End capping condition – U/C (uncapped/Capped) versus U/U (uncapped/uncapped)

We are often asked by clients why arencollars tested U/C whereas, a number of European manufacturers have tested U/Unwhich is more onerous detail. Therefore, why are your penetration seals notnU/U.

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BS EN 1366: Part 3: Fire resistancentests for service installations: penetration seals

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This standard provides a fire test methodnfor evaluating the performance of fire sealing products such as pipe closurendevices, cable supporting systems (trays and ladders) and non-combustible pipensealing systems; wherever services pass through fire resisting walls andnfloors. The end-use situation is modelled with the addition of weights tonsimulate a continuous run of service away from the seal.

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The standard also contains a number ofn‘standard configurations’ of penetration sealing systems to cover a widenvariety of end-use applications. These allow manufacturers to be able reducenthe amount of testing that would otherwise be required.

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For example, for testing penetration seals used for plastic and metal pipes, the standard contains suggested test configurations that best model the end-use condition.

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Metal pipes would always normally be capped inside the furnace as they will not melt like plastic pipes. However, this depends on their supporting system. If the pipes are supported by non-fire resisting supports, then failure of the supports may result in an open pipe situation which is considered in table below;

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The standard contains many other items tonbe considered by a manufacturer before embarking on a test programme. Ancorrectly designed test specimen will give a manufacturer the greatest field ofnapplication (widest applicability) of the test result. Test specimens andnprogrammes should be designed to give the widest applicability considering thendirect application rules and extended application rules defined within thenstandard.

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