Buildings are compartmentalised to delay the spread of fire from one area to another.
Usually, these compartments are linked by fire doors to allow the flow of traffic around the building.
Fire doors have two important functions in a fire. They:
1. form a barrier to stop the spread of fire when closed
2. provide a means of escape when opened
A well-manufactured and properly installed FD30s will delay the spread of fire and smoke without hindering the movement of people and goods around a building or workplace.
As such, all FD30s are subjected to tests to determine how capable it is of acting as a barrier to varying degrees of smoke and/or fire depending upon its location in a building and the fire hazards associated with that building.