Passive fire penetration survey template (free download)
A passive fire penetration survey walks the fire-rated walls, floors and shafts of a building and records every service that passes through them: cables, pipes, ducts and conduits. For each one the question is the same. Is it sealed with a system that was tested for that service, in that element, to the required fire resistance level, and installed the way it was tested?
The deliverable is a register: hundreds of rows on a large building, each with a location, a photo and a result. This template sets up that register so penetrations can be found again, by a remediation contractor or by next year’s surveyor.
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Passive fire penetration survey
A penetration register for fire-rated walls and floors: service type, required FRL, the sealing system found, compliance and the fix.
1. Project details
2. Fire-rated elements
| Element ID | Type (wall / floor / shaft) | Construction | Required FRL |
|---|---|---|---|
3. Penetration register
| Pen. ID | Level / location | Element | Service (type, size, material) | Sealing system found | Label | Compliant | Photo ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4. Defects and remediation
| Pen. ID | Defect | Recommended remediation | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
5. Summary
What the passive fire penetration survey covers, section by section
1. Project details
The building, the areas surveyed and the documents you assessed against. Name any fire engineering report or performance solution, since it can change what is required in a given element.
Fields to capture: Building and address; Levels / areas surveyed; Areas not accessed, and why; Drawings and fire engineering report reference; Surveyor and date.
2. Fire-rated elements
List the separating elements surveyed and their required FRL (for example -/120/120), so each penetration can be judged against the element it passes through.
Fields to capture: a register with columns: Element ID, Type (wall / floor / shaft), Construction, Required FRL.
3. Penetration register
One row per penetration. Record what the service is and what is sealing it, then whether the system you see matches a tested system for that service and element. “Unable to determine” is a legitimate result when there is no label and no installation record.
Fields to capture: a register with columns: Pen. ID, Level / location, Element, Service (type, size, material), Sealing system found, Label, Compliant, Photo ref.
4. Defects and remediation
Each non-compliant penetration with the defect and the recommended fix. Typical defects: unsealed openings, a product not tested for that service type, gaps larger than the tested system allows, missing labels, damage, and abandoned services left in the opening.
Fields to capture: a register with columns: Pen. ID, Defect, Recommended remediation, Priority.
5. Summary
Counts by result so the owner can scope remediation before reading the register.
Fields to capture: Penetrations recorded; Compliant / non-compliant / unable to determine; Key findings.
Tips from the field
- Label penetrations on site with the same ID used in the register, so a remediation contractor can find row 214 without a floor plan.
- Photograph both faces of a wall penetration where you can; a collar on one side tells you nothing about the other.
- Record the service material and size. A product tested for a copper pipe is not automatically tested for a PVC pipe of the same diameter.
- Survey ceiling voids and risers floor by floor in one direction. Penetrations cluster, and a methodical route is the only way to avoid double counting.
Standards referenced
- AS 4072.1: components for the protection of openings in fire-resistant separating elements, covering service penetrations and control joints.
- AS 1530.4: the fire-resistance test methods that sealing systems are tested to.
- AS 1851: routine service, which includes inspection of passive fire and smoke systems.
Check the current edition and your state or territory’s requirements; this template is a starting point, not a substitute for the standard.
Frequently asked questions
What is a passive fire penetration survey?
It is an inspection of the services passing through fire-rated walls, floors and shafts, recording how each opening is sealed and whether the sealing system matches one tested for that service and element at the required fire resistance level.
Which standards apply to fire-rated penetrations in Australia?
Sealing systems are tested using the methods in AS 1530.4 and AS 4072.1 sets out requirements for protecting service penetrations and control joints in fire-resistant separating elements. Routine inspection of passive fire systems falls under AS 1851.
What should each row of a penetration register include?
A unique ID, the level and location, the element and its required FRL, the service type, size and material, the sealing system found, whether a label is present, the compliance result and a photo reference.
Can I capture a penetration register on a tablet?
Yes, in SurveyThanks the register is a repeating section filled in on the device, with a photo per penetration, and the register report renders into your own Word template. The download here is a Word document for printing or desktop use.
Fill this in on your phone and generate the report automatically
Build these sections as a SurveyThanks form, capture photos and answers on site, and the finished report renders into your own Word template.