In recent years, attention has been focused on the utilization of historic row houses in Kyoto for commercial and accommodation facilities. For such utilization, it is necessary to comply with building fire regulations, but for large openings, fire prevention measures suitable for traditional designs have not been developed. This study focuses on the development of wooden traditional style sliding storm shutters with the performance of 20-min rated “fire door”. Studies have been conducted to determine specifications of the “Door part” (panel and sash) and “Movable part” (fitting between doors or between door and door cheek/pillar/lintel/doorsill) to establish integrity of the whole shutters to prevent flame penetration. Following possibilities are considered as the major cases of the flame penetration.
(Ⅰ) Flame penetration through joints or by charring.
(Ⅱ) Flame penetration through gap produced by falling of components or through an opening produced by the move of components.
(Ⅲ) Flame penetration through gap produced by the deflection of components.
The study consists of the following four stages. All studies are based on furnace tests.
1. Examination of the integrity of various candidate specifications of the “Door part”
2. Development of 20-min rated small windows with two wooden sliding shutters
3. Development of 20-min rated doorway with two wooden sliding shutters
4. Increment of the number of shutters to extend the opening width
The study has finally concluded the following design instructions to achieve 20-min rated fire doors with wooden traditional style sliding shutters.
(1) Door part (panel and sash)
・ Timber, 30mm thick panels and Western Hemlock, 36mm thick sashes are enough to prevent flame penetration.
・ The maximum width of a door is 1016mm.
・ In case the shutters are located in a doorway (opening-height of doorway is higher than small windows, 1095mm, and shorter than 1820mm), middle sash is attached to the door to prevent producing of the deflection of panels.
・ Tongue-and-groove joints are used, and reinforcing plates are attached at joints of panels from the back-surface.
・ Panels and sashes are fixed by reinforcing plates with nails (at sash-side) and screws (at panel-side).
・ Joints in sashes are fixed by screws. Shiplap joint in sashes at heating surface prevents flame penetration by charring.
(2) Movable part (fitting between doors or between door and door cheek/pillar/lintel/doorsill)
・ Gap closer is used in butted part of door cheek and door, which has no gap when doors are closed.
・ Intumescent fireproof tape is used in clearance between doors and between door and pillar/lintel/doorsill, which have gap when doors are closed.
・ Fitting of L-shaped incombustible stopper to the groove of the lintel prevents falling of door by charring of the lintel.
・ Dimension of door cheek, lintel and doorsill is set enough to prevent falling of door cheek, lintel and doorsill.
・ Throating member which has enough height to prevent flame penetration is set in doorsill in the back-surface.
・ Doors are locked by sickle lock and screw fasten locks to prevent doors from moving.
