RWS Compliant, Fire-Rated, Tunnel Expansion Joint: EMSHIELD DFR3
- For Tunnel Roofs And Walls
- Structural, Control, And Seismic Joints
- Meets Rws (Rijkswaterstaat) Time/Temperature Curve
- Fea Proven To Handle Worst Case Fuel Tanker Fire In Tunnel (2-Hour, 300Mw Fire Load, Max. Temperature 2,462Of (1,350Oc))
- Used In Conjunction With Wr Grace Monokote Z146T
- Non-Invasive Anchoring; No Mechanical Fasteners
- Pre-Compressed, Self Expanding, Never In Tension
- For Curves And Straight Runs
- Handles Variations In Joint Size Through Size-Switching
- Dfr3 Meets Ul2079, Astm E1966, Astm E119 And Astm E1399
Joint Sizes: 1/2" to 4" (12mm - 100mm)
Movement Capability:
50% Total (+25% and -25% of nominal supplied size)
Depth of Seal: 4-inches (100mm)
Colors
Standard color is grey. Can also be made in black and other colors on request (consult EMSEAL).
Product Description
Fire-retardant-impregnated foam is factory pre-coated on the underside with an intumescent fire-proofing material. The upper surface receives a traffic-grade silicone coating.
The resulting composite is then factory compressed to less than its nominal size for installation into structural or other openings.
The system is installed into epoxy adhesive field-applied to the sides of the joint face and fireproofing.
The visible, tunnel-facing, surface of the DFR3 is a durable, silicone coating that is resistant to cleansing procedures.
See DFR3-RWS Installed at Calgary Airport Trail Tunnel Project
What is RWS?
RWS (Rijkswaterstaat) is a tunnel fire standard created as a result of testing done in 1979 by the Rijkswaterstaat (Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment) in The Netherlands.
It is based on a worst case scenario of 1765 ft3 (50m3) of fuel (a tanker load) being ignited in the relatively small confines of a tunnel.
The resulting heat load was found to be approximately 300MW, with temperatures reaching 2012oF (1100oC) after only 5 minutes, peaking at 2462oF (1350oC) with a fire burn duration of 2 hours.
This data was corroborated by a similar test conducted in Norway in 2003.
It is known that spalling of the concrete tunnel structure when surface temperatures reach approximately 716oF (380oC).
Spalling is very detrimental to the structural integrity of the entire tunnel, and if unchecked, may result in a complete tunnel collapse. Significant spalling may require costly remediation post-fire to restore structural integrity even if the tunnel isn't collapsed.
Products meeting the RWS standard are able to keep the interface between the fire protection and the concrete surface below 716oF (380oC) for the entire two hour duration of the RWS fire curve.
The Mont Blanc tunnel fire in Europe killed 39.
The Caldecott tunnel Fire in California killed seven people.
When a fuel tanker explodes is a tunnel there is a massive fire ball. The flame and heat almost instantly hits the tunnel ceiling.
Concrete that is not coated with fire proofing can spall in massive chunks compromising structural integrity.
Coatings, like Monokote Z146T, exist that can be used on the faces of concrete to meeting the RWS criteria.
But
what if there is a gap in the fireproof coating?
Structural joints to accommodate seismic, thermal, concrete shrinkage and other movements are literally a gap through the fireproofing.
EMSHIELD DFR3 fills this gap, handles the movement, and restores the RWS fire rating to the tunnel lining.
By Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and engineering judgement for the Calgary Trail Airport Tunnel project in Alberta, Canada, DFR3 has been shown to be able to handle the RWS time/temperature curve.
Fig. 1: EMSHIELD DFR3 in Monokote Z146T with Joint-Edge Thickness Build Up
Fig. 2: EMSHIELD DFR3 in 1-inch Thick Monokote Z146T With Chamfered Joint-Edge
Factory-Fabricated Terminations and Transitions— as in all EMSEAL expansion joint systems, continuity of seal through changes in plane and direction is an essential performance differentiator.
EMSHIELD DFR3 is manufactured in straight-run sticks which can be joined in the field to custom curves, 90's and EMSEAL’s patent-pending "Universal-90" Transitions and Terminations.
Universal-90 Upturn Transition | 
Universal-90 Flipped-Over as Downturn Transition |
These factory-fabricated single-piece 90-degree units have a 12-inch long leg and a 6-inch vertical piece on each end of the elbow. The Universal-90's are symmetrically coated on both sides. This allows them to be installed as an upturn or as a downturn. Either leg can be trimmed in the field to connect to straight run material or to another Universal-90.
Sizing
Performance
EMSHIELD DFR3
Movement Capability:
+25%, -25% (50% total) of nominal material size.
Standard sizes from:
1/2" to 4" (12-100mm)
Note: Sizes under 1 1/2" (40mm) are manufactured with a single bellows. Larger sizes incorporate multiple bellows.
Depth of Seal for all sizes:
4" (100mm).
Substrates must be solid, parallel and plumb.
| Supplied | Product | Nominal Material Size | Depth of |
| Length | Code | ( = Joint Size at Mean T) | Seal |
| 6.56 LF (2M)Stick | DFR3-50-100-02 | 1/2" | (12mm) | 4" (100mm) |
| DFR3-65-100-02 | 5/8" | (15mm) |
| DFR3-75-100-02 | 3/4" | (20mm) |
| DFR3-100-100-02 | 1" | (25mm) |
| DFR3-125-100-02 | 1 1/4" | (30mm) |
| DFR3-150-100-02 | 1 1/2" | (40mm) |
| DFR3-175-100-02 | 1 3/4" | (45mm) |
| DFR3-200-100-02 | 2" | (50mm) |
| DFR3-225-100-02 | 2 1/4" | (55mm) |
| DFR3-250-100-02 | 2 1/2" | (60mm) |
| DFR3-275-100-02 | 2 3/4" | (70mm) |
| DFR3-300-100-02 | 3" | (75mm) |
| DFR3-325-100-02 | 3 1/4" | (80mm) |
| DFR3-350-100-02 | 3 1/2" | (90mm) |
| DFR3-375-100-02 | 3 3/4" | (95mm) |
| DFR3-400-100-02 | 4" | (100mm) |
Design/System/Construction/Assembly Usage
This material has been tested to UL/ULC 2079 and is manufactured under UL’s Follow-Up Service. The material is being supplied as a fire-rated component of a wall or floor assembly. It has been tested to UL 2079 in assemblies as depicted in EMSEAL’s various listings in the UL Online Certifications Directory or in other cases by independent engineering judgment.
Use of this material in assembly configurations other than depicted in the named UL listings or specific engineering judgments will not encumber or lower the resistance of the deck or wall assembly but is done so at the designers’ discretion and responsibility for designing substrates as part of a fire rated assembly that meet applicable standards for the project. Similarly, the published information in the UL Listings cannot always address every construction nuance encountered in the field. Authorities Having Jurisdiction should be consulted in all cases as to the particular requirements covering the installation and use of UL Listed or Classified products or materials. Authorities Having Jurisdiction should be consulted before construction to ensure that specific adjacent substrates and assemblies are detailed and constructed to meet local fire-rating requirements.