Applications of Access Doors in Construction Engineering

When talking about construction engineering, it would refer to the professional discipline of designing, planning, building, and managing various infrastructural projects. Engineers working in this field have to supervise construction activities and ensure that everything is doing well throughout the whole process. With the latest innovations, it is now much more comfortable to provide solutions for civil engineering applications. One application includes access doors and panels to reinforce protection and provide convenient access to internal building systems.

These days, various access doors are primarily-designed to access the critical areas behind walls, floors, ceilings, and even roofs. One popular application is HVAC access doors, which are essential to allow convenient inspections and maintenance on HVAC and HVAC systems. With a variety of designs and materials that access doors are using now, it is vital to know which one is ideal for specific purposes that you need.

Here are the different types of access doors and their role in construction engineering:

Security Access Doors

Maintaining the facility’s security is essential for any commercial buildings, especially highly controlled ones. By using security access doors, you can have additional protection on the critical components of the infrastructure. These panels use heavy-duty materials with tamper-proof locks that will prohibit unauthorized access. They come in various levels, such as medium, high, and fire-rated ones, and ideal for prisons, hospitals, and detention facilities.

Fire-rated Access Doors

Many building requirements that engineers need to comply with for permits rates the fire safety in the building. To assure that the infrastructure will gain more points, contractors use fire-rated access doors to protect while giving convenient access to building components. The right materials prevent the heat transfer from the entrance to the system behind it during a fire incident. Most fire-rated doors feature self-closing and self-opening mechanisms with one up to 4-hours fire rating. It indicates the length of time that the material can withstand temperature rise. When looking for the right one, make sure to find those with good access doors and panel reviews and NFPA-compliant.

Acoustical Access Doors

Fire is not the only thing that you want to protect your building from. If you own a commercial facility that tends to produce loud sounds and cause a disturbance, it is essential to ensure its sound rating. In these cases, it is ideal to use sound rated access doors to provide accessibility to building components while reducing noise and improving privacy. These labels use top-grade insulation to meet the Sound Transmission Class (STC) requirements for buildings. Acoustical access doors are applicable for facilities with music and performing arts rooms, healthcare, and offices.

Exterior Access Doors

There are some cases where you will need convenient access to your building components outside. However, it is essential to ensure that you will only install exterior access doors that will work well against outdoor elements. It needs to use durable materials that are weatherproof and will not rust right away. They may be aluminum, galvanized, or stainless steel. Moreover, the insulation should be top-notch to avoid water infiltration in case of heavy rains or storms. It will also help prevent dirt and dust from getting inside your building components and damaging them in the long run.

Airtight/Watertight Access Doors

If your building has laboratories, operating rooms, and clean rooms, it is essential to use airtight and watertight access doors. These rooms usually require an airtight/watertight seal to avoid contaminated or unwanted airs and liquids from coming inside the facility. The door and frame of the panel should be fully welded and gasketed. It is also vital to check the type of insulation that it uses. To check if it can prevent anything from coming inside. You can also use airtight/watertight access doors for exterior applications if you wish.

Choose the right access doors!

Smooth construction and installation need to know which access doors are ideal for the application that a building requires. There are many types and classifications of panels that you will see in the market, and it may include plaster, plastic, stucco, drywall, and walk-through doors. However, not choosing the right access door may turn into a safety hazard for your building components.

It would be best to look for high-quality ones from companies with fair access doors and panel reviews such as Access Doors and Panels. Check if customers and industry professionals leave them with remarkable feedback to see if the company is reliable. An ideal access door should be economical and can answer the requirements of your projects.

Guest Contributor: Chris Jackson