A fire door classification report is a technical document issued by an accredited testing laboratory that records the outcome of a standardised fire resistance test performed on a specific door configuration. It tells you exactly what was tested, under which conditions, and what fire resistance performance the door achieved. For architects specifying fire-rated openings, the classification report is the primary evidence that a product meets the performance criteria defined in a project’s fire safety calculation.
The report sits at the centre of the specification process: without it, you cannot verify whether a product genuinely achieves the classification stated on a CE declaration. The sections below work through the report structure, the classification codes, and the practical checks architects should complete before a product enters a specification.
What information does a fire door classification report actually contain?
A fire door classification report contains the full technical record of a fire resistance test conducted in accordance with EN 1634-1, including the door configuration tested, the test conditions applied, the performance criteria assessed, and the resulting classification. It is issued by an accredited testing body and forms the documentary foundation for the CE declaration of performance.
The report is structured around several core sections. The opening pages identify the applicant, the testing laboratory, and the standard under which the test was conducted. This is followed by a detailed description of the test specimen: dimensions, construction materials, hardware, frame type, glazing if applicable, and any seals or intumescent strips. This section matters because the classification is only valid for configurations that fall within the scope of what was actually tested.
The body of the report records the test procedure, the furnace conditions, and the measurements taken during the test. For fire doors, the criteria assessed typically include integrity (E), insulation (I1 or I2), and in some cases radiation (W). Each criterion has its own pass threshold, and the report records whether and when each threshold was reached or exceeded. The final classification is derived directly from these measurements and expressed as a code per EN 13501-2.
The closing section of the report states the classification result and defines the field of direct application: the range of configurations, dimensions, and hardware variants for which the classification is considered valid without additional testing. This is the section most architects need to read carefully before specifying a product for a non-standard opening.
What do the letters and numbers in a fire door classification mean?
The letters in a fire door classification refer to the performance criteria the door achieved during testing, and the number refers to the duration in minutes for which performance was maintained. Classifications are expressed per EN 13501-2 — the standard that governs fire resistance and smoke control results for doors. For example, EI2-60 means the door maintained both integrity and insulation to the I2 criterion for at least 60 minutes under standardised fire conditions.
The most common letters you will encounter in industrial fire door specifications are:
- E (integrity): The door prevented the passage of flames and hot gases for the stated duration. This is the baseline criterion present in every fire door classification.
- W (radiation): The door limited radiant heat transfer through the door to a defined threshold. W is the Dutch standard baseline criterion — EW60 is the typical default classification in the Netherlands — and it does not control surface temperature on the unexposed side.
- EI1 (integrity and insulation, stricter criterion): The door limited temperature rise on the unexposed face to a lower threshold, making this the more demanding of the two insulation criteria.
- EI2 (integrity and insulation, less strict criterion): The door limited temperature rise on the unexposed face, but to a higher permitted threshold than EI1. EI2 is a fully valid and widely used classification — it is not a lesser product, but a different performance level suited to different compartmentalisation requirements.
The number following the letters is always the fire resistance duration in minutes: 30, 60, 90, 120, and in some configurations higher. A door classified EW60 maintained integrity and limited radiant heat transfer for 60 minutes. A door classified EI2-90 maintained integrity and insulation to the I2 criterion for 90 minutes. Always specify EI1 or EI2 explicitly — writing “EI” alone without the suffix is ambiguous and does not identify which insulation criterion applies.
The classification code is not interchangeable: EW60 and EI2-60 describe fundamentally different levels of thermal protection. Whether a specific classification is sufficient for a given application depends on the project’s fire safety calculation, not on the door alone. For questions about which classification your project requires, consult a qualified fire safety engineer or contact Metacon-Next directly.
How does the tested configuration in the report affect what you can specify?
The tested configuration in the classification report defines the outer boundary of what you can legitimately specify. A fire door classification is not a blanket approval for a product type: it is valid for the specific construction, dimensions, hardware, and installation conditions described in the report, plus any extensions permitted under the field of direct application rules in EN 15269.
EN 15269 is the extended application standard that governs how far a tested result can be extrapolated. It defines which changes to a tested door configuration are permissible without requiring a new test, and which changes fall outside the field of application and therefore invalidate the classification. Common variables covered by these rules include door leaf height and width, frame material and profile, hardware (hinges, closers, locks), and the presence or absence of glazing.
