Fireproof Vaults
The traditional method for constructing fireproof vaults to protect important paper documents has been to use concrete or masonry blocks as the primary building material. In the event of a fire, the chemically bound water within the concrete or masonry blocks will be forced into the vault chamber as steam. The steam will soak the paper documents to keep them from burning. This steam will also help keep the temperature inside the vault chamber below the critical 350-degree Fahrenheit (176.7-degrees Celsius) threshold, which is the point at which information on paper documents is destroyed. The paper can later be remediated with a freeze drying process, if the fire is extinguished before internal temperatures exceed 350-degrees F. An alternate less expensive and time-consuming process is using dry insulating material.
This traditional vault construction method is sufficient for paper documents, but the steam generated by concrete/masonry structures will destroy contents that are more sensitive to heat and moisture. For example, information on microfilm is destroyed at 150-degrees F. (65.5-degrees C. a.k.a. Class 150) and magnetic media (such as data tapes) lose data above 125-degrees F. (51.7-degrees C. a.k.a. Class 125). Fireproof vaults built to meet the more stringent Class 125 requirement are called data-rated vaults.
All components of fireproof vaults must meet the fire protection rating of the vault itself, including doors, HVAC penetrations and cable penetrations
Read more about this topic: Fireproofing
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