Cavity barriers are components installed within concealed cavities to restrict the movement of fire and smoke through the cavity.
Their location, construction and installation depend on the design of the external wall.
Cavity barriers can therefore be affected by:
Problems can include:
Cavity barriers are generally concealed behind the external wall finish.
Where existing documentation cannot establish their location or condition, targeted opening-up may be required.
Our dedicated survey team can undertake intrusive investigation and opening-up to establish the existing construction.
Depending on the findings, remediation may include:
The remedial solution should be appropriate to the actual external wall construction and the project’s fire strategy.
Cavity barrier defects are often discovered during cladding removal or intrusive investigation.
A wider remediation project may therefore involve:
Survey → Opening-Up → Assessment → Strategy → Cavity Barrier Remediation → Cladding Remediation
Cavity barriers and fire stopping perform related but distinct functions within a building’s fire safety arrangements.
Where both are affected, the remedial design should coordinate the two rather than treating them as unrelated repairs.
See our Façade Fire Stopping Remediation service.
We work with building owners, developers, managing agents and other responsible parties dealing with defects identified through façade investigations and fire safety assessments.