What is fire testing, how is it done and why is it so important? ILE’s Group Drawing Office Manager, Trevor Pitfield explains.

Lifts play a crucial role in transporting people in their daily lives, and therefore lift safety is of paramount importance; this includes fire resistance. Fire testing of lift landing doors has always been integral to guarantee the safety of a lift, and here at ILE we conduct our thorough, rigorous testing in line with designated standards. 

 ‘BS EN 81-58:2018’ is now the designated standard we comply with, covering the safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts. Part 58 looks at the ‘Landing doors fire resistance test’ which assesses the safety of the lift doors, should they encounter fire on the landing.  

Our tests are carried out in partnership with Warrington Fire Research Centre, where we take a life-size functioning specimen to simulate a fire incident. Mounted into a masonry support, the landing doors undergo testing in front of a furnace, inside a sealed chamber, where we make real-time calculations over a two-hour time period. On completion, the test results are then presented under three main criteria – integrity (E), thermal insulation (I) and radiation (W) with the performance time period for each stated in minutes thereafter – for example, E47, I18 and W25. In the UK market only a E and W rating is required. 

During testing we monitor: 

• The leakage rate of carbon dioxide from the landing side to the lift well and the rate at which this occurs over the time period. 
• The temperature variables at specific points on the door set and speed at which it rises. 
• Sustained flaming (flaming of more than 10 seconds) anywhere shaft side of door set and when and where this happens. 
• Deformation measurements of the door. 
• Unexposed face temperature measured against time. 

We also look at how the door behaves, gaps opening, melting, softening or charring of materials. 

Delving into the details  

Testing landing doors is a significant operation, but essential in guaranteeing safety, especially in high rise buildings. We test doors at a ‘worst case’ level, encompassing lower grade stainless steel and variables such as viewing panels and lock release type so that anything at a higher grade or with fewer variables will be automatically deemed safe. Once an element has been tested on a lift door and passed, we can be sure it is safe to add to any design solution. Features added to door designs post-test, or variations to the product can be submitted to receive assessment documentation from Warrington Fire Research, who review its safety based on existing evidence. 

Lift doors used above ground should be tested to one hour in the furnace, and those used below ground tested to two hours. We test all our doors to two hours as standard, this ensures they are compliant in any given situation and meet the high safety levels to protect passengers. Once tested and passed, the doors are backed up with a fire test report documenting the product and its capabilities to perform. It’s worth noting here that fire testing the elements of the landing doors is a very different process to fire testing the internal elements of a lift, which undergo their own separate checks to ensure they meet the criteria for safety within a lift. 

ILE’s fire-tested doors

Named after historic castles, our fire-tested doors offer a range of options: 

• Windsor – single panel door tested to E120 W60 
• Warwick – 2 panel centre opening door tested to E120 W60 
• Balmoral – 2 speed side opening door tested to E120 W60 

• Leeds – 3 panel side opening door tested to E120 W60 
• Pembroke – 4 panel centre opening door fire assessed only 

As with all our products, we provide our customers with a bespoke solution to meet their needs and the requirements of the building. We are confident in the quality of the products we use, and take a detailed approach to each design we provide. Working to our customers’ specifications, we tailor-make solutions to suit, with flexibility to ensure a product is safe, high quality, manufactured in the UK and built to last. 

If you’re interested in finding out more about how our doors could benefit your project, get in touch.

We’d love to hear from you.