Fire-Rated Doors: How Ratings Work and What to Check
Fire-rated doors contain fire and smoke within a defined area and protect escape routes such as stairs and corridors. But the number of minutes alone is not enough to choose the right door: ratings differ between standards and cover the door, frame, hardware, glazing and seals together, as tested.
Reading a European classification
Doors are tested to EN 1634-1 and classified under EN 13501-2. An example classification is EI2 60-C:
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| E | Integrity: stops flames and hot gases passing |
| I1 or I2 | Insulation; the number depends on how insulation is measured, and the two are not interchangeable |
| W | Limits radiation |
| C | Self-closing |
| Number | Duration in minutes; door classes include 15, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180 and 240 minutes |
US and UK standards
- In the US, doors are tested to UL 10C, with positive pressure followed by a hose stream test, or to NFPA 252, and installed and maintained to NFPA 80, which is not a test standard. UL 10C ratings are 20, 30, 45, 60, 90, 180 and 240 minutes, with no 120-minute step.
- In the UK, BS 476-22 is being phased out: from 2 September 2029, Approved Document B will accept only European classifications.
What duration is required?
The door rating follows the rating of the wall it sits in and the code. In codes based on the International Building Code, 2-hour stair and shaft walls take 90-minute doors, 1-hour stair, shaft and exit passageway walls take 60-minute doors, and other 1-hour fire barriers take 45-minute doors. On each project, refer to the adopted Saudi code and Civil Defense requirements. In 2021, Intertek announced that its Al Khobar laboratory was approved by Civil Defense to test fire doors to SBC 201 and SBC 801.
Practical steps now
- Ask for a test and classification certificate covering the complete model supplied: door, frame, hardware and glazing.
- Make sure the door is self-closing, and do not allow it to be held open with unapproved devices.
- Inspect doors regularly, and fix gaps and damaged hardware as soon as they are found.
For more detail, see our fire-rated doors and building safety guide.
Need fire-rated doors for your project? AZEIDK supplies Falcon Gold steel fire doors in single-leaf and double-leaf designs as part of its fire-rated door and emergency exit solutions, reviews the test and classification certificate for the required model with you before supply, and provides Civil Defense approval support. Contact the AZEIDK team
