FIREBREAK 4H Full Presentation - ArcelorMittal

The Certified Fire wall

Why the Firestop wall? 

• Insulate and keep a fire in ONLY ONE cell of a building 

• Avoid the structure and the front fall towards the outside 

– Secure intervention of firefighters & emergency services 

– Optimize rescues 

• Meet the new insurance companies requirements 

– 4h certified !

Presentation Plan 

• Section I: Firewall Firebreak 4h general presentation 

• Section II: Firewall Firebreak 4h detailed presentation 

• Section III: Firewall Firebreak 4h CSTB Certification Test 

• Section IV: Firebreak system promotion & development 

• Section V: Extra part on Fire regulation

Section I 

Firewall Firebreak 

General Presentation

Firebreak 4h: Description 

• Standard panels : 

– Length: 2,50 m 

– Height: 1,25 m 

– Thickness: 170 mm 

• Smaller panels available (for adaptation to the 

wall dimensions) 

• ALUZINC coating 

• Less than 100 kg/m 2 

• Steel structure on each side

Internal Composition 

• Symmetrically, successive coats of : 

– Cellular glass (Foamglas) 

– Plaster (Prégyfeu) 

– Core in Fibro-silicate 

– + bonding (special glue) 

Steel sheet 

in ALUZINC 

Foamglas 

Plaster 

Fibro-silicate 

Plaster 

Foamglas 

Steel sheet 

in ALUZINC 

17 cm

Main Advantages 

• Light construction with a good stability 

• Flexible (easy to dismantle, well adapted for the renovation) 

• No foundations needed (pressure on the ground surface around 

1kg/cm 2 a height of 15 meters) => construction simplified, removable 

and reusable 

• Delivery in standard panels ready for use 

• Easy erection by a steel fabricator 

• 4h ISO-fire resistance attested by the approved French laboratory of 

the CSTB, for a height of 15m with unlimited width

Main Advantages 

• The only one fire wall system in the market (4h, 15m) certified 

• Collapse towards the side of the fire, therefore no risk for firefighting 

and rescue teams 

• Good thermal insulation : Maximum temperature of 120 degrees on the 

outer face 

• Good acoustic insulation => Rw (C t r) = 43 (-1, -3) dB 

• Aluzinc Benefits : aesthetics (naturally silver), excellent resistance to 

corrosion, officially approved for food storage application 

(according to the standard NFA 36-712-6 April 2006) : No specific 

treatment or additional surface is to be added

Sustainable Advantages 

• Free of fibers : Inside the wall, mineral, insulating and non 

combustible materials (M0) 

• Guaranteed corrosion protection against perforation 

• Dry system (doesn’t require water during construction phase) 

• Doesn’t emit toxic substances (gases and fumes) during normal 

conditions and in case of fire 

• Recyclable and environmentally inert materials

Sustainable Advantages 

• Safe working conditions during erection 

(light elements) 

• Fast, easy and cheap installation process 

• Allows less disruptive refurbishment for 

existing buildings 

• Possibility of re-use and relocate the wall 

• Storage on pallets, less space needed, 

less trucks, less fuel consumption

Scope of applications 

Industry 

Combustible 

Materials 

Warehouses 

Refurbishment / 

Rehabilitation 

Warehousing 

companies 

Food storage 

Theatres / 

Concert halls 

Refrigerating 

industry 

Other possible applications : 

Maritime/Naval 

applications

Section II 


Detailed Presentation

Mechanism 

• The wall is supported by a steel 

structure on each side 

• The structure doesn’t bear the wall … 

but the FRAME ! 

• Fuse fixations : bimetallic strip joined 

with tin 

=> when the tin casts, the steel 

structure comes off and sags on the fire.

Steps of fire expansion in a warehouse cell 

• Start of fire in a cell 

• Vertical fire expansion


• Accumulation of warm 

gas under the roof 

• Deformation of the frame 

• Fusible connections 

ensure that the link 

between wall and heated 

structure disappears


• The fire is spreading in 

the burn-out cell. 

