Tertiary fire doors: installation, EI rating, CE marking
ERT, ERP, IGH regulatory framework: 4 fire resistance ratings, from EI 30 to EI 120, according to the standardised tests applicable to door sets.
An EI 60 door on an EI 30 wall means zero minutes of real resistance: NF EN 1634-1 rates the door, but the door + partition + junction assembly defines the effective compartmentalisation under IT 247. Commercial office fire doors comply with the Labour Code Title I R4216-1 to R4216-34 and Title II R4227-28 to R4227-32, with an EI 30 to EI 120 rating under NF EN 1634-1 and mandatory CE marking NF EN 14351-1. Kytom audits, designs, installs and commissions door + partition assemblies within a contractual lead time of 12 weeks, with SSI interlocking compliant with IT 247 and Qualibat traceability in the DOE.
The office fire door falls within 3 regulated categories, ERT, ERP and IGH, with distinct textual references.
- ERT (Labour Code): Title I articles R4216-1 to R4216-34 (design, project owner), Title II articles R4227-28 to R4227-32 (operation, employer). Article R4216-9 limits the length of a dead-end evacuation route to 10 m, and passage units are set at 0.60 m, 0.90 m, 1.40 m.
- ERP: for 50 people or more, article CO 47 requires double-leaf doors, and CO 50 requires an opening in the direction of evacuation.
- IGH: articles GH ER 33 to 37, CF 120 compartmentalisation between compartments of 750 m² maximum.
Fire resistance tests follow the NF EN 1634-1 standard and deliver an EI 30, EI 60, EI 90 or EI 120 minute rating. CE marking under NF EN 14351-1 has been required since 1 September 2019 for any fire-resistant door produced after 1 September 2016 (Construction Products Regulation EU 305/2011, mandate M/101).
Kytom’s position, at odds with the profession’s conventional wisdom. The widespread practice is to specify the EI rating in the CCTP door by door. Our reading differs: the useful rating is that of the ASSEMBLY (leaf + frame + wall + junction), not the isolated leaf. Across our recent portfolio of fire door works packages, the non-conformities noted at acceptance by the inspection office stemmed from an undersized supporting wall, never from the leaf. The CCTP must therefore specify the EI 60 ASSEMBLY, with a documented junction test report, not just the leaf.
When a fire door is not required. On a single-block ERT floor plate 50 linear m, flammable liquid storage > 150 L), a standard door is sufficient under R4216, and installing an EI 60 represents an additional cost of 1,800 to 2,400 EUR excl. VAT per leaf, with no regulatory benefit.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between EI 30, EI 60, EI 90 and EI 120 for an office fire door?
The number indicates the duration in minutes of flame integrity (E) and thermal insulation (I) under NF EN 1634-1. EI 30 and EI 60 cover most hazardous premises in ERT, such as TGBT, archives and boiler rooms. EI 90 and EI 120 are reserved for IGH compartmentalisation (GH articles, CF 120 between compartments of 750 m² maximum). The useful rating applies to the leaf, frame and wall assembly, never to the isolated leaf.
