Ventilated Façade Battens With Integrated Cavity Fire Barriers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ventilated façade cladding systems face challenges in providing effective fire protection while maintaining ventilation and drainage, often requiring complex and costly modifications or additional components that are prone to incorrect installation.
Innovation Solution
A ventilated and fire-resistant sub-structure system comprising battens with integrated through openings and cavity fire barriers that allow air passage during normal conditions and block fire penetration during a fire, offering a cost-effective and simple configuration for fire protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional ventilated façade systems are used, then ventilation and drainage are provided, but fire protection is insufficient and complex modifications are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines ventilation, drainage, and fire protection functions into a single integrated batten system. The batten includes through-openings for ventilation/drainage and intumescent material for fire protection, eliminating the need for separate complex modification systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The batten structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support for cladding, enables ventilation through through-openings, facilitates drainage via the same openings, and provides fire protection through integrated intumescent material. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by achieving fire protection without adding system complexity.
2Reliability
If additional fire protection components are added, then fire resistance is improved, but installation errors increase and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
Fire protection functionality is merged into the standard batten component rather than being a separate addition. The intumescent material is integrated directly into the batten structure, ensuring it is installed correctly with every batten installation and eliminating installation errors associated with separate fire protection components.
Solution Approach 2:
The intumescent material in the batten provides automatic fire protection without requiring additional installation steps or specialized procedures. The fire protection function is self-inclusive in the standard installation process, reducing the risk of installation errors and simplifying the overall installation process.
3Ease of operation
If through-openings are provided in battens, then ventilation and drainage are enabled, but fire penetration risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses intumescent material that changes its physical parameters in response to temperature. During normal conditions, the through-openings remain open for ventilation and drainage. When exposed to fire heat, the intumescent material expands and changes state to block the openings, preventing fire penetration while maintaining ventilation efficiency during normal operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides integrated ventilation, drainage, and fire resistance in a single unit, preventing rapid fire spread between compartments and reducing installation errors, while allowing for easy setup and cost savings.
Implementation Method 1
one or more cavity fire barriers arranged in or adjacent the one or more through openings, wherein the ventilating and fire-resistant batten allows air to pass through the one or more through openings into and/or out of the cavity and adapted to block for air passage and/or fire penetration through the one or more openings when exposed to fire
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention constitutes a sub-structure to support a ventilated façade cladding system comprising of a façade cladding, and one or more battens attached to the building structure for supporting the weight ad stiffness of the cladding onto the building load-baring structure and to create cavity fire compartmentation between the building structure and the façade cladding. The one or more battens is attached at one longitudinal side to a surface of the building structure, and opposite longitudinal side to the façade cladding, and wherein the one or more battens comprises a ventilating and fire resistant batten comprising one or more through openings, and one or more ventilating cavity fire barriers arranged in or adjacent to the one or more through openings, wherein the ventilating and fire resistant batten allows air to pass through the one or more through openings into and/or out of the cavity and is adapted to block for smoke and fire penetration through the one or more openings when exposed to fire.