There is no single fire class that automatically applies to a high-speed door in a production facility. The required fire resistance classification is determined by the fire safety calculation for your specific project, the compartmentation strategy defined in that calculation, and the applicable building regulations \u2014 in the Netherlands, the Besluit Bouwwerken Leefomgeving (BBL). What that calculation produces is a minimum classification: EW, EI1, or EI2, for a specific duration in minutes. The sections below work through each of the questions architects typically face when specifying fire-rated openings in production environments.<\/p>\n
The required fire resistance classification for an industrial opening is determined by a project-specific fire safety calculation, not by a fixed rule per building type. That calculation defines the compartmentation boundaries, the size of each fire compartment, and the minimum performance a separating construction must achieve. The BBL sets absolute minimum thresholds only, but a project may require a heavier classification based on sector regulations, insurer requirements, or client specifications.<\/p>\n
In practice, the fire safety engineer or advisor produces a report that states the required classification for each opening. That classification will specify both the performance criterion \u2014 EW, EI1, or EI2 \u2014 and the duration in minutes, such as EW 30, EI1 60, or EI2 90. As the specifying architect, your responsibility is to match the door product to that stated requirement, not to interpret the underlying calculation yourself.<\/p>\n
Several factors influence what the calculation produces for a given opening. The size of the fire compartment on each side matters, as does the occupancy type, the materials stored or processed, and whether the building is new construction or a change of use. Sector-specific regulations such as PGS 15 for hazardous substances can impose requirements that go well beyond the BBL minimum. Insurers increasingly set their own compartmentation demands as a condition of coverage.<\/p>\n
The practical consequence for specification is that you need the fire safety report before you can finalise the door specification. Without it, any classification you write into a tender is an assumption, not a verified requirement. If you are at an early design stage and the calculation is not yet complete, it is reasonable to specify a provisional classification and flag it as subject to confirmation.<\/p>\n
Contact us<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n EW, EI1, and EI2 are fire resistance classifications defined under EN 13501-2 that describe how a door performs under fire conditions. EW means the door maintains integrity \u2014 preventing flames and hot gases from passing through \u2014 and limits radiant heat transfer through the construction. EW is the Dutch standard baseline criterion. EI1 and EI2 both additionally require the door to limit the temperature rise on the unexposed face, but with different measurement thresholds: EI1 applies the stricter criterion, while EI2 permits a higher temperature rise on the unexposed side. The number that follows \u2014 30, 60, 90, 120 \u2014 indicates the duration in minutes for which that performance must be maintained during a standardised fire test.<\/p>\n For an opening in a production facility, the difference between these classifications has direct consequences for what product can fill that opening and how it must be constructed.<\/p>\n An EW-classified door prevents flames and hot gases from passing through and limits the intensity of radiant heat transfer to a defined threshold. It does not prevent the door surface from becoming hot. EW is the Dutch standard baseline criterion \u2014 it is often the starting point for compartmentation requirements under Dutch practice, but whether it is sufficient for a specific opening depends entirely on the project’s fire safety calculation. This classification is relevant where the calculation confirms that radiation control alone is sufficient to protect the adjacent compartment.<\/p>\n Both EI1 and EI2 require the door to limit the average and peak temperature rise on the unexposed face, in addition to maintaining integrity and limiting radiation. The distinction lies in the permitted temperature rise: EI1 is the stricter criterion, limiting temperature rise to a lower threshold, while EI2 permits a higher temperature rise on the unexposed side. Never treat EI1 and EI2 as interchangeable when writing a specification \u2014 they are tested and certified separately, and a door certified to EI2 does not automatically meet EI1. Always specify which criterion applies, and always refer to EI1 or EI2 explicitly \u2014 never to “EI” alone.<\/p>\n A standard high-speed door cannot qualify as a fire-rated door. High-speed doors are designed for operational throughput and are not constructed or tested to maintain integrity under fire conditions. A door qualifies as fire-rated only when it has been independently tested to EN 1634-1, classified under EN 13501-2, and carries a CE declaration of performance that reflects that classification. Without those elements, no door can be specified as a fire-rated product regardless of its speed or material.<\/p>\n There is a distinct product category sometimes described as a fire-rated high-speed door or rapid-roll fire door. These are products engineered to combine operational speed with a certified fire resistance classification. They are not standard high-speed doors with added fire protection \u2014 they are purpose-built constructions that have undergone separate fire resistance testing and carry their own classification report. If your project requires an opening that must remain open during normal operations and close automatically on a fire alarm, this product category is worth investigating. However, the classification must be verified against the specific requirement in your fire safety report before it can be specified.<\/p>\n The key question is always whether the product in front of you has a valid classification report and CE declaration that matches the required classification for the opening. If a supplier cannot provide those documents, the product cannot be used to satisfy a fire compartmentation requirement. Metacon-Next’s fire-rated door range<\/a> is tested to EN 1634-1 and comes with full classification documentation, which is what architects need to justify a specification decision.