Fire compartmentation is a passive fire protection strategy that divides a building into sealed sections, or compartments, using fire-resistant walls, floors, doors and service penetration seals. Each compartment is designed to contain fire and smoke for a defined period, usually 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes.
The purpose is twofold: to give occupants enough time to evacuate via protected escape routes, and to limit structural and property damage until the fire service can intervene. Compartmentation is a core requirement under Approved Document B of the Building Regulations in England and Wales, with equivalent provisions in Scotland, Northern Ireland and most international fire codes.
Effective compartmentation relies on every element performing together: fire-rated walls and floors provide the primary barrier, fire doors protect openings, cavity barriers close concealed voids, and fire stops seal service penetrations. A single unprotected cable tray or downlight cut-out can undermine the entire strategy. This is why compartmentation must be considered holistically at design stage, with every penetration, junction and cavity void accounted for in the fire strategy from the outset.
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