Fire Insulation - Fireseal

Bradford Fireseal™ Party Wall Sealers are made from non-combustible Rockwool, which is specifically designed to meet the fire protection requirements for inter-tenancy walls in multi residential applications.

Party walls are designed to reduce fire hazards by separating one dwelling from another to provide the building occupants with the maximum time to escape safely by maintaining sufficient structural adequacy, integrity and insulation. There are principally 3 key areas for reducing fire hazards:

• Controlling fire within a compartment
• Controlling the spread of fire between compartments through openings in external walls
• Providing early warning to building occupants

The incorporation of the correct insulation products in the design of passive fire protection systems can save lives and also complement the installation of active fire protection equipment (i.e. sprinkler systems and fire alarms).

BCA provisions

Party Wall Sealer applications for wall perimeter and cavity junctions in Class 1 Buildings need to meet the relevant Deemed to Satisfy requirements of Clause 3.7.1.8 of Volume 2 of the Building Code of Australia (BCA). Inclusion of fire rated building products such as insulation are covered by the BCA.

BCA specifies required levels of fire resistance for walls that separate one dwelling from another, expressed as the Fire Resistance Level (FRL) of the wall in minutes. The fire rated walls must maintain sufficient:

• Structural adequacy - ability of a structure to maintain its stability and ability to hold up other parts of the structure.
• Integrity - ability of a structure to resist the passage of flames and hot gases.
• Insulation - ability of a structure to maintain a temperature below specified limits on the surface on the other side of the wall.

Typical party wall and common wall applications

Insulation products

Party Wall insulation products need to have remarkable resistance to shrinkage at temperatures encountered in fire conditions. One of the most common materials for party wall insulation is Rockwool, such as Bradford’s Fireseal Party Wall insulation products, which are made from non-combustible Rockwool.

Party Wall insulation products should be assessed in accordance with the general principles of AS1530.4, and need to be suitable for the stated FRL when designed in accordance with the relevant building and structural considerations, and installed in accordance with the manufacture’s details.

Features and Benefits

• Highly durable and cost effective fire insulation
• Remarkable resistance to shrinkage at high temperatures encountered in fire conditions
• Suitable for all standard party wall applications – easy-to-cut for constricted applications
• Performance is not adversely affected by contact with water
• Non-combustible (when tested to AS1530.1)

Specifications

Bradford Fireseal Party Wall range is designed for installation between the top of a fire resistance level (FRL) party wall and the roofing membrane. Its purpose is to meet the requirements, for fire resistance between adjacent tenancies,

Note: For installation Fireseal Party Wall Sealer must be compressed by 10%.

Note: For installation Fireseal Party wall batts must be compressed by 10%. Fireseal Party Wall Batts are not appropriate to seal areas at the top of a masonry or lightweight wall system.

For additional details on Party Wall applications and installation, including drawings of typical applications for Class 1 buildings, Roof details, and Vertical joint details, please refer to the Bradford Party Wall design guide for Class 1 Buildings.