<\/p>\n When specifying a fire-rated door, an architect needs four core documents: the CE declaration of performance, the classification report from an accredited test laboratory, the technical product data sheet confirming installation requirements, and an EPD if the project is subject to BREEAM, LEED, or environmental permit conditions. These documents together allow you to demonstrate that the specified product is compliant, tested, and appropriately documented for the permit file.<\/p>\n The classification report is the most critical document. It records the test conditions, the construction tested, and the classification achieved. It confirms which dimensions, configurations, and installation details fall within the scope of the tested product. If the opening in your project falls outside the tested scope \u2014 for example, because the dimensions exceed what was tested \u2014 the classification does not automatically extend to cover it. This is a common source of problems at the permitting stage when documentation is checked late in the process.<\/p>\n The CE declaration of performance confirms that the manufacturer takes responsibility for the product’s performance against the declared classification. For industrial fire doors, two CE-relevant standards apply simultaneously: EN 16034, which covers the fire and smoke resisting closing function, and EN 13241, which applies to industrial doors generally. Both must be reflected in the documentation \u2014 they are not interchangeable, and neither replaces the other. The declaration must be available before the product is placed on the market. Requesting this document at specification stage, rather than after order placement, is standard professional practice.<\/p>\n EPDs have become increasingly relevant as more projects require environmental product declarations for lifecycle assessment or green building certification. An EPD is an information document \u2014 it reports environmental impact data according to a defined methodology based on ISO 14044 and EN 15804. It is not an environmental award or sustainability label, but it is a requirement for projects pursuing BREEAM Excellent or higher, and some environmental permit conditions now reference it. Metacon-Next<\/a> publishes EPDs for most product lines, making them available without the delays that come from requesting documentation after a tender is placed.<\/p>\n Contact us<\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n A fire-rated industrial door must replace a standard high-speed door whenever the opening sits in a fire compartment boundary defined by the project’s fire safety calculation. If the construction on either side of the opening is required to provide fire resistance \u2014 whether EW, EI1, or EI2 \u2014 then every opening in that construction must be filled with a product that achieves the same classification. A standard high-speed door provides no fire resistance and cannot satisfy that requirement.<\/p>\n The trigger is always the compartmentation boundary, not the type of activity on either side of the door. A high-throughput logistics opening between two production areas may feel operationally unsuitable for a fire door, but if the fire safety calculation places a compartment boundary at that point, the opening must be treated accordingly. The solution is not to remove the compartment boundary from the drawing \u2014 it is to find a product that meets the fire resistance requirement while satisfying the operational need.<\/p>\n Several situations commonly bring this question to the surface. A change of building use \u2014 for example, converting a storage area into a production space \u2014 can alter the compartmentation requirements for existing openings. An increase in fire compartment size beyond the BBL maximum may trigger a requirement for compensating measures, which can affect door specifications; the specific implications depend on the project’s fire safety calculation and should be assessed by a qualified fire safety engineer. Sector regulations such as PGS 15 may impose fire separation requirements for openings adjacent to hazardous substance storage. In each case, the answer is the same: if the opening is in a compartment boundary, it needs a certified fire-rated product.<\/p>\n For architects working on production facilities where internal transport and forklift passage are design constraints, the specification challenge is finding a fire-rated door that meets the operational opening width and cycle frequency required. Custom-dimensioned fire-rated doors<\/a> from manufacturers with in-house production capacity can address large or atypical openings that standard catalogue products cannot accommodate. If you need to verify whether a specific opening can be covered within a certified product scope, contacting Metacon-Next directly<\/a> gives you access to technical support without going through a dealer intermediary at specification stage.<\/p>\n Specifying the right product from the start \u2014 with complete documentation in hand before the tender goes out \u2014 is the most reliable way to avoid corrections during permitting or a fire safety review. Request a quotation<\/a> or explore the full product range<\/a> to confirm which fire-rated door types are available for your project’s specific classification requirement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" No single fire class applies automatically \u2014 your project’s fire safety calculation decides. Here’s what architects must know.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":27713,"template":"","categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27387","knowledge-base","type-knowledge-base","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat do EW, EI1, and EI2 mean for a high-speed door?<\/h2>\n
EW: integrity and radiation control, the Dutch baseline<\/h3>\n
EI1 and EI2: insulation with different measurement thresholds<\/h3>\n
Can a high-speed door ever qualify as a fire-rated door?<\/h2>\n
What documentation does an architect need when specifying a fire-rated door?<\/h2>\n
When should a fire-rated industrial door replace a standard high-speed door?<\/h2>\n