For over 40 years, Sortimo International GmbH has developed, produced and sold successful tailor-made vehicle interior solutions. Over the past two years, the company head office in Zusmarshausen has been comprehensively renovated, both technically and visually, and brought up to state-of-the art standards. As part of this work, the buildings fire protection was also improved permanently.

Escape routes must be implemented as a safe escape tunnel, not only with regard to the fire performance of building materials, the fire resistance of structural members but also regarding stability in case of fire. Electric installations and building services shafts in particular represent a very high fire risk. Stored materials also represent unacceptable fire loads. The risk of the fire being additionally spread and making the escape route in the event of a fire is too large.

In the case of Sortimo, small storage rooms, electrical distribution boards or accesses to installation shafts existed on each level of a multi-storey building, without fire protection classification. In the existing building, these areas were separated from the necessary stairwell by wooden panelling, which constituted an additional fire load. This satisfied neither the requirements of the current building regulations, nor the relevant Model Pipework Guidelines (Muster-Leitungsanlagen-Richtlinie – MLAR) with regard to fire resistance and non-flammability of the construction materials.

From this survey of the existing building, the requirements to install new panelling resulted. The objective was to maintain the representative character of the building style, to match the visual effect of the original wooden panelling and at the same time, fulfil the fire protection requirements for smoke control, fire resistance and non-combustible construction material.

The solution: PRIORIT System 42

System 42 is a modular, non-combustible wall and room construction system with a very small wall thickness of 42mm, which enables a fire resistance of 90 minutes. The single layer wall, ceiling, door and inspection elements can be combined flexibly with each other. As a result, almost all designs and types of construction can be achieved. Complex escape tunnels with installation shafts and non-combustible wall panelling can be built just as easily as storage areas separated in terms of fire protection.

The individual elements consist of a board material, which is classified with non-combustible surface A2-s1, d0 to EN 13501-1. By using this non-combustible composite material, no additional fire loads are introduced into the building. All kinds of different surface design options are available – from veneering to coloured decors, through to a finish with stainless steel.

With PRIORIT’s modular fire protection system, it was possible to offer SORTIMO an almost optimal solution: A fire-resistant, non-combustible wall construction system with integrated inspection opening closures and penetration seals – individually designed and produced, with an oak veneer surface. The precise-fitting prefabricated elements were installed on site on-schedule and properly by factory installers. The tailor-made wall system fulfils all fire protection requirements while impressing with its first-class appearance.