Written articles on NFPA 80, and ICC 1008, as well as other enforcement codes state the minimum mandatory requirements for installation, closing forces, door gaps, etc. on fire rated door assemblies.
Over 20 years repairing hollow metal door and frame assemblies for manufacturers and contractors alike in the field on both new and tenant improved projects, I have observed every type of door/poor installation and disregarded trade damage caused to fire rated door assemblies. Becoming somewhat of a 'forensic" door specialist!
Yes there are bad days even for journeyman, and apprentices in setting a frame or drilling and tapping holes for door closers or panic hardware. The consequences unfold.
A frame may be set with an 1/8 inch twist or bow from top to bottom this will put undo stress on either butt hinges or continuous hinges, or a broken or disregarded screw will shorten or even worse cause the opening or hardware to prematurely fail. The net result is added force to close and latch the fire rated assembly. A slamming door or high pressure adjusted door closer causes stress and torque on every hinge screw and mounting assembly, eventually pulling screws out or loosening them on hinges locks and closer's. Now you have a hazardous condition for both security and fire life safety.
Visiting some of the most critical and important facilities around the country, ie: hospitals, schools, even detention facilities, I have seen wood screws instead of 12/24 machined butt type screws replaced in a hollow metal frames, or when removing cover plates from panic hardware broken or missing screws or worse the wrong "self tapping" screws for panic hardware?? Please! Where is your passion? Professionalism?
Last year I was invited to re-inspect an ICU egress pair of 90 minute rated doors. The 8.0X7.0 hollow metal door/frame assembly contained several flaws, unfortunately causing a "mitigated" failed opening. 1) Continuous half surface hinges were mounted to the face of the frame and to the stile edge of the door, every time the power operators pulled the doors open the "sheer" mounting became "tension" as the power increased to the open position, within a short period of time the hospital engineers were installing 'eyesore" angle plates top to bottom to hold the face from pulling away from the drywall. The weight of each door easily being 170-200 pounds 'tore" the 16ga frame at the power transfer hinge area. Full mortise would have been the proper application. To add further insult to this critical fire door assembly, the drywall was removed and the center "Z" clips were not attached to the kong studs. At this point both door and frame were replaced at a final cost of $65,000!
There were at least 24 additional pairs mounted this way throughout the 7 floor facility. Yes a major lawsuit followed.
The very heart of success in an opening operating and lasting the intended life of a product is based on a few very critical things, 1) proper installation, 2 immediate corrective measures when a door or frame is damaged during construction.
In what ways are doors and frames damaged? How do we as inspectors catch these subtle indicators? What can be done to decrease or eliminate these re-occurring problems? In the future I will be sharing case study's and solutions in future blogs, it is my hope that many engineers and facility managers will be able to quickly identify and resolve problems that could haunt a facility for years.
Recently becoming a CFDI with Warnock Hersey, I have seen hundreds of door frame openings that were poorly set.