GB2252340A - Thermal barrier fixing for partitioning - Google Patents

Abstract

Thermally insulating partitioning (10, 11) is secured to floor or ceiling structures using an insulated, thermal barrier fixing (16), which comprises a rigid, incompressible thermally insulating material block (19), typically of mineral fibre board. The partitioning support pillar is supported within a metal channel, one limb (17) of which is provided by a first sheet metal member and the other limb (18) of which is provided by a second sheet metal member. The limbs (17, 18) are folded to provide upper and lower flanges (20, 22) between which the block (19) is secured and substantially enclosed. Thermal bridging is prevented by the use of localised fixing (30) to hold the block to the respective flanges (20, 22), the metal sheets having no contact with each other. <IMAGE>

Description

FIXING FOR PARTITIONING This invention relates to partitioning.

Difficulty has been found in providing fixings for partitioning which have an insulation value comparable with that of the partitioning itself. In the event of a fire, high conduction rates can occur at the fixings and this is a particular problem at ceiling height where hot gases from the fire tend to collect.

Partitioning wit for example metal or fre resistant wooden skins and a mineral insulation such as Rockwool has for example been mounted in steel channel fixings at ceiling level. Such channel fixings conduct heat at a high rate, thermally br'åging the partition so that the fire cannot adecuately be contained. Similar considerations may apply at floor level although the intensity of the heat is generally speaking less at floor level.

Current fire regulations require that a partition should remain stable and retain its structural integrity fcr certain periods of time under certain temperature conditions.

However, they additionally require that the insulation value of the partition should be sufficient to keep the temperature on the cool side below a certain maximum for the period of the fire test. Newer criteria also deal with the amount of heat radiated by the partition in the event of a fire and it will be appreciated that the amount of radiation emitted is proportional to the fourth power of the temperature so that even a minor increase in temperature due to poor insulation values will give rise to a substantial increase in the radiated heat.

However, problems are encountered in providing insulated fixings for partitioning because insulating materials on the whole are not of sufficient mechanical strength, firstly to hold the partitioning in place and secondly to withstand the extra stresses in the event of a fire.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new or improved fixing for partitioning which overcomes or reduces these disadvantages.

According to the invention there is provided a fixing for partitioning comprising a first and a second metal member, each affording one limb of a channel adapted to receive the partitioning, the first and second members being devoid of contact with each other and being respectively secured to a rigid thermally insulating member of low flammability, whereby thermal bridging between the first and second members is avoided.

The rigid thermally insulating member may be encased by the first and/or second metal members over a substantial part of its surface area.

The rigid thermally insulating member may be of mineral fibre board or of gypsum board or plasterboard. It will be appreciated that this rigid thermally insulating member only requires strength in compression and not bending or tensile strength since it is supported and protected by the metal members.

A partitioning having a fixing embodying the invention will now be described in more detail by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a sectional view of a fixing embodying the invention in use with a partitioning; Figure 2 is a partial longitudinal section of the fixing and partitioning of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view of a fixing embodying the invention and used within a partitioning.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, partitioning comprises a pair of boards 10, 11 of fire resistant chipboard, which could alternatively be of any other suitable fire resistant material. The boards 10 and 11 are supported by upright columns best seen at 12 in Figure 2.

Each column 12 is provided with projections 13 extending in the longitudinal direction of the panel and providing an anchorage for small hooks 14 which are secured by fastenings 15 to the boards 11. The projections 13 therefore support the boards 11 from the upright pillars 12.

At the ceiling of a room, the upright pillars 12 need to be held in position and to this end a fixing generally indicated at 16 is provided. The fixing 16 is structurally of channellike form having a first limb 17 and a second limb 18, between which the upright column 12 is located.

However, the limbs 17 and 18 of the channel are provided on separate sheet metal members which are secured together via a rigid incompressible thermally insulating material block 19, typically of mineral fibre board such as THERMAX (registered trade mark) board or gypsum board. The thermally insulating material 19 does not need to have a high bending or tensile strength but merely has to have an adequate compressive strength and also requires to be non-flammable. Desirably, it should be capable of receiving fasteners such as screws.

The first limb 17 of the channel extends upwardly and over the thermally insulating material at the flange 20. The second limb 18 extends upwardly to the same level as the flange 20 and is then reversed in direction as shown at 21, laterally supporting the block of thermally insulating material 19. The metal sheet then continues below the thermally insulating material at 22 and encloses its underside.

The metal portions 20 and 22 are separately secured to the insulating material 19 by fasteners 30, which hold each flange 20, 21 to the block 19 so that the metal portions are thermally isolated from each other. It will be seen that the thermally insulating material 19 is almost wholly surrounded by and protected by the metal portions 20, 21 and 22 and the top of the channel limb 17.

Each upright pillar 12 is secured by means of an L-shaped sheet metal bracket 23 to the fixing 16.

As is generally known in the art, fixings which might be subject to expansion stresses are made using slotted connections such as those shown at 24. The fixing 16 is in channel form to allow for upward expansion of the internal metal column portions 12.

Although the fIxing 16 has been described or use at the top of a partitioning, it could equally well be used, with any necessary minor modificatlons, at the foot of partitionIng or at an Intermediate portion Figure 3 shows the use of the fixing generally indicate at 16 at an intermediate portion of the partitionIng where a fire resistant glazing panel 25 is provided. The glazing panel is seated in a fire resistant or intumescent bedding 26 and held in place by a bead 27. The channel section panel fixing 16 is inverted compared with that shown in Figure 1 and the limbs 17 and 18 of the channel are hooked downwardly at 28 so as to provide the equivalent of the projections 13 onto which the hooks 14 of the boards 10 and 11 can be hooked to secure them in position.

It will again be seen that the thermally insulating material block 19 is provided between the protective metal flanges 20 and 22 and that one end is protected by the limb 17 and the other by the reversed portion 21 of the limb 18.

Heat conduction through the fixing is inhibited because there is no direct conduction path through the metal portions.

However, the strength of the metal sheet utilised in providing a strong and stable fixing without the usual associated difficulties due to the high conductivity.

In the partitioning illustrated, overall thermal insulation is provided partly by the flame-resistant timber board facings 10 and 11 and partly by a packing of thermally insulating ceramic fibre or similar material. It will be appreciated that the details of the partitioning itself may vary from those described and illustrated.

Claims (8)

1. A fixing for partitioning comprising a first and a second metal member, each affording one limb of a channel adapted to receive the partitioning, the first and second members being devoid of contact with each other and being respectively secured to a rigid thermally insulating member of low flammability, whereby thermal bridging between the first and second members is avoided.

2. A fixing according to Claim 1 wherein the rigid thermally insulating member is encased by the first and/or second metal members over a substantial part of its surface area.

3. A fixing according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the rigid thermally insulating member is of mineral fibre board.

4. A fixing according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the rigid thermally insulating member is of gypsum board.

5. A fixing according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the rigid thermally insulating member is of plasterboard.

6. A thermally insulating partitioning having a fixing according to any one of Claims 1 to 5.

7. A fixing for partitioning, the fixing being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.

8. A thermally insulating partitioning having a fixing substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.