Fireproof timber construction

Hilti manufactures tools and fasteners, but also provides construction-related software and services, including in the field of fire safety. 

This segment of the company falls under the responsibility of trade manager Tessa de Roo. "We are active in the field of structural fire safety. For example, we produce products that are proven to meet current regulations to increase passive fire safety and have a professional team of technical advisors to provide service at all stages of the construction process. "

Revolutionary sleeve

De Roo continues: "One of the foundations of passive fire protection is, of course, compartmentation. To comply with regulations, which require that a fire not exit a compartment within a certain time, we sell several products. These products help meet the WBDBO requirement" 

Hilti continues to look for new solutions to make buildings safer and healthier. "One example is the fire-resistant sleeve, which seals the penetration of cables easily and safely. The advantage of this innovation is that the sleeve can easily be reopened to feed an additional cable through at a later stage. This is a matter of twisting it open and closed. Puncturing a hole, which is at the expense of fire safety, can thus be avoided."

The development of new products and services is characteristic of Hilti, according to De Roo: "We are a highly innovative company. We always start from the question of how we can provide more fire safety and a healthy environment, as also preventing mold and improving air quality in buildings." 

New products are developed at the company's own R&D center in Liechtenstein. "We want to stay at the forefront and provide solutions for complex situations."

Specially tested for timber construction

One such complex situation occurs with wood construction. "Wood construction is gaining popularity and we notice that this market is searching when it comes to fire safety." Hilti is responding to this by being the only product also tested for use in wood construction. "These products were already being used in construction, but have now been further certified. This offers architects and contractors many advantages. In the old situation, penetrations in wood had to be sealed in a time-consuming and inefficient manner. Thanks to the new certifications of our products for use in wood, fire-resistant sealing is also very simple in wood construction; this saves time and therefore costs."

Hilti also wants to make things easier for timber builders in the area of software. "It is important to know in advance exactly how pipes and cables run, because then it is possible to very precisely make a penetration and apply a sleeve, for example. We make 2D and 3D BIM objects of all our products, which can then be applied in BIM. We can also do this for the customer." 

Hilti offers (BIM) services, software and certified solutions for both the design, construction and operation of a building.