Shopping centres are public places with high footfall, and fire compartments must be fitted with fire-rated roller shutter door. The following are the most commonly used types of fire-rated roller shutter door:

Premium-grade Dual-track, Double-curtain Fire-resistant Roller Shutter Door

Fire resistance

Fire integrity + thermal insulation ≥ 3.0 hours (Class TF3); no need for a supplementary water spray curtain, saving on fire safety costs and eliminating the risk of water accumulation; essential for high-traffic areas in shopping centres.

Curtain structure (three-layer composite)

Outer layer: Ceramic fibre fire-resistant fabric (temperature resistance up to 1,200 °C, wear-resistant and aesthetically pleasing)

Middle layer: Aluminium silicate thermal insulation wool (blocks temperature rise from the reverse side of the fire, protecting evacuees)

Inner layer: Aluminium foil-coated fibreglass smoke-proof fabric + stainless steel wire tensile reinforcement frame; asbestos-free and environmentally friendly

Total weight ≈ 3.5 kg/m², lightweight design that places minimal load on shopping centre ceilings and beams.

Advantages

Exceptional smoke containment: dual-curtain, double-layer seal prevents smoke and fire from penetrating, preventing vertical spread in atriums and pedestrian streets;

Suitable for large spans: Can be manufactured up to 20 m wide and 12 m high; for atriums with a ceiling height of 5 m or more, the folding and lifting type is recommended, as the roller does not occupy ceiling height;

Low noise and smooth operation, causing no disruption to the shopping centre’s daily operations;

Complements the shopping centre’s high-end finishes, with a far more aesthetically pleasing appearance than steel roller shutters;

Regulations permit direct substitution for fire walls, resulting in a high fire safety inspection pass rate.

Steel Fire-resistant Roller Shutter Door

Composite Premium-Grade Steel (3-hour thermal insulation): Double-layered steel sheets filled with fire-resistant cotton; no water curtain required; high rigidity and resistance to forklift impacts.

Suitable Applications

Underground unloading bays, refuse storage rooms, equipment rooms, and logistics loading bays; not suitable for atriums, shop partitions or pedestrian streets.

Selecting Models for Different Areas of The Shopping Centre

Premium-grade dual-track, double-curtain fire-resistant roller shutter door: atrium / Indoor pedestrian street / Areas around escalators / Shops and public walkways / Underground shopping arcade

Steel fire-resistant roller shutter door: underground car park / Loading bay / Plant room / Rubbish storage room/catering Kitchen

Technical Specifications

Core Manufacturing Processes for Curtain Panel

Inorganic fabric: weight ≥ 800 g/m², asbestos-free, reinforced with stainless steel wires in both the transverse and longitudinal directions, tear-resistant;

Steel slats: galvanised / stainless steel, filled with fire-resistant cotton with a density of ≥ 280 kg/m³, which does not collapse at high temperatures.

Mandatory Fire Resistance Criteria

Integrity + Thermal Insulation ≥ 3.0 hours

Motors and Control Systems

Fire-rated roller shutter operator: fitted with a brake and power-fail release mechanism; in the event of a power cut, the shutter descends at a constant speed under its own weight, preventing a rapid fall that could cause injury;

Control box: Fire alarm interlock interface, connected to the building’s central fire alarm control panel;

Evacuation routes: Two-stage lowering logic (smoke detector triggers lowering to a mid-position of 1.8 m; temperature sensor triggers delayed full lowering);

Storage rooms and equipment rooms: Single-stage lowering; the door lowers to the bottom immediately upon alarm activation;

Manual pull chains on both sides, with ‘Up’, ‘Stop’ and ‘Down’ buttons, and status feedback to the fire control room.

Key Points for Avoiding Pitfalls in Procurement

Standard roller shutters are strictly prohibited in atriums: they are too heavy and may damage the suspended ceiling; they offer no thermal insulation; and regulations do not permit them to be used as a substitute for fire walls in atriums;

Reject unbranded products without 3C certification: fire safety inspections in large complexes will verify certificates on a unit-by-unit basis;

Do not install standard roller shutter door in atriums with a ceiling height of 5 metres or more: as the ceiling height is insufficient, only folding-lift types may be used;

A clear space must be maintained beneath the roller shutters; the stacking of display cabinets or shelving is prohibited, and yellow ‘no storage’ markings must be painted on the floor (this is a mandatory item during fire safety inspections).

Summary of Model Selection

Atriums, pedestrian streets, shop partitions, evacuation routes, underground shopping arcades, and dining areas: Select double-track, double-curtain, Class 1 inorganic fire-resistant roller shutter door (TF3, 3-hour thermal insulation); large, high openings should be fitted with a folding lift mechanism, with two-stage lowering and interlocked control;

Loading bays, equipment rooms, refuse storage rooms, and garage loading bays: Select composite Class 1 steel fire-resistant roller shutter door (3-hour thermal insulation);