This European Standard specifies a method for determining the fire resistance of horizontal service ducts and vertical service shafts, which pass through walls or floors and enclose pipes and cables. The test examines the behaviour of ducts and shafts exposed to fire from outside and from inside the duct. This European Standard is intended to be read in conjunction with EN 1363-1.
This European Standard does not examine the risk of fire spread as a result of thermal conduction along the piping installed in service ducts or shafts, or thermal conduction through the media these pipes carry. It does not cover the risk of damage produced by thermal elongation or shortening of tubes and cables as a result of fire, or damaged pipe suspensions. This European Standard does not give guidance on how to test one, two or three sided service ducts or shafts.
NOTE Guidance on testing service ducts and shafts of less than four sides will be covered in the extended field of application rules being developed by CEN/ TC 127.
This test is unsuitable for evaluating service ducts with internal barriers at walls and floors.
Whilst the walls of service ducts or shafts tested to this method may provide specified levels of integrity or insulation, testing to this European Standard does not replace the testing of the functional endurance of small electrical cables which is covered in EN 50200.
Fire resistance testing of ducts for air distribution systems is covered in EN 1366-1.