to determine the correct installation requirements and as building consent or Code compliance documentation.
It is also common for Building Consent Authorities to request a copy of one of these documents at any stage of the project. As such, it is expected that manufacturers and suppliers would promptly provide the specific documentation upon request by any professional involved in passive fire protection, such as designers, installers and inspectors.
Note: Some reports may have stated periods of validity. For example, formal opinions issued under AS 4072.1-2005 on service penetrations have a validity limit of 10 years. Any reports outside their time limit should be referred to the sponsor of the report (usually the Manufacturer). Products should not be used until the sponsor confirms that the report remains valid, and there have been no changes to the product since it was last tested or assessed.
Nelligan Consulting Engineers has an in-house passive fire consultant team with expertise and knowledge to assist you with your project at various stages to ensure the passive fire installation is appropriately specified, compliant, cost-effective, and with minimal delays.
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