The guidance to Building Regulations require that new buildings must be divided into fire compartments in order that the spread of fire in the building is contained. There are obvious areas of weakness which include doors, building services and ventilation ductwork passing from one compartment to another. In particular the standard ventilation ductwork system offers little or no protection against fire spread.

Where the ductwork itself forms a protected shaft the fire resistance may be achieved by applying Firemac fabric systems directly to the ductwork prior to installation. Use of properly constructed fire rated duct systems will:

• Prevent the fire from entering the ductwork
• Limit the spread of fire within the ductwork
• Maintain the integrity of the compartment when penetrated by ductwork

Firemac systems are an effective way of ensuring fire compartmentation when any type of duct system penetrates fire compartment walls and floors. There may be certain locations where fire-rated dampers may not be suitable, for example in kitchen extract systems. Testing without the use of fire dampers is required to prove compliance with fire compartmentation requirements and all Firemac systems comply with the requirements of BS476:PART 24:1987.