Fire
Fire Resistance and Reaction to Fire.
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What fire rating does Siniat Fire Board give?
A plasterboard product on its own does not provide a fire resistance rating. Fire resistance refers to how a complete construction (such as a wall, lining, ceiling, or floor/ceiling build‑up) performs in a fire test, including its ability to resist collapse, prevent fire spread, or limit heat transfer. This performance depends entirely on the full t
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What do I need to do to achieve fire protection to structural steel?
Siniat encasement systems have been discontinued effective from 29/03/26. We do offer solutions for fire‑protecting structural steel beams and columns through the Promat product range. To specify an appropriate system, three key pieces of information are required: The required fire protection period (e.g. 30, 60, 90, 120 minutes). The steel section
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Can Weather Defence™ be used for steel encasements?
Weather DefenceTM is designed and tested as an external sheathing board for use within Siniat façade and Thruwall systems. It's intended application is as a sheathing board that provides temporary weather protection during construction, allowing internal works to progress while the external wall is still in progress. Although Weather Defence™ is c
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How Do Siniat Fire Test Systems?
Test → Extend → Classify: Siniat’s Evidence Chain To ensure products are safe, compliant, and aligned with UK regulatory expectations, Siniat follows a rigorous Test → Extend → Classify process. All fire‑resistant systems are tested as complete assemblies through UKAS‑accredited laboratories, and classification follows strict EN standard requirement
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What extensions can I make to a fire rated partition?
You may want to extend a tested fire performing partition build-up. The following rules have been taken from the Extended field of application standard EN 15254-1: Lightweight Partitions. Framing Allowed Not Allowed Increase stud gauge Decrease stud gauge Decrease stud spacing Increase stud spacing Increase stud depth Decrease stud depth Increase
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What is the Siniat route to Fire substantiation?
The simplest way to look at the amendments to Approved Document B is that any fire-resisting element should be proven using EN standards, following the process of ‘test’, then ‘extend’, and then ‘classify’. TEST - Testing must use the appropriate EN fire-testing standard. EXTEND - Extension of test data to similar applications can be done, but only
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What is Fire Classification?
What is the purpose of a fire classification report? When a fire test on a system is carried out, a test report is issued containing complex raw data. As defined in Approved Document B, the system is then required to be 3rd party classified to EN 13501-2. A classification report is a uniform and standardised structure to express the fire performance
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Should I design to BS or EN Standards?
The design standards to which a project is being built should be defined by the project client. You should confirm this before the design process begins. Siniat will support projects that are being built to either standard, however believe that EN fire standards are more robust and clearer in their interpretation and therefore have and will continue
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Why is there a shift from BS to EN fire testing standards?
Why the Shift? The shift from British Standards (BS) to European (EN) fire‑testing standards is driven by modernised test methodologies, stronger evidence requirements, and closer regulatory alignment. EN standards provide clearer, more robust performance data and a consistently applied classification framework, supporting the principles of the Gold
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What is EXAP?
Put simply, EXAP stands for extended field of application. These are the only EN standards allowed to go beyond the fire test standard to extend the number of 3rd party approved applications. Why EXAP and why now? In 2018, the Hackitt report triggered changes to Approved Document B. The changes meant that products and systems for fire resistance a
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How do I read the new partition system names?
Partition code structure In order to understand the build-up of the system just from the name, the code is split into sections (indicated with ‘-’) FRAMING- BOARDING - INSULATION Framing Boarding Insulation Frame Type No. Layers No. Layers Stud Profile Thickness Thickness Stud Width Name Type Stud Gauge Asymmetric Stud Centres Accessories
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Are Siniat sealants compatible with cPVC Pipes?
Sealants and cPVC pipework compatibility Siniat Intumescent Acoustic Sealant is not suitable for use with cPVC pipework and must not be used for this application. Incorrect product selection in these situations can lead to compatibility issues and may compromise the performance and durability of both the pipework and the fire‑stopping system. Please
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What insulation can be used to achieve the acoustic performance of a partition system?
Siniat Partition and Shaftwall systems can include glass mineral wool insulation in the cavity of the system to obtain improved acoustic performance over the empty cavity equivalent. Siniat do not mention a particular manufacturer of glass mineral wool so to achieve the quoted performance the thickness of GMW insulation used must be at least that
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What is the coverage of your Siniat branded sealants?
Understanding sealant coverage is essential when planning works, ordering materials, and ensuring continuity of fire and acoustic performance across wall and floor constructions. Below is a guide to the typical coverage and key characteristics of Siniat branded sealants based on Siniat product information and technical data. Siniat Fire Rated Silico
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Is it possible to install glazed screens in Siniat Shaftwall systems?
Siniat are unable to provide opening details to support glazing in Shaftwall constructions. If a glazed opening is required in a shaftwall construction then appropriate supporting structural framing (SHS / Goal posts) will need to be provided. This structure will then need to be fire protected using relevant board solutions and the Shaftwall constru
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Can you install back-to-back sockets in a partition?
