Analysis of Fire Resistance Performance of Double Swing Fire Doors Using Thermo-Mechanical Model Depending on Gap Size

Fire doors are installed between compartments to prevent the spread of fire. During a fire, the temperature difference between the exposed and unexposed surfaces induces bending deformation of the door, thereby reducing its fire resistance performance. Excessive deformation may further compromise the structural integrity of the door. This study presents a thermo-mechanical model that idealizes the bending behavior of double swing fire doors based on the deflection equation of a simply supported beam subjected to a thermal gradient between the tensile and compressive sides. A criterion of deformation, quantifying the relationship between the meeting stile gap and the resulting maximum deflection, is introduced and compared with the predicted values. The validity of the proposed model was confirmed through fire resistance tests conducted on both insulated and non-insulated fire door specimens, demonstrating strong agreement with experimental results. Furthermore, by comparing the predicted deformation with the deformation criterion, the impact of increasing gap sizes on the service life of fire doors on their fire resistance performance was evaluated. Based on this analysis, appropriate gap size limits for different door specifications are proposed to ensure reliable fire performance.