• The structure collapses 

on the fire. 

• Fully developed fire and 

failure of the heated 

structure. The wall 

supported by the 

structure on cold side 

ensures 4 hours of fire 

resistance.


• Fire is decreasing / 

Decay phase of the fire 

• Protected by Firebreak, 

the adjacent cell on the 

cold side is safe. It is not 

damaged.

Structure and fitting: Fastening systems 

Fuses on 5 m x 5 m grid 

Traditional endwall structures 

Designed to resist wind and roof loads: manufacturer does not need to 

make specific allowance for fire-resistance capability.

Layout of fuses on endwal structures 

on either side 

5 m 

5 m 

5 m 

5 m 

5 m 5 m 5 m 5 m 

Standard design : 

One fuse every 5 metres : 1 fuse for 25 square metres

Firebreak 4h: structure and assembly 

Exceptional reliability: 

4 hours / 15 metres high / unlimited width 

Wall density 

98.75 kg/m 2 

Structure (beams) 

Special fasteners 

Firebreak wall 

Horizontal & vertical 

joints 

Floor fastening

Overall view, elevation 

Standard panel Non-standard panel, type 1 Non-standard panel, type 2 

Fast elevation with two team works

Structure and assembly 

Unlimited 

width 

Assembly method 

• Assembly with small mobile crane 

• Easy fitting (slot-in) 

Approximate weight of panel 

300 kg 

Firebreak wall up to 15 metres high

Structure and assembly: joints 

Aluzinc strip, 1 mm thick 

Aluzinc facing, 1 mm thick 

Horizontal and vertical assembly 

Steel hat-section rail, 1.2 mm thick 

Palusol PM 

A2 stainless steel Lag screw 

TH 6 x 80 

ZN steel self-tapping screw 

TH 4.7 x 16

Structure and fitting: 

Floor fastening 

Levelling mortar base 

(thickness as required) 

Concrete floor slab 

Concrete 

Floor fastening 

- Generally no need to strengthen 

an existing concrete slab 

- “U” or flat section performs 

fastening rail and levelling 

functions 

- Fastening on existing concrete 

• Time savings 

• Clean, dry worksite 

• Lower assembly costs 

Floor surface pressure around 1 kg/cm 2 for partition 15 

metres high

Lifting spreader supplied

Structure and fitting: 

Extention through façade and roof 

50 cm 

Façade 

1 m 

Roof

Section III 


CSTB Certification test

Fitting of hat-section assembly profiles 

and lag bolts

Intumescent strip and screw-down closure 

sheet

Test load corresponding to height of 15 meters 

Test carried out by CSTB

CSTB certification test 

After 4 hours 15 minutes in standard fire conditions, only half the 

thickness has been destroyed.

CSTB evaluation & test report

CSTB evaluation & rating report 

II – Findings 

II.1 – Rating criteria: standard 

II.1.1 – Load-bearing capacity 

Duration: 240 minutes 

II.1.2 – Flame and fume seal-off 


II.1.3 – Heat insulation 


II.2 – Laboratory evaluation basis 

II.2.1 – Test report n° RS07-050 

(self-supporting wall, load 1162 daN / ml)

Section IV 

Firebreak system 

Promotion & 

Development

Exhibition at Batimat trade show in Paris, 

November 2007

Exhibition at Expoprotection trade show 

in Paris, November 2008 

In recognition to its innovative characteristics, the 

Firebreak Wall 4H has received a the Innovation award

Development 

• Firebreak 2 hours : height 15 m 

• Firebreak 1 hour : height 12,5 m 

• Acoustic tests of Firebreak 4hours 

• Getting European Technical 

Accreditations 

• Floor and ceiling firestop 

=> High Buildings

Section V 

Extra Part on 

Fire regulation

Regulations 

…require compliance with structural 

fire-resistance rating criteria

Fire resistance rating criteria 

• R (SF): mechanical resistance time under standard test 

conditions of ISO 834 � load-bearing structures 

• RE or E (PF): flame and fume seal-off time � partition 

structures (slabs, walls) 

