However, converting a manual fire door into an automated system is not simply a matter of fitting an operator. Installing sensors, routing cables through the door leaf or replacing existing closing devices can alter the construction of the door itself. Without careful consideration, those modifications may affect the door’s fire performance.
This issue has led the Automatic Door Suppliers Association (ADSA) to initiate a collaborative industry approach to develop clearer guidance on how fire-rated doors can be safely automated while maintaining their integrity as fire-resisting systems.
ADSA members and leading equipment manufacturers Record UK, Dormakaba and GEZE UK, are part of the steering group which aims to strengthen understanding of how retrofit modifications can be undertaken without jeopardising the integrity of doors. The Guild of Architectural Ironmongers, the British Woodworking Federation and a major test house will also involved in the project.
Findings from this research will form the basis of new guidance for engineers and building owners/managers. The publications should be available later in the year.
Importantly, the aim is not to discourage automation or force unnecessary door replacement. With the right technical insight and careful installation practices, many existing fire doors can be adapted safely - helping building owners improve accessibility and usability while avoiding the cost and disruption of replacing entire door sets.
Understanding the retrofit challenge
For engineers and specifiers, retrofit automation is often the most practical way to upgrade an existing building. Many fire-rated doors were originally designed for manual operation, yet evolving accessibility expectations mean building owners increasingly want automated solutions.
The difficulty lies in understanding how modifications may affect the integrity of a fire-rated door.
“Many of the questions we receive now relate to automating existing fire doors,” explains Darren Hyde, Technical and Training Manager at ADSA.
“When you retrofit automation - whether that’s installing operators, sensors or routing cables through the door leaf - you’re potentially changing the construction of the door. What we want to do as an industry is understand exactly how those modifications affect fire performance.”
While manufacturers can provide clear test evidence for new installations using specific combinations of doors, operators and hardware, the retrofit market is far less straightforward.
“In the new-build market, everything is far more controlled,” says Darren. “Manufacturers can specify the exact door, operator and components and provide test evidence showing the system will meet its fire rating if installed correctly.”
“In retrofit situations, that level of certainty doesn’t always exist. We want to close that gap in understanding.”
Collaborative testing and industry expertise
Central to ADSA’s initiative is collaboration across the sector. The newly formed steering group brings together expertise from manufacturers, technical specialists and fire testing organisations to address the challenge collectively.
Working with Warringtonfire - one of the UK’s leading fire testing organisations - the group plans to undertake controlled testing designed to replicate the types of modifications engineers commonly carry out in real-world retrofit scenarios.
These tests will focus initially on timber fire-rated doors, which represent the most common scenario when automating existing manual doors but review of steel, aluminium and composite doors may follow at a later date.
Typical modifications may include drilling holes through the door leaf or replacing existing hardware. Each of these changes can potentially affect the integrity of the door structure.
By recreating these scenarios in controlled fire tests, ADSA hopes to build a clearer picture of how such modifications influence performance.
“Once we understand what happens in those conditions, we can begin to provide meaningful guidance,” Darren explains.
“It allows us to move beyond assumption and base advice on real testing and observed outcomes.”
Building clearer guidance for the sector
The ultimate aim of the project is to translate testing insights into practical guidance for ADSA members and the wider industry.
Rather than prescribing a single universal solution, the work will help engineers better understand the likely implications of common modifications and how they can be managed responsibly.
For example, guidance may include recommendations on acceptable hole sizes for cable routing, appropriate fire-stopping methods and other installation considerations that help maintain fire integrity.
This will provide engineers with greater confidence when adapting existing fire doors while also helping specifiers and building owners make more informed decisions.
Crucially, the initiative reflects ADSA’s wider commitment to aligning technical understanding across sectors that share responsibility for fire safety.
Bringing together expertise ensures that the conversation reflects the realities of modern building design and maintenance.
Supporting safer decisions for building owners
For building owners and facilities managers, the guidance will also highlight an important message: automation and fire safety should be considered together, not in isolation.
Many decisions to automate doors are made with positive intentions but without technical understanding, modifications could unintentionally affect fire performance.
By strengthening the evidence base around retrofit modifications, ADSA aims to help building owners approach automation projects with greater awareness.
At the same time, the initiative recognises that replacing an entire fire door set is not always the most practical or sustainable solution.
With the right technical insight, many existing doors can be adapted responsibly.
“We’re not saying that fire doors shouldn’t be automated,” Darren reiterates. “Automation plays an important role in improving accessibility and usability in buildings. What we want to ensure is that when those modifications are made, they’re done with a clear understanding of how they affect the door’s fire performance.”
By bringing together industry expertise, test evidence and practical guidance, ADSA and its partners hope to close the knowledge gap around retrofit automation - ensuring fire-rated doors continue to perform as intended, even as buildings evolve to meet modern accessibility and operational needs.
For more information about ADSA’s work, to find an approved ADSA member, or to enquire about membership, visit www.adsa.org.uk
Alternatively, contact the ADSA team at info@adsa.org.uk or call 01827 216136
[Photo credits: GEZE UK and Autom8]
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