Fire Rated Automatic Doors

Fire rated automatic doors combine two jobs that pull in opposite directions: an entrance that opens easily for people every day, and a barrier that holds back fire if it breaks out. MC Automations, Coetz™’s parent company, supplies and installs fire rated automatic sliding doors. Fire rated automatic doors are specified differently from ordinary entrances. This guide explains what a fire rating on an automatic door means, what we can and cannot confirm, and how to plan one.

What a fire rating covers

On our fire rated automatic doors, the door leaves can resist flames for 30 minutes. That is a property of the leaves themselves: their construction, glazing and seals. It is not a property of the operator above the door.

This matters because buyers often ask whether an existing door can be “upgraded” to a fire rating by changing the drive. It cannot. Fire performance lives in the leaf, never in the operator, so a fire rated door is specified as a complete door from the start.

What we confirm in writing

Fire performance, rating and the standard it is tested to are confirmed in writing per project against South African requirements. We do this for each project because the opening, the glazing and the wall it sits in all affect what is supplied.

What we do not do is issue a compliance statement for the building. A rating is evidence about the door. Whether a building complies is decided by its fire strategy, confirmed by the fire consultant or local authority.

Where fire rated automatic doors are used

Fire rated automatic doors are typically used:

• Between fire compartments in shopping centres and large stores.
• Hospitals and clinics, where corridors divide into compartments.
• Offices and public buildings on protected routes.
• Warehouses separating storage from offices. See automatic doors for warehouses.

In each case, the building’s fire strategy says which openings must be fire rated and how the door must behave if the alarm sounds.

Escape routes and alarm behaviour

How fire rated automatic doors behave in an emergency, whether it closes to hold back fire or opens for escape, is set by the building’s fire strategy and confirmed by the fire consultant or local authority. We set the door up to match the approved design. If the door is also on an escape route, read about automatic sliding door breakout and automatic door compliance.

Planning fire rated doors

1. Start with the fire strategy. It says which openings need a rated door.
2. Measure the opening and confirm the wall construction around it.
3. Agree the door’s alarm behaviour with the fire consultant.
4. Plan power and the alarm connection at the head of the door.
5. Get the rating confirmed in writing for your project before ordering.

Questions to ask before ordering

• Which openings does the fire strategy say must be rated, and for how long?
• Should the door close or open when the alarm sounds?
• Is the door also on an escape route?
• Who will confirm the installed door against the approved design?
• How will the fire function be tested after handover?

Having these answers before the door is ordered avoids changes later, which are costly on a rated door because the leaves are made for the specific opening.

Warranty and servicing

The fire-rated sliding door operator carries a 24-month warranty. Like any automatic door, it should be serviced every six months, and the fire function should be checked as part of the building’s routine fire testing. Never prop a fire rated automatic door open with a wedge or stock: it defeats the fire barrier. See automatic door safety and automatic door maintenance. The South African Bureau of Standards publishes the national standards framework.

Fire rated automatic doors: frequently asked questions

How long can the door leaves resist flames?

The door leaves can resist flames for 30 minutes.

Can I make my existing automatic door fire rated?

No. Fire performance lives in the leaf, not the operator, so a fire rated door is supplied as a complete door.

Do you certify that my building complies?

No. Fire performance, rating and test standard are confirmed in writing per project for the door. Building compliance is confirmed by the fire consultant or local authority.

What warranty does the operator carry?

The fire-rated sliding door operator carries a 24-month warranty.

Who installs fire rated doors?

MC Automations, Coetz™’s parent company.

Coetz™, Unit 2, 84 Ridge Road, Laser Park, Johannesburg. Call 010 412 0062, WhatsApp 076 613 4418 or use our contact page.