This rolling fire door failed to close during the Sofa Superstore Fire.
The heat sensing fuselink and spring release functioned properly. Non-compliant
field mounted ceiling support angles fastened through the door hoods may
have interfered with the coiled fire door curtains preventing them from
closing.
To assure fire ready operation, codes require inspection and testing of
fire doors at least once a year and that a written record is maintained
for inspection by the local Authority Having Jurisdiction. Rolling fire
door testing requirements are detailed in National Fire Protection Association
bulletin 80 (NAPA 80). While NAPA 80 compliance is specifically addressed
in the predominant codes, including the International Building Code and
International Fire Code, this vital obligation can be overlooked by building
owners, inspection officers and others.
Read Entire Article on Rolling
Fire Door Failure
An afternoon fire on Tuesday, January 31, 1995 destroyed Milliken & Company’s Live Oak/Milstar Complex and Carpet Service Center. This was an approximately 600,000 square feet, fully sprinklered carpet manufacturing, warehousing, cutting and distribution facility. The fire began shortly before 2:00 p.m. in the northeast corner of the primarily single story structure in the carpet manufacturing area. The fire initially involved a laminating machine, which attaches carpet to different types of backing. The fire quickly overtaxed the wet pipe automatic sprinkler protection resulting in collapse of the roof and major structural elements within 10 to 20 minutes of the fire’s start. The direct dollar loss to building and contents has been estimated at over $190 million and the total loss at over $400 million.
Some relevant findings in this study include the fact that the automatic sprinkler system was overwhelmed by the fire’s size and fuel supply. In addition, many rolling steel fire doors installed in masonry walls between additions to the complex reportedly failed to close automatically or manually. The principle failure mechanism was identified by fire department and insurance company representatives as pinched together guide tracks at the edges of these doors. Between sprinkler system failure and door closing failure, containment was not achieved and the fire spread throughout the complex.
Obviously, these systems that are engineered to provide protection during a fire, require regular maintenance and testing so they can be relied upon to work in an emergency. NFPA Standard No. 80 on fire door installation provides guidelines and cautions regarding the maintenance of the various fire door types. Not only is testing required annually (at the minimum) by a professionally trained technician, but proper documentation of such must also be presented. Reported necessary repairs must be performed immediately.
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