Standard industry guidance is to avoid installing back‑to‑back sockets where possible. Ideally, sockets should be located in separate stud bays, ensuring a natural stagger between socket penetrations on each side of the partition and helping to maintain the integrity of the construction. Where the use of separate stud bays cannot be achieved, back‑t
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Do Siniat have fire test data to support door openings within partitions?
It is the responsibility of the relevant door manufacturer to provide test data and advise on the construction they used to meet the desired fire performance with their door sets/assemblies. The door details Siniat provide are recommendations to form framed openings to support the door weights as outlined in the site-specific project pack and the G
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What plasterboards should be used for framing out opening when installing dampers in partitions?
When creating an opening within a partition for a damper, the opening should be capped with the same number of layers and thickness of plasterboard as per the partition system with further consideration to the actual test data associated with the damper system. As a minimum both criteria must be met.
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Does Siniat have Shaftwall solutions for horizontal applications?
Siniat do not currently have a tested horizontal shaftwall. The Siniat Shaftwall range is for vertical application only. Promat do have options for horizontal membranes that may suit your application.
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Can an extra layer of plasterboard be fixed to an existing party wall to improve performance?
Fixing additional layer of plasterboard to an existing separating wall will likely yield some improved performance. However the amount of gain will be dependent on the specification of the original wall. As this is already a high performing wall (fire and acoustics) the increase in performance may not be that significant. To best advise, the specif
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When forming a door opening within a partition, should it be capped with plasterboard?
Ultimately, the requirement for the opening to be capped with plasterboard rests with the door set manufacturer. Their door set fire tests will detail how the the interface was formed and that as a minimum must be followed. From a Siniat perspective, the capping of the door opening is deemed as good practice using the same specification of boards
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How should a profiled soffit be detailed to maintain performance of a partition fixed to it?
When fixing the head of a partition to a profiled rib deck, the profiles must be fire stopped to maintain the same fire resistance performance as the partition below. There are specialised products that are available from fire stopping manufacturers to suit this purpose and guidance from the relevant manufacturer must be sought to ensure they are in
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What is the reaction to fire classification of Siniat Joint Tape?
Siniat Joint Tape in isolation has a reaction to fire Euroclass of F to EN 13501-1. However when used as part of a full Siniat Jointing system with Siniat joint compounds, the reaction to fire Euroclass is A2-s1,d0 in line with BS EN 13963:2014 Annex B.
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What guidance is there for fire stopping pipe penetrations?
Regulatory context and scope To ensure pipe penetrations through Siniat systems are adequately fire‑stopped, all solutions must align with the project fire strategy and the requirements of Approved Document B (ADB), Section 9 – Protection of openings and fire‑stopping. Any approach used must be supported by tested and classified fire‑stopping soluti
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What solutions are available to provide a fire resisting ceiling to timber trusses ?
Siniat currently do not have a solution for boarding direct to timber rafters to achieve fire compartmentation. Promat have a solutions with Supalux as below: For more information on Promat solutions please contact Promat on technical@promat.co.uk
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Are noggings required with a timber ceiling?
For the purpose of fixing Siniat Plasterboard direct to the underside of a timber ceiling, there are two scenarios which will dictate the need for noggings. In cold state - where the ceiling/floor element is not required to have a fire resistant period the following recommmendations can be followed: In hot state - where the ceiling is required to
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Can partition plasterboard be installed vertically or horizontally?
Plasterboard within internal partitions can be installed both vertically and horizontally in principle. However, where a partition is designed to achieve a fire‑resistance classification, the orientation of the boards must follow the tested and classified Siniat partition system. If the board orientation differs from that used in the tested partit
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What plasterboards can be used as part of the Siniat framed encasement system?
Siniat encasement systems are all based on 12.5mm and 15mm Siniat Fireboard. Siniat Fireboard is defined as Type F to BS EN 520 and it is Siniats opinion that Fireboard can be switched with Megadeco or Universal boards to achieve the same fire protection as these are both Type F also. Should it be desired to used Universal or Megadeco instead of Fir
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How can I combine an intumescent painted steel with boarded encasement system to provide steel protection?
Situations will occur where the fire protection system needs to change from one type to another on a single beam for example. Such junctions are unlikely to be tested therefore there is a grey area in regard to liability. Siniat do not have test data on a junction where a single beam is fire protected with two different systems. Wherever possible th
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Can Siniat Weather Defence be used to encase and fire protect structural steel?
Siniat Weather Defence has not been tested as part of a structural steel fire protection encasmeent system. As such this can not be recommended and steels will require to be fully fire protected by other means.
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What is the maximum deflection allowance that can be incorporated within the Siniat A1 Shaftwall system?
The Siniat A1 shaftwall deflection head detail can cater for upto 40mm movement. At construction you will need to understand whether you need to allow for upward and downward movement or just downward and install accordingly, but the maximum range of movement is 40mm. The deflection head configurations are shown below: Please follow the link for f