Overview
ISO 20902-2:2023 specifies additional fire test procedures for pipe penetration and cable transit sealing systems used in divisional elements common to the oil, gas and petrochemical industries. It supplements ISO 20902-1 general requirements by defining test methodology for assessing fire resistance of penetration seals when exposed to cellulosic or hydrocarbon-pool fire regimes. The standard targets non‑marine applications while remaining suitable for offshore fixed and mobile installations and supports subsequent classification based on the duration that performance criteria are met.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope & principle: Supplementary procedures to ISO 20902-1 for penetrations (pipes, ducts, cable transits) in divisional elements; non‑prescriptive on failure criteria and thermal loads to support both prescriptive and performance‑based approaches.
- Test conditions: Preconditioning per ISO 834-1; orientation-specific testing (horizontal and vertical) where applicable.
- Furnace and spacing: Minimum 200 mm clearance between any point of a penetration seal periphery and furnace wall.
- Pressure control: Vertical assemblies - (20 ± 2) Pa at bottom of lowest penetration; horizontal elements - (20 ± 2) Pa at (100 ± 10) mm below underside.
- Instrumentation:
- Furnace temperature measured using plate thermometers per ISO 834-1; hot junctions located (100 ± 10) mm from exposed face and not closer than 100 mm to projecting parts.
- Minimum of four plate thermometers and at least one per 1.5 m of heated area.
- Unexposed face thermocouples with disc/pad adaptation for non‑planar surfaces (minimum pad dimension 12 mm).
- Additional monitoring options referenced: roving thermocouples, integrity measurements and infrared cameras.
- Test specimen rules: Clauses cover minimum specimen counts, size and spacing, pipe/cable restraint, blank penetration seals, and reporting requirements.
- Definitions: Key terms included (penetration, penetration seal, cable filling ratio, transit system, coaming, hot spot).
Applications and users
ISO 20902-2:2023 is intended for:
- Fire test laboratories conducting fire resistance testing for penetrations and cable transits.
- Manufacturers and designers of penetration seals, cable transit systems and firestop materials.
- Offshore and onshore asset owners, operators and engineering contractors in oil, gas and petrochemical sectors assessing fire protection systems.
- Certification bodies and classification societies looking to interpret test data for product/system classification.
Practical benefits include standardized test data for product development, certification, risk assessments and compliance documentation for installations where fire containment of penetrations is critical.
Related standards
- ISO 20902-1:2018 - General requirements for fire test procedures for divisional elements
- ISO 834-1 - Fire-resistance tests - General requirements (preconditioning, thermometer methods)
- IMO FTP codes (IMO resolution MSC/307(88), formerly A.754(18)) - referenced for compatibility with marine FTP procedures
Keywords: ISO 20902-2:2023, fire test procedures, pipe penetration, cable transit, fire resistance testing, oil and gas, hydrocarbon fire, divisional elements, offshore fire protection.