Publishing and copyright information

The BSI copyright notice displayed in this document indicates when the document was last issued.

The following BSI references relate to the work on this document:

Committee reference FSH/25
Draft for comment 09/30189801 DC; 12/30263295 DC

Publication history

First published April 2013

Foreword

Publishing information

This part of BS 8524 is published by BSI Standards Limited, under licence from The British Standards Institution, and came into effect on 30 April 2013. It was prepared by Technical Committee FSH/25, Smoke, heat control systems and components. A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtained on request to its secretary.

Relationship with other publications

This British Standard has been developed from PAS 121, which will be withdrawn on 31 July 2013. This British Standard is published in two parts:

Part 1: Specification;
Part 2: Code of practice for application, installation and maintenance.

BS 8524‑2 gives guidance on those issues that were originally specified in PAS 121 that have not been covered by the present part of BS 8524. These include specifying, installing and maintaining active fire curtain barrier assemblies, with recommendations for different assembly applications, wiring, power supplies and the emergency egress control.

Product testing. Users of this British Standard are advised to consider the desirability of third-party testing of product conformity with this British Standard. Users seeking assistance in identifying appropriate conformity assessment bodies or schemes may ask BSI to forward their enquiries to the relevant association.

Use of this document

It has been assumed in the preparation of this British Standard that the execution of its provisions will be entrusted to appropriately qualified and experienced people, for whose use it has been produced.

Presentational conventions

The provisions of this standard are presented in roman (i.e. upright) type. Its requirements are expressed in sentences in which the principal auxiliary verb is “shall”.

Commentary, explanation and general informative material is presented in smaller italic type, and does not constitute a normative element.

Contractual and legal considerations

This publication does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.

Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from legal obligations.

0 Introduction

0.1 Role and use of barrier assemblies

0.2 Application of barrier assemblies

0.3 Deployment of barrier assemblies

0.4 Heat transfer through barrier assemblies

1 Scope

This part of BS 8524 specifies requirements for the design, testing and classification of active fire curtain barrier assemblies, for installation in accordance with the recommendations of BS 8524‑2. It covers the reliability and durability, fire resistance, smoke containment and impact resistance performance of the active fire curtain barrier assemblies, their control devices and ancillary equipment.

The requirements within this part of BS 8524 are applicable to active fire curtain barrier assemblies of any material that are designed to provide fire resistance.

This part of BS 8524 does not cover active smoke barriers, or active fire curtain barrier assemblies that are used only for fire and smoke control as fire doors.

NOTE 1 Smoke barriers, used solely for smoke control, are covered by BS EN 12101‑1. Such smoke barriers are not considered to be active fire curtain barrier assemblies within the scope of BS 8524.

NOTE 2 Guidance on fire doors is given in BS 8214. Requirements for fire doors for fire and smoke control are given in prEN 16034 (currently in preparation).

2 Normative references

3 Terms and definitions

4 Barrier assembly design

4.1 General

4.2 Side retention

4.3 Additional requirements for multiple barrier assemblies

5 Performance requirements

5.1 General

5.2 Pressure and impact

5.3 Reliability and durability

5.4 Deployment

5.5 Smoke containment

5.6 Fire resistance

5.7 Reaction to fire

5.8 Ancillary equipment

6 Information to be supplied with the barrier assembly

6.1 Installation information

6.2 Inspection, testing and maintenance information

6.3 Barrier assembly performance summary

7 Marking and labelling

Bibliography

BS 8524-1:2013

Active fire curtain barrier assemblies - Specification

Published:

30 Apr 2013

Withdrawn:

21 Nov 2025