As the GCC tightens the screws on fire safety standards in the building construction sector, Technal Middle East (TME) is positioning itself as a total solutions provider of fire-rated aluminium systems for windows, doors and facades.

The company is boosting awareness of its fire protection systems through technical conferences, and is increasingly being sought after to provide solutions for some of the high-rise buildings coming up in the Middle East.

“We have seen increased interest in our series of seminars held alongside the UK-based SideRise, which offers perimeter protection systems,” says Hesham Kameshki, marketing and business development manager at TME, the regional office of the French aluminium systems provider.

Technal’s curtain-wall assembly featuring perimeter fire protection from SideRise ... successfuly tested.

The most recent of these technical seminars was held jointly with SideRise in Abu Dhabi at Beach Rotana Hotel, on February 5, which was attended by civil defence officials, contractors, consultants, specifiers and developers.

The series of seminars are being staged in the region, following TME’s successful testing late last year of a new solution utilising a non-fire-rated curtain-wall assembly, which features perimeter fire protection from SideRise. The assembly underwent the EN-1364-4 fire resistance test required in the UAE.

Kameshki says the objective of the test was to provide a firestop at the gap between the edge of the slabs and back of the glazed aluminium curtain-wall. The assembly has used the SideRise fire board (FB) on the back of the spandrel area to protect this zone. In the event of a fire breakout, the fire passes from the spandrel zone, where the flame will act on the aluminium glazed panels above the slab, and might even pass through this zone.

The full assembly of aluminium glazed panels with the combination of firestop material (Lamatherm) and spandrel protection were put through the test.

“The test was conducted in September 2017, at a leading laboratory specialised in fire testing in France – currently, no test laboratory in the region can conduct this kind of test. The target was to pass tests for insulation and integrity to EI 120 (two-hour fire integrity), which was achieved successfully and exceeded during the actual test,” Kameshki says.

He adds that any standard non-fire rated curtain-wall from the Technal Geode range can incorporate SideRise’s perimeter fire protection, making it an economical secured solution that can be utilised.

A vertical cross-section of the curtain-wall assembly that was tested.

“The installation procedures are standard and as per the prevailing practices. Only the gap between the edge slab and the back of the curtain-wall needs to be a minimum 50 mm (in addition to dimensional tolerance that needs to be considered for the concrete casting, or the position of the beam on the slab edge),” he explains.

The thickness of two SideRise FB panels is 50 mm, with the installation of the FB and Lamatherm being simple and also done from inside the building.

TME has been making concerted efforts to boost fire safety awareness and promote products that ensure fire protection. In late 2016, the company unveiled two products that complement each other and can be integrated to provide a complete fire-resistant solution for buildings. A Geode special fire-rated aluminium façade and Pyroal, a fire-rated door and partition solution, offer superior resistance to fire, both internally and externally, he says.

Technal’s fireproof curtain-wall (CW) Geode MX-FP meets high specifications regarding fire safety. The façade series belongs to the same family as Technal MX Geode, where the curtain-wall frames are assembled like the MX standard curtain-wall but where the mullions and transoms are filled with fire-resistant components featuring fireproof glass infill, Kameshki explains.

The Geode MX-FP is classified as EI 120 for external fire resistance at temperatures of up to 690 deg C, while it has an EI 60 rating for fire resistance at temperatures as high as 1,000 deg C. The curtain-wall has fixed 41-mm IGU (insulated glazing unit) panels – comprising 6 mm of Planitherm glass, 8-mm air space and 27 mm Vetrotech Saint Gobain glazing.

Pyroal ... the fire safety door.

Meanwhile, the Pyroal fire safety aluminium door can be integrated into the Geode MX-FP or used on its own. The door is offered in three variants that meet E30, EI 30 and EI 60 ratings in accordance with NF EN 1634 and EN 13501 standards. This allows it to offer flame resistance and guarantee a seal against combustion gases, fumes and flames, and for the EI 30 and EI 60, thermal shield properties to prevent the spread of heat, and insulation for the duration for which they have been classified.

The Pyroal fire safety door can be used in public facilities such as hospitals, retirement homes, restaurants, primary and secondary schools, theatres and leisure centres and offices; and community housing, warehouses and industrial premises, whether in new constructions or refurbishment, in compliance with regulations.

The aluminium door (with thermal break) is available as single- or two-leaf, open-in or open-out hinged versions with fixed top lights and/or fixed side lights. The module is 77 mm with an infill from 10 to 49 mm. The maximum weight per leaf is 261 kg with door leaf dimensions of up to 1.4 m by 2.85 m.

Pyroal offers a wide selection of accessories and closing mechanisms such as locks and anti-panic bars. Thresholds come with or without EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) sealing lip, with the access threshold for the disabled meeting the relevant regulations while maintaining high sealing performances.

To diversify the range, TME has recently introduced Thermo 74 fire-rated aluminium door and partition solution (with thermal break), which also offers a superior resistance to fire, both internally and externally, for special projects, with features that fulfils all different demands.

“Technal, a market leader in propriety architectural aluminium systems, has risen to every challenge by creating customised solutions that meet the evolving architectural requirements of the region and respond to new trends and regulations, and spares no efforts in innovating solutions for predicted future needs,” says Kameshki.