BAS Frames designed, supplied and installed SFS infill achieving a 120-minute fire rating at the former Fulham Gas Depot on Imperial Road SW6 — double the industry standard, delivered for Erith in 6 weeks.
A demolition contractor moving into building works
St William acquired and managed the Imperial Road site. The gas depot building itself went to Erith, one of Europe’s leading demolition contractors, and it marked a significant step for them: their first substantial move beyond demolition into construction.
Erith brought in BAS Frames as specialist subcontractor for the steel framing — not only to execute the work, but to guide them through processes they were meeting for the first time. On a project where the fire specification was unusually demanding, that guidance mattered as much as the installation.
Why 120 minutes changes everything
Some external walls required 120 minutes of fire resistance. Most UK commercial specifications call for 60 or 90. Doubling that figure is not a matter of adding another board layer — it changes the tested system, the encasement of the primary steel, the sealing details and the evidence trail.
The primary structure was a hot rolled steel frame installed by another subcontractor. BAS Frames designed, supplied and installed the SFS infill around it to meet the rating.
Atkins, and the detail that emerged from good drawings
Atkins acted as architect. Their drawings were thorough enough that a critical requirement surfaced during design rather than on site: every structural steel member had to be encased in 60mm Promat fire board, manufactured by the ETEX Group, to protect the steel from losing strength in a fire.
Finding that at design stage rather than at first inspection is the difference between a planned sequence and an expensive rework. It is also why we push for full information early — a well-detailed drawing set pays for itself several times over on a fire-critical façade.
Working with ETEX to a tested build-up
BAS Frames worked directly with ETEX to integrate Promat into the wall design. Their EOS system produced a fire report specifying every component of the external build-up: internal board layers, fire mastic, and the external board brand. Nothing in the wall was left to interpretation.
We then went a step further. Before starting, we requested ETEX’s installation manual and arranged an on-site training session with an ETEX representative, so the installation team learned the Promat sequence from the manufacturer rather than from a drawing. The completed encasement was inspected and signed off by that same representative.
On a 120-minute wall, a system is only as good as its installation. Manufacturer training and manufacturer sign-off are what turn a specification into demonstrable compliance — the kind of evidence a Building Control body or a warranty provider will actually accept.
Outcome
The gas depot is complete and operational. Atkins signed off the works. Erith became a repeat client, and one of their regional directors named adaptability and service as the reasons the project ran the way it did.
Project facts
- Client: Erith, The Enabling Specialist
- Developer: St William
- Architect: Atkins
- Location: Fulham Gas Depot, Imperial Road, London SW6 2AG
- Scope: SFS infill design, supply and installation; 60mm Promat encasement to structural steel
- Fire rating: 120 minutes to specified external walls
- Duration: 6 weeks
Working to a demanding fire specification? See our SFS infill walling system, read about SFS fire resistance ratings, or send us your drawings.
