FIS has refreshed its Specifiers’ Guide to Partitioning to reflect the most up-to-date advice and guidance, to support specification writers in fully understanding the key criteria involved when preparing partitioning specifications, including those for movable walls and pods.
The Specifiers’ Guide to Partitioning was first written in 2022 by the FIS Partitioning and Pods Working Group which comprises representation from manufacturers, designers and contractors working in the sector. Pulling together decades of experience, this guide is designed to help specifiers and designers understand the questions that should be addressed before the specification can be produced and then how the specification should be structured, and which standards referenced.
The 2026 update includes a significant expansion of guidance on pre-cycle agreements, reuse considerations, and end-of-service-life planning. It also reflects recent and forthcoming changes to fire resistance and reaction-to-fire classification systems, alongside updates to UK and EU conformity marking requirements. In addition, all references have been revised to align with current BS/EN standards and established industry best practice.
In addition to the written update, the guidance has been developed into a CPD e-learning course available via the FIS Academy. This digital format allows individuals to work through the content at their own pace in a structured, interactive way, reinforcing key principles and making complex technical requirements easier to understand.
Commenting on the guide, Chair of the FIS Partitions and Pods Working Group and FIS member Peter Long said:
“Partition systems of all types are always interfaced with adjacent construction products and many of these are critical interfaces, particularly in safety-critical applications like fire resistance and resistance to collapse under loading. This requires building design and the specification of construction products, like partitioning, to be considered holistically and not in isolation. This Specifiers’ Guide aims to support specifiers in this holistic approach.”
The guide explains the vast range of product options and how careful specification can help with relocatability in the building as well as enjoying enhanced tax benefits. The guide also has reference material to regulations for safety, fire performance and standards.
This Specifiers Guide sits alongside other FIS guidance that relates to partitioning:
Best practice guide for installing Partitioning
FIS Acoustic Verification Scheme
These guides work well when they are included in proposals and project plans to demonstrate how to best approach a project. They are also good differentiators when someone is in competition with non-members, and are an excellent introduction to new members of the team and any trainees and apprentices.
You can download the Specifiers’ Guide to Partitioning from the Publications Library on the FIS website here.
See more news likes this
Update: Non-Combustible Cladding Requirements Extended and Amended
There have been further changes to fire safety requirements in the Building Regulations and the use of non-combustible materials in and on the external walls of new flats, hospitals, student, school accommodation and dormitory buildings (originally introduced in...
Growth continues but cost pressures mount
The construction supply chain extended its run of strong growth into 2022, in spite of existing price and supply issues being exacerbated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In Q1, construction product manufacturers reported an increase in sales, and SME builders,...
Making our apprenticeship system simpler for employers, training providers and apprentices
A number of improvements and simplifications to apprenticeships will come into force from August 2022. Over the past five years apprenticeships have been transformed into a high-quality skills programme for learners and employers. Employers have created more than 640...