Door closers, hold-open systems and door drives

Door closers are particularly necessary for fire doors in order to meet their "self-closing" requirements under building regulations. But doors are also equipped with them for other reasons, e.g. when access doors are to close by themselves. If fire doors have to be left open due to use, hold-open systems are used to close the door with fire detector control in the event of a fire. Free-swinging door closers react in a similar way in the event of a fire, neutralising the function of the door closer in normal operation. Swing leaf drives can also open the door motorised, while door dampers are used to increase comfort and reduce the risk of injury.

Image: Dormakaba Door Closer TS 93 System - dormakaba Deutschland GmbH

More about door closers, hold-open systems and automatic door systems

The topic of this bauwion knowledge page is door closers, hold-open systems and drives for swing doors. The following aspects must be taken into account when making the selection:

• Is the installation on a fire door (fire protection or smoke protection door), i.e. appropriate approval required?
• Is it a simple and little-frequented fire door, e.g. to a technical room (-> simple door closer)?
• Must/should a fire door be kept open at least temporarily due to use (-> hold-open system/free-swing door closer)?
• Are there any accessibility requirements to be observed (-> free-swing door closer/swing leaf drive)?
• Is an automated opening process useful/necessary, e.g. for heavily frequented doors in public buildings (-> swing sash drive)?

Notes on the planning

ofescape doors in workplaces: Specific requirements for escape doors in workplaces result from the Technical Rule for Workplaces ASR A2.3 (Escape Routes and Emergency Exits, Escape and Rescue Plan):

• Loading of manually operated doors in emergency exits in the direction of escape
• Direction Direction of impact of other doors in the course of escape routes depending on the result of a risk assessment to be carried out if necessary
• Inadmissibility of exclusively manually operated revolving and sliding doors
• Limited admissibility of automatic doors
• Easy opening of the doors in case of danger, without special aids (i.e. opening device of the door, e.g. handle, easily recognizable and easily accessible, type of operation easy to understand, opening directly by any person and with only a small force)
• Requirements for lockable doors: easy opening from the inside at any time without special aids, e.g. by mechanical unlocking devices (emergency exit locks or panic door locks) or electric locking systems approved by building regulations with automatic unlocking in the event of a power failure (according to EltVTR)
• clear minimum dimensions of escape routes and doors depending on the maximum number of persons dependent on them in the event of danger, see lexicon article ►Escape route dimensions according to workplace law.

Fire detectors for hold-open systems: Hold-open systems (and accordingly also free-swing door closers and door drives with a hold-open function) on fire doors must close the door element as intended in the event of danger. For the number and arrangement of the fire detectors required for this, see Lexikonbeitrag ► Fire detectors as fall detectors and ceiling detectors for door hold-open systems.

Keeping the locking area of hold-open systems clear: In the case of hold-open systems, the area required for the locking process must be kept free at all times. This may require lettering and/or floor markings, especially for the fire protection closure of storage areas.

Hold-open systems in potentially explosive atmospheres: Hold-open systems may only be used on doors of rooms in which an explosive atmosphere due to flammable gases, vapours or mist is to be expected (zones 1 and 2 in accordance with DIN VDE 0165) if

• the closing process is also triggered by detectors from a gas warning system,
• the gas warning system and the hold-open system are electrically compatible and
• all parts of the hold-open system installed in these rooms are explosion-proof.

The installation of hold-open systems on doors of rooms in which an explosive atmosphere due to combustible dusts is to be expected (zones 10 and 11 according to DIN VDE 0165) is generally not permitted.

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Notes on construction

Impermissible keeping open (wedging) of fire doors: Again and again, it happens that fire doors (fire protection or smoke protection doors), usually by the respective users, are held up in an impermissible way, e.g. by wedges placed underneath, trapped objects, tying or adjusting. The affected door element thus no longer meets the building code requirement "self-closing". This constitutes a criminal offence within the meaning of Section 145 (2) No. 2 of the Criminal Code (StGB) and can be punished with imprisonment of up to two years or a fine. Wedges placed underneath or trapped objects can also lead to damage to the door element and thus permanently impair its function. If the door has to be open (at least temporarily) due to use, e.g. for the transport of goods, a correspondingly approved fire detector-controlled hold-open system must therefore be provided. If this is missing, the responsible planner can also be held (co-)liable under certain circumstances.

Standards and literature

DIN 14677 Maintenance of electrically controlled hold-open systems for fire protection and smoke protection closures

DIN 18263-1 Locks and building fittings - Door closing devices with controlled closing sequence - Part 1: Overhead door closers with crank drive and spiral spring

DIN 18263-4 Locks and building fittings - Door locking devices with controlled closing sequence - Part 4: Swing door operators with

self-closing function DIN 18650-1 Automatic door systems - Part 1: Product requirements and test methods

DIN 18650-2 Automatic door systems - Part 2: Safety of automatic door systems

DIN EN 1154 Locks and building fittings - Door locking devices with controlled closing sequence - Requirements and test methods

DIN EN 1155 Locks and building fittings - Electrically operated hold-open devices for swing doors - Requirements and test methods

DIN EN 1158 Locks and building fittings - Locking sequence controllers - Requirements and test methods

DIN EN 14637 Locks and building fittings - Electrically controlled hold-open systems for fire/smoke protection doors - Requirements, test methods, application and maintenance

Guidelines for hold-open systems published by the German Institute for Building Technology (DIBt)

Information on the approval procedure for hold-open systems published by the German Institute for Construction Technology (DIBt)

Source: bauwion