As New Zealand manufacturers of passive fire protection products, we often receive questions on system design and available solutions. We have listed ten frequently asked questions that can help with general understanding and challenges that are regularly faced in the New Zealand construction industry.

1) How do I fire rate a metal preformed tray composite floor?

Allproof have designed and tested a Drop in Fire Collar, DIFC, for this substrate type where an undulating floor profile makes it difficult to install a conventional face fixed collar like a Low-Profile Fire Collar, ALLFC. A core hole can be drilled through any position in the profile change followed by the installation of a DIFC around the penetrating service. The fire tested solutions for services and fire ratings are based on minimum concrete thicknesses to achieve a -/60/60 FRR for 70mm and a -/120/120 FRR for a 100mm of concrete cover. Multiple plumbing and electrical service types covered along with open grate floor waste gully solutions.

2) Are your passive fire systems tested, and can I access the test or assessment reports and information?

Yes, we test with independently accredited fire test laboratories with an IANZ or NATA accreditation in New Zealand and Australia and have been developing and testing products on services for 20 Years. Our reports and assessments along with the results achieved are shown in our online tested solution manuals for plumbing and electrical systems. The manuals are available through our website. The test and assessment results in our manuals, along with our manufacturing processes are independently appraised by BRANZ. The individual reports are available to be watermarked to a Fire Engineer, Practice and Project and distributed directly to them, if requested.

3) What substrates have you tested on?

We have Fire Tests as well as Assessments, which are based on fire tests, on the following floor and wall types; Concrete floors and walls, Rib and Timber Infill, Hollow Core Floors, Composite Floors (steel tray formwork decks), Cross laminated timber floors and walls, Plasterboard Ceilings and Walls, Speedpanel and Hebel. All test and assessment results are available through our online plumbing and electrical manuals.

4) Do you have a pre-pour install fire collar for concrete slabs?

Yes, we have a range of Cast In Fire Collars, tall cast in, CIFCS, or low cast in CIFCS L. These are made out of 100% post-consumer recycled polypropylene (i.e. ice cream tubs and yogurt pots) which is injection moulded to create the body of the collar which is then fixed to formwork in the slab. This product can also be used in a permanent formwork slab, Rib and Timber Infill, as long as the concrete topping is a specific depth as per our fire tests and assessment results for the service types that we cover.

5) I can’t see a test result in the online manuals for a service type that I can select, do you have other passive fire protection options?

Yes, Allproof also distribute the FIREFLY range of Passive Fire Stopping and Seismic Joint Products in New Zealand and have a full-time team for Technical back up to help with advice and selections, so feel free to reach out to discuss or share details.

6) I can’t see concrete wall test results in your online passive fire solution manuals; do you have any?

Yes, we have Fire Test results carried out on concrete walls with our Low-Profile Fire Collar, ALLFC, but you can also apply all of our Plasterboard Wall testing using the same collar type to a Concrete wall through a Permissible Variation under the Standard AS1530.4:2014, Clause 10.12.2, which states; “Test results obtained from framed wall systems may be applied to the performance of a system in concrete, masonry or solid gypsum blocks of greater or equal thickness to that of the tested prototype. The reverse does not apply”.

7) Can I use a Drop in Fire Collar on a flat slab?

Yes, you can. Our fire tests and assessments cater to the Concrete flat slab as well as the Rib and Timber Infill floor type. They are particularly useful if you have a change in gradient of the underside of the floor slab type where you meet or connect to a structural element like a Shell Beam or similar. The service is typically installed in a core drilled hole perpendicular to the top side of the floor so this in turn means that the penetration on the underside of the floor is not parallel to the floor above. We can also custom make the Drop In Fire Collar, DIFC, with extendable fixing tabs which caters to depths of concrete greater than 200mm where our standard collar dimension covers this concrete floor depth.

8) Can I use a Fire Collar on a Cross Laminated Timber, CLT, Unprotected Floor type?

Yes, we have tested both our Low-Profile Fire Collar and Drop in Fire Collar on the floor type, so we have both options for a fire collar fixed to the underside of the floor, ALLFC, or in the case of a Drop in Fire Collar, DIFC, fixed from the top of the floor slab. Both collars use different size core holes so you can cater to differing site situations.

9) I have a Hotel Apartment Project, and I am looking for a system for the services coming into the room from the main hallway.

Yes, we have a services transit box called a “Wallthrough” where we have tested typical service types into an Apartment or Hotel room ie. water supplies, power, communication, fibre optic, fire alarm and sprinkler main. This allows a single passive fire penetration above an entry point into the room which in turn protects the spread of fire from a zone into the main fire escape egress.

10) I have an Easy Clean Waste in my acrylic showers which requires a large core hole and has a small waste pipe on the underside of the shower. How do I fire rate this?

An Easy Clean Waste typically has a large diameter core hole so the waste system can hang below the tray which then reduces to a 40mm or 50mm uPVC waste pipe below the slab soffit. This creates a complex situation to fire rate at the penetration point on the underside of the slab due to the large core hole size to the reduced waste pipe size. The best system to utilise is a typical 80mm Floor Waste Gully which is a tested fire rated solution for a specific core hole size. You would then use an Allproof Trayrite to replace the Easyclean waste, a Floor waste gully 80 x 50 and either a DIFC80 or an ALLFC80 for a compliant passive fire tested solution matched to you site requirements.

Allproof prides itself on creating innovative solutions that cater to the NZ construction industry. These solutions often stem from questions; therefore, we welcome any new questions and encourage you to reach out to our dedicated Passive Fire Protection team to find the right solution for your project.