30+ years ago a group of intumescent manufacturers/suppliers sat down in TRADA at the suggestion of Peter Jackman who, at that time, was the senior fire consultant for TRADA, the Timber Research and Development Association. The meeting had been convened because it had been recognised that there were hardly any reference in regulations, codes of practice, technical books etc., to intumescent seals. This situation existed even though for the last 9 years it had become almost impossible to pass a fire resistance test on any element where gaps existed in or around the construction, without incorporating intumescent materials.
This group decided it was important that there should be a British standard covering intumescent seals and sat down to form a working group whose objective was to write a method of test that allowed the contribution that intumescent seals made to the fire resistance of door assemblies to be quantified. This test method eventually manifested itself as part of BS476: Part 23 forming part of the revision of BS476: Part 8. This was the first standard to fully identify the role and benefits of using intumescent seals. This group also recognised the benefits of working together and formed the core of what was to become The Intumescent Fire Seals Association in 1982.
In the year 2012, this Association is still active in making a contribution to the drafting recommendations, codes and standards in the guise of IFSA and it is with great pleasure we find ourselves celebrating our 30th anniversary. During that time, the Association has made a major contribution to the drafting of regulations and generating new codes and has actively supported the development of test standards and technical reports in ISO as well as the new generation of tests published by CEN in response to the demands of the single market for construction. Because of the technical competence of the Organisations' representatives IFSA has always been recognised as 'punching above its weight' in the many Forums that it operates in. The Association has prepared Technical Guidance Notes on the use of the full range of intumescent based product applications which are acknowledged by the construction industry as being definitive. One of the major documents that the Association has produced is the Code of Practice for Linear Gaps and Penetrations Seals which is the only work giving guidance on the subject.
Membership of the Association is restricted to those companies who are willing to have their product claims verified by an independent reviewer who ensures that any claims regarding the performance of the products being supplied or installed are supported by valid evidence of performance. In the absence of full third party certification, this gives the specifier a confidence that the product is valid for its application, although it must be recognised that the majority of IFSA members are also members of third party schemes, e.g. Certifire, IFCC. Products that can be fully relied upon to do their job.
IFSA has also prepared model specifications that make it easy for a developer/architect/surveyor to specify wholly reliable products. Whilst many professionals are only aware of intumescent in the context of seals for fire doors, IFSA members products now extend across a wide range of applications; from glazing applications through to sophisticated intumescent dampers which provide integrity and reduced downstream temperatures. Intumescent products now make a major contribution to sealing around penetrating services offering a greater reliability than mineral fibre based seals, many of which are readily dislodged in use.
Looking for a reliable fire sealing product, look for the company's membership of IFSA as an endorsement of the manufacturer's credentials, or if you (as a manufacturer/supplier) wish to set yourselves apart from the less ethical suppliers, then membership of IFSA (assuming your claims are valid) is one method of being equal to the industry's elite!
Peter Jackman
Technical Consultant for IFSA
