Horizontal Sliding Fire Doors: Catalyst for Architectural Versatility
Knowing the New Codes
During most of the last century, the use of horizontal sliding fire doors was limited. They could not, for instance, be used as the primary means of egress and, when used to separate internal spaces, they were required to meet stringent fire resistant requirements. But early models, developed for acoustical purposes, equipped with a two-track folding partition system encasing a dead air space, were also capable of resisting fire.
In 1977, sliding door systems passed two UL tests for door assemblies and were shown to withstand intense temperatures rising to 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit. Later, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), which develops, publishes, and disseminates more than 300 consensus codes and standards involving life safety features such as sprinklers and alarms, exits, windows and doors, permitted the use of sliding fire doors as a means of egress in selected applications. These included protecting elevator lobbies in buildings where the occupant loads were less than 50 and as fire and smoke barriers in healthcare facilities, Published in the 1988 edition of the Life Safety Code, the new standards were adopted by the then existing three regional model building groups.
These were: the Southern Building Code Congress International that covered the southern and Gulf states and produced the Standard Building code; the Building Officials and Code Administration, that covered the Northeast and Midwest and produced the National Building Code; and the International Conference of Building Officials, that covered California and the West and produced the Uniform Building Code.
In 2000 the three groups merged and produced a single national building code, the International Building Code (IBC). At approximately the same time, horizontal sliding doors were approved as an acceptable means of egress in all applications, regardless of occupancy loads, except for applications known as Category H applying to storage of flammable and toxic materials. The NFPA adopted the changes so that, in effect, both the IBC and NFPA contain the same requirements regarding sliding fire doors.
The IBC Code Section 1008.1.2 states that "Egress doors shall be side hinged swinging," but exception #6 (in the 2006 version) reads: "In other than Group H occupancies, horizontal sliding doors complying with Section 1008.1.3.3 are permitted in a means of egress."
The NFPA 5000®, Building Construction and Safety Code® accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), states:
7.2.1.14 Horizontal-Sliding Doors. Horizontal-sliding doors shall be permitted in means of egress, provided that the following criteria are met:
1. The door is readily operable from either side without special knowledge or effort.
2. The force that, when applied to the operating device in the direction of egress, is required to operate the door is not more than 67 N (Newton) (15 lbf (pound force)).
3. The force required to operate the door in the direction of door travel is not more than 133 N (30 lbf) to set the door in motion and is not more than 67 N (15 lbf) to close the door or open it to the minimum required width.
4. The door is operable using a force of not more than 222 N (50 lbf) when a force of 1100 N (250 lbf) is applied perpendicularly to the door adjacent to the operating device, unless the door is an existing horizontal-sliding exit access door serving an area with an occupant load of fewer than 50.
5. The door assembly complies with the fire protection rating, if required, and, where rated, is self-closing or automatic-closing by means of smoke detection in accordance with 7.2.1.8 and is installed in accordance with NFPA 80.
6. The door shall be power operated and shall be capable of being operated manually in the event of power failure.
Codes for Egress Applications and UL Tests and Other Listings |
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Title: IBC and NFPA Code References applying to Means of Egress
* Excluding cotton pad test |
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Other Sliding Door Systems Listings and Reports |
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The driving force behind the changes was the recognition that the horizontal accordion type sliding door is a significant improvement over the traditional swinging door for the evacuation of people. The general acceptance of Universal Design which promotes design that is accessible for all regardless of ability or disability, plus the passing of ADA in 1990, further reinforced the acceptance of sliding doors for both fire and egress requirements. "In my opinion, mainstreaming the provisions for the use of sliding doors as a means of egress in all of the U.S. model codes represents the complete legitimization of this technology," says Tim Welch, vice president of business development at Won-Door, based in Salt Lake City, UT.
Advantages of specifying sliding door assemblies: |
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Tests and field use have shown that horizontal sliding fire door systems are highly reliable. "This is state of the art fire protection equipment with three decades of proven reliability," adds Welch. Unlike traditional vertical rolling assemblies where exposed parts are susceptible to damage caused by material handling equipment or abuse by building occupants, horizontal sliding door systems with completely concealed parts are virtually trouble free. Moreover, sliding door systems equipped with integrated microprocessor technology that continuously monitors all door functions, enables the system to automatically reset itself following power bumps or building alarms. An industry-wide survey by FM Global, a leading commercial insurance company, found that nearly 80 percent of all conventional fire doors failed because of improper resetting or obstacles which prevented the door from closing.
Clearly, horizontal sliding self-closing door assembles are an effective means for meeting life safety requirements across the spectrum of building types. They are also a catalyst for architectural versatility as more design professionals appreciate the possibilities resulting from revised codes.
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