• REI or EI (CF): heat insulation (140°C on face opposite to fire) 

� partition structures (slabs, walls)

Regulation and decrees 

General texts 

Decrees, orders, circulars 

French Ministry of Ecology & Sustainable Development 

• Decree of 5 August 2002 on prevention of disasters in 

covered warehouses requiring authorization under item 1510 

(Official Journal of 1 January 2003, page 50) 

• Decree giving innovative specification of clear objectives

Measures on fire resistance of warehouses 

Article 6 (� specific objectives) 

“In general terms, construction measures seek to ensure that 

collapse of a particular item (wall, roof, pillar, beam, etc.) does not 

lead to a domino-effect collapse of the building structure as a 

whole (typically the neighbouring storage cells, or the partitions 

between them), and that if collapse occurs it does so within rather 

than outside the initial fire zone.”

Physical data 

• Survival is possible up to 80°C (or possibly 150°C for firefighters 

in special clothing). 

• Usual materials resist temperatures up to 500°C and beyond. 

• When materials reach 500°C, the local ambient temperature is 

much higher. 

• Conclusion: Conditions have ceased to be life-sustaining long 

before structural collapse occurs in the fire

Consequences 

• Local collapse of a structure in a fire is not a catastrophe in itself 

provided that we can be certain there are no people alive in the 

collapse zone…. 

BUT 

• Collapse of one item must not lead to collapse in structures not 

affected (or less affected) by the fire, which may not yet have 

been vacated or which may be occupied by firefighters � Domino 

collapse must be avoided. 

In most cases, the feasibility of rescuing victims in a 

building on fire depends not so much on the fire resistance 

of the structure as on the risk of domino collapse.

Domino collapse, illustration 

Metal racks absorbed domino collapse of the structure in prestressed 

concrete

Objective: inward collapse kinematics 

• Metal structures usually respond well to this criteria. 

• A design guide is available, based on a parametric study by 

CTICM (SCMF site). 

• CTICM = Centre Technique et Industriel de la Construction Métallique (Steel construction 

technical and industrial institute) 

• SCMF = Syndicat de la Construction Métallique de France (French Constructional Steelwork 

Association)

« Item 1510 » storage warehouses : 

compartmentalization and layout 

Article 9 

Storage cells should be limited in surface area to reduce the 

amount of combustible material burning in the event of fire, and 

prevent fire propagating from one cell to another. 

Storage cells should not exceed 3,000 square metres if there is no 

automatic fire extinguishing system, or 6,000 square metres if there 

is an automatic fire extinguishing system.



Article 8 

Storage warehouses should be split up into cells to reduce the 

amount of combustible material burning in the event of fire. 

Compartmentalization should be capable of preventing fire 

propagating from one cell to another. 

To meet this objective, the cells must meet the following 

requirements: 

• The partitions between the storage cells must have a firebreak 

capability of at least two hours.



• The partitions must continue through the roof and extend at least 

1 metre above it at this point. Either the roof must be covered 

with a protective strip extending over a width of least 5 metres on 

either side of the partitions, or alternatively, if warranted, a dry 

standpipe may be fitted along the partitions to afford similar 

protection. 

• Unless the outer walls have a one-hour firebreak capability, cell 

partitions must extend through the outer walls and terminate 

either in a section 1 metre wide along the outer walls, or extend 

for 0.50 metres beyond the outer walls.

Storage compartmentalization and layout 

Fire partition walls may be arranged in any configuration with 

respect to the load-bearing structure.

APSAD Regulation 

Regulatory minimum 

requirements can be tightened 

by additional requirements 

specific to insurance 

companies.


2.1 – Purpose 

2 – Firebreak partitions 

A firebreak partition (FBP) separates two buildings or two parts of the same building 

so that fire breaking out on one side of the partition will not propagate to the other 

side. 

