Safety Evaluation of Vertical Drop Fire Shutter of Buildings in Fires

Abstract

The paper summarizes the results of a series of experiments, including eight standard tests (each covering a test area of 3m×3m), two standard tests (each covering a test area of 1m×1m), and one full-scale fire test. The insulation performance of fire shutters was measured by radiometers and thermocouples. It was found in this research that fire shutters that did not provide fire insulation had to be used with a certain safety clearance distance in a fire compartment in order to effectively prevent the fire from spreading. Shutter slats, if coated with intumescent paints, could provide insulation and thus greatly reduce thermal radiant heat and prevent flames spreading when the heated paints expand. For this sake, such painted shutters can be used in