Fire resistant glass and glazing specialist Promat UK has supported the team behind the creation of a new fully-accredited fire testing laboratory in North Yorkshire.
Attain RTC’s new 40,000 sq. ft state-of-the-art facility at Church Fenton near Leeds provides much-needed additional fire testing capacity for the construction sector, offering a wide range of research, testing and certification services. In addition to fire resistance testing, the company works with building product and system manufacturers of all kinds to test their performance against thermal, water and air ingress, security and acoustic standards, as well as CWCT testing.
In order for the facility to satisfy the stringent requirements of UKAS accreditation, the team were required to develop a ‘test bank’ and gain experience of testing various doors, windows and glazing assemblies in their new environment ahead of taking on client projects. Jerry Quayle & Associates approached Promat to support the development process at Attain RTC by providing a timber framed fire resistant door assembly for testing in trial conditions.
The brief from Promat for this particular exercise was to test the door assembly, which already held a 30-minute accreditation to BS476 part 22, to new criteria that would upgrade its certification to EN1364-1, the standard relating to fire resistance of non-loadbearing walls, and EN1634-1, which is used to determine the suitability of materials used in doors.
The process involved Promat providing a complete design for the door assembly, which then required build-up and installation within the furnace in accordance with the technical guidance. This was completed by Rated Solutions, one of Promat’s approved fire glass installers who are regularly involved in installing fire resistant glazing elements in buildings across the UK using the Promat SYSTEMGLAS range. On completion of the test, Attain RTC then issued the report confirming the assembly’s performance.
Attain RTC’s testing was successful both in terms of the way the test was conducted by their team and how the Promat timber frame fire door performed, ensuring that it meets the more demanding requirements of both European standards.
Chris Davey, Attain RTC’s General Manager, commented: “Promat UK’s support, coupled with the installation expertise of Rated Solutions, was extremely valuable to our team on our journey to securing our UKAS accreditation. Whilst we have a highly knowledgeable and experienced team here at Attain RTC, being able to utilise additional technical insights from one of the passive fire protection sector’s most trusted manufacturers was really beneficial, helping us to shape our provision of our fire resistance testing services to the highest standards.”
Fodos Joannides “Joe”, Director of Rated Solutions, who were recently announced as the Promat SYSTEMGLAS Installer of the Year Award winner, added: “We were delighted to be involved with this project and help Attain RTC secure their accreditation. Their fire testing facilities are excellent, and they will become an important asset to the construction industry, particularly given the heightened demand for products and systems to demonstrate their fire resistance through primary testing under the new building safety regime.”
As one of the UK’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of fire resistant glass and glazing systems, Promat is highly experienced in the testing and accreditation procedures. In addition to glass and timber frame doors, the company manufactures the SYSTEMGLAS range. This provides architects, developers and clients with an aesthetically appealing fire-rated glazing system in several different framing options, all of which have been tested by a third party as a complete assembly. For additional peace of mind, all SYSTEMGLAS installations are issued with a certificate of conformity by Promat as part of its 360-degree ‘wheel of assurance’ and the golden thread.