For architects working on industrial projects with large or atypical openings, this is a practical constraint. A classification report obtained on a door of standard dimensions does not automatically extend to a wide-span opening for forklift passage or an oversized roller door in a logistics facility. Before specifying a product for such an opening, you need to confirm that the required dimensions fall within the field of direct application stated in the report, or that the manufacturer holds a separate test or extended application assessment covering those dimensions.
Manufacturers who invest in testing across a broad range of configurations give specifiers more flexibility. Metacon-Next’s fire-rated product range is developed with industrial applications in mind, including openings that standard configurations cannot accommodate, and the supporting documentation reflects that scope.
What’s the difference between a classification report and a CE declaration of performance?
A classification report is the primary test evidence: it records what was tested and what result was achieved. A CE declaration of performance is a manufacturer’s formal statement, based on that test evidence, that a product meets the performance levels required for CE marking under the Construction Products Regulation. The two documents serve different functions and must be read together.
The classification report is produced by the testing laboratory and is independent of the manufacturer. It describes the tested specimen in detail and states the classification result. The CE declaration of performance is produced by the manufacturer and declares the performance characteristics of the product as placed on the market. It references the classification report as its evidentiary basis.
For industrial fire doors, CE marking is governed by two standards simultaneously: EN 16034, which covers fire- and smoke-resisting closing elements, and EN 13241, which applies to industrial doors generally. Both are mandatory and neither replaces the other. A complete CE documentation set for an industrial fire door must address both.
For architects, the practical implication is this: the CE declaration tells you what the manufacturer claims; the classification report tells you what was actually tested and whether the product placed on the market corresponds to the tested specimen. A declaration without an accessible classification report cannot be fully verified. This is why transparency in documentation matters: a manufacturer who publishes both documents publicly removes the risk of a specification being challenged during permitting or a fire safety review.
Metacon-Next makes its certificates and classification reports publicly available, which means architects can verify the evidentiary basis of any CE declaration before committing to a specification, rather than after an order has been placed.
Which parts of the classification report should architects verify before specifying?
Before specifying a fire door based on a classification report, architects should verify five specific elements: the classification code and duration, the tested dimensions and whether the required opening falls within the field of direct application, the hardware specification, the installation conditions, and the identity of the testing laboratory.
Working through these in order:
- Classification code and duration: Confirm that the classification stated in the report matches what the project’s fire safety calculation requires. EW, EI1, and EI2 are not interchangeable, and EI must always be specified with the suffix — EI1 or EI2 — never as “EI” alone. The duration must meet or exceed the required resistance period. Whether a given classification is adequate for your application is a question for a qualified fire safety engineer, not a determination that can be made from the report alone.
- Tested dimensions and field of direct application: Check whether the opening dimensions you need fall within the scope of the tested configuration or the extended application rules in EN 15269. If they do not, the classification is not valid for your application without additional evidence.
- Hardware specification: The report will list the exact hardware used during the test. Substituting a different door closer, hinge type, or locking mechanism may take the configuration outside the tested scope. Confirm that the hardware specified in the project matches what appears in the report.
- Installation conditions: The report describes the frame and surround conditions under which the test was conducted. Installation into a different wall construction or with a different frame fixing method may affect compliance. Check whether the intended installation conditions correspond to those in the report.
- Testing laboratory: The report should be issued by a notified body or accredited laboratory recognised under the relevant European framework. For the Dutch market and for projects with international requirements, laboratories such as Efectis carry the accreditation needed to support a CE-marked product.
Completing these checks at specification stage, rather than at tender or installation stage, eliminates the risk of discovering a documentation gap after a product has been ordered. If a manufacturer cannot supply the classification report at specification stage, that is itself a signal worth taking seriously.
Architects working on fire-rated openings in industrial, logistics, or healthcare projects can contact Metacon-Next directly to request classification reports, CE declarations, and EPDs for any product in the range. For projects where a formal quotation is needed, the quotation request page provides a direct route to the dealer network. Full product documentation is also available through the Metacon-Next website, where certificates and reports are published openly rather than supplied only on request.
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