Ensuring Fire Safety & Regulation Compliance for Your Building.
If you're constructing or managing a building in Manchester or anywhere in the UK, testing the air leakage of your smoke shaft system is a must. We provide accurate EN 12101-6 compliant testing, making sure your smoke control system performs exactly as expected when it matters most.
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Smoke shaft air leakage testing measures how much air escapes or enters a smoke shaft system. A smoke shaft is a critical vertical duct designed to remove smoke from corridors and stairwells during a fire, keeping escape routes clear for occupants and safe access available for emergency services.
The test ensures the shaft is airtight enough to function effectively, generating the right pressure to push smoke out safely. During testing, specialised equipment is used to pressurise the shaft and detect any leaks. If the shaft allows too much air through, it may fail to extract smoke properly in a life-or-death emergency.
Failing a smoke shaft test isn't just about missing a compliance tick box—it directly impacts the safety and viability of your entire building project.
A properly sealed shaft ensures the mechanical extraction system creates enough pressure to keep stairwells and corridors completely free from smoke.
Guarantees compliance with stringent national regulations, specifically Approved Document B and the BS 9999 fire safety standards.
By vastly improving the efficiency of the fire safety systems, you actively reduce the risk to life caused by toxic smoke inhalation.
Our high-pressure testing highlights microscopic air leaks in the masonry, joints, and AOV fittings that severely impact smoke control performance.
A passed certificate is non-negotiable and strictly required by Building Control for final sign-off on many new builds and major refurbishments.
Getting it tested and fixed early ensures your project meets its timeline, avoiding extremely costly delays during final building inspections.
When you partner with Armeec Ltd, you're getting a dedicated compliance team that understands the pressures of construction. We don't just find faults; we help you solve them.
Our Manchester and London-based teams will carry out the testing using fully calibrated, high-flow fan equipment to guarantee perfectly accurate results.
Get your official results within days. We provide a clear, easy-to-understand report that satisfies Building Control immediately.
If we find any issues during testing, we use diagnostic smoke to locate the exact leak and guide your site team on what to fix to pass the retest.
Our team has successfully handled both small residential blocks and large-scale commercial towers across Manchester and the wider UK.
We deliver reports that definitively meet stringent building control and fire safety requirements across all UK authorities.
With the implementation of the Building Safety Act and evolving fire safety regulations continuing into 2026, the scrutiny placed on smoke control systems is higher than ever. Local authorities, particularly in dense urban environments like Manchester and London, are demanding rigorous proof of compliance before issuing completion certificates.
Testing a vertical smoke shaft is fundamentally different from a standard whole-building air tightness test. Our engineers arrive on-site and temporarily seal the top and bottom of the designated shaft, alongside sealing the Automatic Opening Vents (AOVs) located on each floor.
We then attach a specialized high-flow fan system directly to the shaft structure. The shaft is pressurized to a specific differential (often 50 Pascals, or as defined by the fire engineer's strategy). Sensors calculate the exact volume of air required to maintain this pressure. If the volume of air loss exceeds the allowable limit (usually calculated per square metre of the shaft's internal surface area), the shaft fails.
Don't wait until practical completion to discover a leak. We highly recommend booking a diagnostic smoke test while the shaft masonry is still exposed. We pump non-toxic smoke into the shaft to instantly visualize leaks, allowing builders to seal gaps before plasterboard hides the problem forever.
From our extensive experience across Manchester and the UK, smoke shafts typically fail due to predictable structural oversights. Common culprits include:
Our engineers will not just fail the test and leave. We actively help your site managers identify these specific leakage paths during the test, offering pragmatic advice on standard sealing techniques to ensure you pass upon retesting.
We understand construction delays cost money. Call us directly to find out our earliest availability for Manchester and nationwide site visits.
We are a true one-stop-shop for building compliance. Click to learn more about our other testing and design calculation services.