2.2 – Behaviour in fire 

A firebreak partition must be rated to at least REI 240, whichever side is exposed to 

the fire risk. The fire resistance of the firebreak partition must be validated by an 

accredited technical inspector or by a worksite report issued by an accredited 

laboratory, as appropriate. A work completion report must be submitted to the project 

owner in two copies, one for the insurance company. 

Validation concerns the fire resistance of load-bearing items, filling materials and the 

fittings of openings and passageways through the partition. 

Ouvrages séparatifs coupe-feu Règle ARSADR15 – Edition xx 2007.0


Firebreak partitions must extend at least 1 metre above the highest point 

of an area extending 7 metres either side of the partition. (See figure 

2.4.1.1.a.) 

Partition 1 metre above highest point in this area 

Figure 2.4.1.1.a – Firebreak extending above roof between two buildings 

of same height 

If the partition separates buildings of different heights, this requirement 

applies to the higher of the two buildings. (See figure 2.4.1.1.b.) 

Figure 2.4.1.1.b – Firebreak extending above roof between two buildings 

of different heights 

This measure is to ensure that fire cannot propagate through the firebreak, 

by direct action of the flames or by radiated heat, and to provide a screen 

protecting firefighting personnel as they work to extinguish the fire. 

FBP 

2.4.2 – Extension through outer walls 

2.4.2.1 – Title pending 

Firebreak partitions must extend 0.5 metres clear beyond the outer face of 

an outer wall. (See figure 2.4.2.1.a.) 

Top view 

Building A Building B 

Figure 2.4.2.1.a – Firebreak extending beyond outer wall 

This requirement may be lifted if there is a strip rated to EI 120 at least 2 

metres wide along the whole height of the outer wall either side of the 

partition, in material rated A1 or A2s1d0, with no opening it it. (See figure 

2.4.2.2.a.) 

Top view 

FBP 

Figure 2.4.2.2.a – Exception to extension through outer wall: façade with 

no openings, rated EI 120, in material rated A1 or A2s1d0 

FBP 

Facade 

Building A Building B 

Facade


2.5.2 – Openings (unobstructed bays) 

Openings in a firebreak partition must be fitted with automatically closing double doors rated EI 90 and E1 120, meeting the design and 

fitting requirements specified in APSAD rule R 16. (See figures 2.5.1.a and 2.5.1.b.) 

FBP 

FBP 

Bays must not be more than 3.8 metres wide or 4.4 metres high. 

Firebreak door, open 

Firebreak door, closed 

Figure 2.5.1.a – Double firebreak door 

Horizontal section 

Door closure must be operated by means of an automatic detection system or independent type I sensor-triggers. 

The materials surrounding the openings (lintels and jambs) must be strong enough to support the weight of the firebreak doors and 

withstand the impacts of repeated open-close action. If the material is not strong enough (cellular concrete, for example), a special frame 

must be built on which to fit the door mechanisms. (Figure 2.5.1.c.) Metal lintels are not allowed.


Type of 

partition 

Firebreak 

partition 

Regulatory 

firebreak 

partition 

Ordinary 

partition 

Fireproof 

compartment 

Fire 

resistance 

REI 240 or EI 

180 on both 

faces of 

double-face 

firebreak 

partition. 

REI 120 

REI 120 

REI 90 for 

outer face 

and EI 90 for 

other faces 

Selfsupporting 

Yes 

No 

requirement 

No 

requirement 

Not 

applicable 

Load bearing 

Load borne by 

means of brackets 

or consoles and 

sliding supports. 

Load-bearing 

capability allowed 

for double firebreak 

partition. 

Target result: no 

domino collapse 

and no outward 

collapse of fire 

outbreak cell. 

Load-bearing by 

sliding supports or 

fuse links. 

Not applicable 

Extension through roof 

Extension 1 metre above 

roof and A1 or A2s1d0 

protective strips 5 metres 

either side. 

