In 2007, a fire started in the loading dock of the Charleston Sofa Super Store in Charleston, South Carolina, quickly spread to the main showroom and warehouse and resulted in a structural collapse. During the disaster, 9 firefighters died. One of the contributing factors, investigations showed, was that some of the fire doors did not drop as they should have.
At ASTA America, our fire-rated doors are trusted by architects, contractors and facility managers nationwide – and the recent addition of the 500i Series Insulated Rolling Fire Door to our lineup offers even more fire protection. We sat down with ASTA America’s Senior Director of Engineering Curt Shroeder to hear about the evolution of fire-door technology and what you should look for when evaluating fire doors for your facility.
Q: How long have you been working with fire doors?
Curt Schroeder: I started working for a rolling slat door manufacturer in 2002. And when I joined Janus in 2008, I was initially involved with some of the early development of the slat door line, which required fire-door design, testing with Underwriters Laboratories and working with manufacturing operations to produce the product. With the acquisition of ASTA America in 2017, I moved over to lend my experience with slat doors and fire-door product design and development.
I’ve also been plugged in with the Door and Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA) all these years and have served two terms on the Institute of Door Dealer Education and Accreditation (IDEA) board. I currently have the privilege to serve as the primary representative for DASMA on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 80/105 Technical Committee for the development of fire and smoke-door standards.
Q: Is there an ongoing concern within the industry that existing fire doors in the field today may fail to perform their intended function?
Curt Schroeder: To some degree, yes. The reality is that a large portion of fire doors in the field today are older tension-release designs that have specific, often proprietary, component configurations to release a portion of spring tension and control the automatic closing speed. On top of that, there’s a concern that the individuals performing the required annual inspection and testing of fire doors have little or no experience and haven’t been trained in the specific designs that they’re re-qualifying.
Q: How has fire-door technology and installation training evolved?
Curt Schroeder: In the last 20 years, there’s been a shift away from tension-release systems to easier resettable systems that don’t require the release of spring tension. Before that, fire doors were largely meant to stay in the open position and only come down when they were required to perform their intended function, most often through complex tension-release type systems. Today’s resettable systems use chain hoist or motor operation that are easier and safer to install and maintain – and allow the fire door to close if there’s a fire.
The standards process has also evolved. We proposed and successfully added language to NFPA 80 that includes the requirement of trained technicians for the periodic inspection and testing of rolling steel fire doors.
Q: What’s the most important intended function of a fire-door system?
Curt Schroeder: Fire-prevention engineers design commercial industrial buildings using fire-door systems that help compartmentalize the building. The doors automatically close to prevent the spread of fire and/or smoke inside or outside the building. These systems must be maintained in a constant state of readiness to reliably perform their intended function.
Q: What should door dealers, door installers and architects look for when evaluating fire doors?
Curt Schroeder:
• Quality doors that offer safety, efficiency and resilience.
• Top-notch installation by qualified dealers and installers who use NFPA 80 to emphasize the requirement for annual inspections and drop tests.
• Technicians with documented training and certification to inspect, test and maintain rolling steel fire doors.
• Education on the proper operation and required maintenance.
Q: Why is ASTA America the right choice for fire doors?
Curt Schroeder: Our 500i Series Insulated Rolling Fire Door has the latest fire-door technology that is reliable for next-level protection and includes the added benefit of thermal insulation, which is a critical feature in energy-conscious construction.
You also know what you're going to get with ASTA America: a high-quality product as well as superb support that you’re unlikely to find anywhere else. We pride ourselves on our customer service, technical support and follow-through on products.
We also go beyond the simple product training that some manufacturers offer by providing training for commercial rolling and rolling fire door products that include the necessary methods for periodic inspection and drop testing of fire door products. For our dealers/customers we offer fire-door specific training, utilize industry recognized IDEA curriculum and requirements in the classroom as well as offer hands on installation and drop-testing training of fire-door systems to achieve experience and required drop-test points for certification.
Learn more about our 500i Series Insulated Rolling Fire Door here.
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