Strength & durability.

Current EN test and classification standards.



Various documents, including BS 8214, HTM 58 (hospital and health building) and SSLD7 (schools and education buildings) stress the importance of specifying the appropriate classification of doors to ensure long-term performance under anticipated uses. For many years BS DD 171 : 1987, ‘Guide to specifying performance requirements for hinged or pivoted doors (including test methods)’, provide the frame work to which doors and doorsets could be tested and evaluated, however, this standard is now withdrawn and strength and durability are now classified and tested by the European standards detailed below.The following classifications for category of duty apply:

EN 1192:2000. Doors. Classification of strength requirements. 

This document classifies the strength performance of doorsets based on the following test methods:
  • BS EN 947:1999. Hinged or pivoted doors. Determination of the resistance to vertical load
  • BS EN 948:1999. Hinged or pivoted doors. Determination of the resistance to static torsion
  • BS EN 949:1999. Windows and curtain walling, doors, blinds and shutters. Determination of the resistance to soft and heavy body impact for doors
  • BS EN 950:1999. Door leaves. Determination of the resistance to hard body impact

EN 1192 also identifies tolerances for doors based on the methods for measurement within:
  • BS EN 951:1999. Door leaves. Method for measurement of height, width, thickness and squareness
  • BS EN 952:1999. Door leaves. General and local flatness. Measurement method

EN 12400:2002 Windows and pedestrian doors – Mechanical durability – Requirements and classifications

This standard classifies the performance of windows and pedestrian doors in respect of repeated opening and closing based on the following test method:

  • BS EN 1191:2012. Windows and doors. Resistance to repeated opening and closing. Test method
  • BS EN 12217:2015. Doors. Operating forces. Requirements and classification

BE EN 12217defines the classification of the test results for the forces to open/close doors and to engage/release and lock/unlock the hardware using a key or handle, after testing in accordance with the following test method:

  • BS EN 12046-2:2000. Operating forces. Test method. Doors

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Class Category of duty Description
1-2 Light to medium duty Low frequency of use with care, for example private house owners where there is a small chance of accidents occurring or of misuse
2-3 Medium to heavy duty Medium frequency of use primarily with care, where there is some chance of accidents occurring or of misuse
3-4 Heavy to severe duty High frequency of use without care, where there is a good chance of accidents occurring or of misuse
4 Severe duty Subject to frequent violent usage

Performance of doorsets for the UK market

The EN standards identified above have been written to provide solutions across the whole of Europe, consequently some of the classifications and tests are not generally applicable for the UK. To help with the selection of the correct criteria and performance characteristics for windows and doorsets intended for the UK market specifically, BSI have produced a several guidance documents under the BS 6375 series covering weather tightness, operation and strength and more specialist areas such as security.

BS 6375-2:2009. Performance of windows and doors. Classification for operation and strength characteristics and guidance on selection and specification. 

This standard identifies the characteristics and classes of performance appropriate for internal/external pedestrian doorsets intended for the UK. It is applicable to both factory-glazed and site-glazed products.


This part of BS 6375 specifies performance requirements for the operation and strength of manually operated internal/external pedestrian doorsets in their fully finished condition.

Specific guidance is provided on:

  • Category of use
  • Operating forces
  • Mechanical strength
  • Load-bearing capacity of safety devices
  • Resistance to repeated opening and closing
UK category of use UK description of typical use
Light Secondary external doorsets to dwellings
Medium External doorsets to dwellings, providing primary access office doorsets providing access to areas not visited by members of the public and school classrooms
Heavy Doorsets for shops, hospitals wards and other buildings which provide access to designated public areas
Severe Doorsets for stockrooms, school* and hospital corridors etc. commonly opened by driving trolleys against them
Table A.2   Summary of classification for doorsets
Characteristic Test method Classification standard Class for doorsets

Light Medium Heavy Severe
Operating forces for doorsets BS EN 12046-2 BS EN 12217 Class 1 for external doorsets Class 2 for internal doorsets

Vertical load
 BS EN 947
 BS EN 1192
 Class 1
 Class 2
 Class 3
 Class 4
Static torsion
 BS EN 948
 BS EN 1192
 Class 1
 Class 2
 Class 3
 Class 4
Soft and heavy body impact   BS EN 949  BS EN 1192 Class 1 Class 2 Class 3  Class 4 
Hard body impact   BS EN 950  BS EN 1192 Class 1 Class 2  Class 3  Class 4
Load-bearing capacity of safety devices  BS EN 948   BS EN 14351  350 N threshold value  
Resistance to repeated opening and closing  BS EN 1191   BS EN 12400 Class 1, 2 or 3  Class 4 or 5  Class 6  Class 7 or 8

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Talk to us to see how we can help you.

Our highly skilled team is always happy to share its technical expertise, whether over the phone or face-to-face.

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