Designing Enclosures for Room Integrity Testing

Designing Enclosures for Room Integrity Testing

When designing server/data enclosures, it is the responsibility of the user and system suppliers to ensure that the enclosure and extinguishing system meet the design requirements as stated in ISO 15004 to pass the room integrity test. At the contract stage of the project, it is essential that responsibility for each of the enclosure requirements is made clear to all the relevant parties.

server room integrity testing

In all cases it is important to consider the construction of the walls, floor and ceiling envelope when designing the enclosure containing one of your most important company asset(s) to be protected by the extinguishing system.  When designing the envelope for a protected enclosure there are  four critical factors to consider:

                1. Enclosure strength – to withstand pressure during gaseous suppressant discharge.
                2. Enclosure fire resistance – to withstand fire external to the enclosure.
                3. Enclosure pressure relief balance – to constrain the pressure differential across the enclosure structure to an acceptable level, by venting off excess enclosure gases during gaseous suppressant discharge.
                4. Enclosure air tightness – to aid retention of the agent after agent discharge.

Good protected room construction

In all cases the strength of an enclosure will be dependent on the materials of construction, the strength of fixings and attachments and the area they present to the load applied by the pressurised agent. It is worth noting that Its been shown that once a fire – which has commenced externally to the protected area) breaks into the protected enclosure the agent will have little or no impact on asset protection. It is important therefore to maintain strict a‑minimum fire resisting enclosure of 60 min.

Server room integrity test fire

At APT we provide room integrity testing for a wide variety of types and manufacturers of fire suppression systems, whether it is part of a system installation or annual inspection or intermediate post work testing

For further information on our room integrity testing services, please contact our technical manager Darren on 07775623464; or email us at info@aptsoundtesting.co.uk