swinging doors kitchens

[alena23]

We are a residential apartment complex (high rise) with a restaurant/kitchen area on the first floor. The kitchen staff wants to replace one of the swinging doors with an automatic door to allow for robotic servers. Are the swinging kitchen doors that separate the kitchen area from the dining area fire rated doors? Where can I find these codes? If it is a fire door, I am assuming that we cannot install hardware unless it is fire rated.

 

[JPohling]

A dual acting kitchen door like an Eliason is not able to be rated a there is no latching.

 

[alena23]

I think I am using the wrong terminology for these doors. They don't swing in both directions, but there is no positive latching. There is a door to enter, and another one to exit. Questions is whether a FIRE door is required in this area or not. My thought is that it SHOULD be a fire door because most fires do start in kitchens. Our Healthcare areas (different occupancies) does have fire rated doors in their kitchen.
THanks. Tried to attach a picture, but I am having difficulties.

 

[JPohling]

The existing door is not rated and can be replaced by a non rated door.

 

[Inspector Gadget]

I think I am using the wrong terminology for these doors. They don't swing in both directions, but there is no positive latching. There is a door to enter, and another one to exit. Questions is whether a FIRE door is required in this area or not. My thought is that it SHOULD be a fire door because most fires do start in kitchens. Our Healthcare areas (different occupancies) does have fire rated doors in their kitchen.
THanks. Tried to attach a picture, but I am having difficulties.

Unlikely the door would need to be a FR unit. (FYI I had a case where there were changes to an existing building, and a kitchen that served one suite was modified so that it served another, by closing off one access and then creating an opening in a load-bearing wall required to have a fire-resistance rating - no door or FR door required, as the renovation simply created one suite. The reno had to preserve the FRR of the load-bearing assembly, mind you.)

However, you can easily check by looking at the door - open it, and look at the back of the door. IF it has an FRR, there will be a metal plate stating what it's FRR is.

 

[Paul Sweet]

Fire-rated doors have to be positive latching and have closers. This would make it very difficult for a waiter with a tray full of food to open the door. Most kitchen fires start in fryers and griddles, and the hood above them is required to have a fire suppression system.