Extension 1 metre above 

roof. Extension 0.5 

metres beyond façade or 

1 metre along façade on 

either side. Roof covered 

with protective strip 5 

metres either side 

As firebreak partition, 

except for concrete roofs 

Not applicable 

Structure 

materials 

A1 or 

A2s1d0 

No 

requirement 

A1 or 

A2s1d0. 

”Fragile” 

faces not 

allowed if 

rack parallel 

to ordinary 

wall 

A1 or 

A2s1d0 

Openings 

Automaticclosure 

double 

doors, EI 90 

and E 120. 


doors, 

EI 120 


single doors, 

E 120 

Single doors 

EI 90 & 

A 120 (inner 

face) 

Single doors 

E 90 (outer 

face) 

Ventilation 

& air conditioning 

ducts 

Not allowed 

EI 120 

EI 120 

EI 120 

Conveyors 

Compliant 

with APSAD 

rule R16 

EI 120 

Compliant 

with APSAD 

rule R16 

Compliant 

with APSAD 

rule R16


Metal-frame firebreak walls are not allowed unless they have a double face. 

(See section 2.7.) 

APSAD R15 rule: self-supporting firebreak walls were required for 

reasons of symmetry, which appeared logical at the time, but not 

now.

Traditionnal construction by concrete pillars 

embedded in the floor 

Fitted in front of 

concrete pillar 

Concrete 

framework 

Fireproof joints 

between 

panels 

Concrete 

frame 

Stringer 

Frame 

Variant: panels 

fitted between 

reinforced 

concrete pillars 

As an initial approximation, the firebreak capability of a wall in solid 

prefabricated concrete panels can be calculated using the simple rules 

set out in standard P 92-701 (DTU fire concrete), as shown in the 

table below. These rules apply two walls with a slenderness ratio no 

more than 50. The walls may be exposed to fire on one or both sides. 

Loadbearing 

walls 

Nonloadbearing 

walls 

Firebreak 

capability 

Thickness 

(cm) 

Thickness 

(cm) 

½ 

hour 

10 

6 

1 

hour 

11 

7 

1 ½ 

hours 

12 

9 

2 

hour 

s 

15 

11 

3 

hours 

20 

15 

4 

hour 

s 

25 

17.5

BUT… deformation of free-standing 

(i.e. self-supporting) wall embedded in floor 

Convex deformation on side 

exposed to heat 

Initial position 

Deformed position 

Wall

Self-supporting firebreak walls: 

potentially dangerous 

The wall leans outward 

from the fire if not free to 

rotate at the foot. 

This goes against the aims 

of item 1510.

Former rules (APSAD R15) 

• There is no straightforward, reliable method for designing a selfsupporting 

wall compliant with standards. Resort must be made 

to sophisticated calculation models that are not in current 

usage. 

• Former rules do not allow for the effect of temperature gradient 

when determining stress. (Text in extenso in R15 till 2007.) 

• But the temperature gradient, and the second-order effects 

thereof, is the main cause of wall collapse.

Conclusion 

• Current recommendations (APSAD R15) should come under 

serious critical review. 

• Embedded pillars and outer façade shear walls should be 

prohibited if they can be exposed to high temperature gradients. 

• Interior firebreak walls embedded in the floor should only be 

allowed if the effects of expansion and the resulting additional 

stress on neighbouring structures can be properly evaluated.

Is full chaining really necessary? 

Not if we can be sure that collapse will be in the right direction 

without risk for the wall.

Classical deformation and possible solution? 

Wall embedded at foot 

and free at top 

Wall curves gradually 

Wall supported horizontally at foot 

and top 

In the scenario to the right, the wall curves less, so the weight offset is 

less, and the risk of collapse is toward the fire rather than away from it. 

As we said previously, thanks to its steel structure the Firebreak wall is 

not concerned by this problem

Thank you for your attention 

Contacts : 

Fabrice Sokolowsky, 

Innovation & Development Manager 

fabrice.sokolowsky@arcelormittal.com 

Frédéric Goujon, 

Project Manager 

frederic.goujon@arcelormittal.com

FIREBREAK 4H Full Presentation - ArcelorMittal

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