James My own view is they are excellent in an environment where it is likely that additional services will be run through the compartment on a regular bases. Eg, large offices with IT cabling constantly being replaced or repaired. Pop out the bag, run the cables and pop the bag back in. Better that sealing the gap umpteen times a year, or constantly chasing around filling these gaps. Where regular breaches of the compartment are not so likely (a small office or shop, with a light IT requirement), then 'proper' sealing up is much more efficient at stopping fire spread and offers a high degree of stopping smoke spread - something the pillows cannot do (and don't claim to do). Lastly, I would never contemplate using pillows where there's sleeping risk (due to the uncontrolled smoke spreading issue)

James. My view is unchanged in that fire compartments need to consider smoke travel where that compartment is required for life safety (rather than building protection) reasons. From what I am imagining, your proposal does not replace the same level of fire stopping that was there originally As for L1 AFD, it's not unusual to have L1 coverage in residential homes (albeit this one is sheltered accommodation), so unless you are saying it's going to be upgraded to L1 (from L2 or 3) as a mitigating measure re the less efficient fire stopping, then I can't see it being much value. It's always so difficult to take a proper view a 'blind' basis, but I would take great care if reducing the quality of fire compartmentation (compared with what was there) in such a high risk, without offering anything extra to mitigate that additional risk (does that make sense??!) I would also be interested in what others here think.

Hi James messyshaw is right with respect to the smoke spread, the pillows are not effective for this. The other issue to consider is that overtime the pillows 'settle' so do not fill so much of the hole as when they are first inserted. I have known pillows in vertical risers to fall out after a period of time.