CHALLENGING REQUIREMENTS

When it comes to fire safety, hospitals are uniquely challenging projects. On the one hand, variations in the mobility of occupants mean that evacuation times must be maximised. On the other, modern hospitals contain complex and ever-changing building services. This demands passive fire protection and compartmentation measures which help to meet the strictest regulations and can allow critical rooms to remain in full operation after a fire incident.

IMPORTANCE OF PASSIVE FIRE PROTECTION

With dynamic and complex requirements for building services, the number of penetrations passing through fire-rated walls and ceilings is typically high. Gaps in fire-rated walls and ceilings may represent a risk for patients, staff and equipment, as fire – and more importantly smoke – can spread rapidly.

Active fire protection alone, including detection (e.g. alarms) and suppression (e.g. sprinklers), may not be enough. Containment of fire and smoke is also key: effective compartmentation can be achieved with passive fire protection.

KEEPING OPERATING COSTS LOW

Healthcare is a sector under severe cost pressure with a duty to keep building life-cycle costs low. Hospitals are dynamic environments with constantly changing patient requirements and technological advancements. As new equipment is purchased and existing equipment is maintained or reconfigured, firestopping after every maintenance activity can be an uncalculated hidden cost.

On top of that, in critical rooms like Intensive Care Units, the air pressure should remain stable. Therefore, the prevention of air leakage and every marginal efficiency gain can positively contribute to the reduction of the life-cycle cost of the building.

Firestop solutions that contribute to easier maintenance and airflow control can have a direct impact on your bottom line, products such as the CFS-SL GA Firestop sleeve.

SENSITIVE SURROUNDINGS

As well as the wide-ranging challenges of designing, building and maintaining healthcare facilities, there are also other significant challenges in ongoing operations. When looking to contain the spread of fire and smoke, there are other important considerations – such as infection control, airborne fibers and acoustics. In these cases the CFS-BL Firestop block may be an option.

INFECTION CONTROL

Penetrations for services between patient rooms can represent a source of airborne bacteria transmission. Therefore, airflow control must be carefully managed to help keep the air where it is intended to be and therefore reduce the spread of infection. A consideration could be the CFS-D cable disc.

VIRTUALLY FIBRe-FREE

Commonly used traditional firestopping methods, like coated boards, are often composed of fibres of metallic ore and igneous rock. Whilst they can effectively prevent smoke and fire spreading, repenetrating these systems with pipes or cables may release fibres into the air, which could pose a risk to patients, particularly those in critical environments like operating theatres or intensive care units.

NOISE REDUCTION

Patient privacy, comfort and recuperation may be compromised when noise from adjacent spaces travels uninhibited. A main cause of these problems is the inadequate acoustic insulation between rooms. Firestop products with superior acoustic insulation properties help contribute to the overall noise reduction.

HOW CAN WE SUPPORT YOU

It is never too early to start planning firestop. From the design phase, Hilti Project Engineers can work directly with Specifiers to develop a firestop solution tailored to not only meet the budget and schedule, but also the practicalities of the hospital once it is operational. The Building Owner’s safety requirements could be met without compromising the project delivery time, cable management, airflow control and product approvals. During the construction phase, we can offer support which could include visits the jobsite to provide installation guidance and support to the Contractor’s team.

SOLUTIONS FOR DEMANDING APPLICATIONS

Hilti has over 30 years of experience in providing internationally tested and approved firestop systems for a wide range of mechanical, electrical and mixed penetrations applications. Below are some possible options for the various applications you will find on a healthcare project.

Solutions for wastewater, fresh water, heating and gas pipes:
• CFS C-EL Firestop collar endless: flexible and approved for a wide range of pipe configurations.
• CFS-B Firestop bandage: versatile, quick and easy-to-install with no hooks, anchors or drilling.
• CFS-C P Firestop collar: easy-to-install, retrofit and visually inspect.

Solutions for electrical cables, cable bundles and conduits:
• CFS-D Firestop cable disc: self-adhesive discs of firestop putty for small penetrations.
• CFS-PL Firestop plug: ready to use, easy to install, maintain and retrofit.
• CFS-(R)CC Firestop cable collar: solutions for renovation works in medium to large penetrations without removing existing firestop.

Solutions for mixed penetrations:
• CFS-BL Firestop block: pre-cured and ready to use for medium to large openings – no power tools required – making it easy to install, maintain and retrofit. Ideal for sensitive environments (ICU, OR) with strict dust requirements.
• CFS-F FX Firestop foam: traditional firestopping method for small to medium openings and covering clima-split air-conditioning services.

If you are dealing with passive fire protection and need support or have any queries, just leave a comment below, ask for advice in the forum section or checkout our other Firestop articles here.