Fire Door
Smart Locks for Fire Doors
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A fire door is a tested assembly, and the lock is part of that assembly. Fitting an uncertified lock, or making an additional penetration, can invalidate the door's rating. In Queensland apartment buildings the practical constraints are strict, and older leaves may contain asbestos. Read this before drilling anything.
The three constraints
What to establish first
- Is it actually a fire door? Look for a compliance tag on the hinge edge or top edge of the leaf. How to identify a fire door.
- What rating? The tag states the fire resistance level. This determines which locks are eligible.
- What core type? E-Core, Firecore and Pyropanel are tested separately. A lock certified for one core type is not automatically certified for another. Fire door core types.
- How many penetrations already exist? An existing lock plus a viewer may already be at the limit.
- Who approves it? In strata, the body corporate and the building's fire safety adviser, not the occupant. The four strata checks.
- What paperwork is required? A test report or certificate of conformity for the specific lock and door type combination.
Accessibility on fire doors
Where a fire door also has to meet accessibility requirements under AS 1428, the eligible product set narrows further, since the hardware must satisfy both the fire certification and the operating force and reach requirements. Chapter 09 covers the accessibility side.
Related categories
Regular Front Door · Scar and Adaptor Plates · Mortice Locks · By Door Style
Common questions
No. The lock must be certified for use in that fire door type, and the installation must not add a penetration beyond what the door permits. An uncertified lock can invalidate the door's rating and the building's fire safety certification.
Most apartment fire doors are certified with a single penetration through the leaf. Adding a second lock, a viewer or a chain creates a second penetration and takes the door outside its tested configuration. The one-penetration principle.
Age is the strongest indicator. Doors manufactured before the early 1990s are the concern. Check the tag date, and if the door predates that period or the tag is missing, have it assessed before any drilling. Asbestos in apartment fire doors.
In strata, the body corporate and the building's fire safety adviser. The certification paperwork for the lock forms part of the building's fire safety records, so it has to be retained.
The cover plate is part of the tested assembly too. Fire-rated scar plates exist for particular lock families and only those restore the door to a tested configuration. Scar plates on fire doors.
Guides and reference
Ch 05 — Fire door smart locks · Ch 11 — AS 1905 explained · Apartment fire door compliance · Fire door types and certification · Certification test reports