FBS Brick Slip Soffit and Lintel System

FBS is designed around a standard 215x65mm face brick slip, but it accommodates most brick sizes defined within BS EN 771-3. Each system is set up to the project specification, so specific brick sizes can be built in from the outset rather than constraining the design to a standard module. It is important to confirm brick type compatibility with the FIRMA Technical team prior to building your specification.

Based on a 65mm brick, the system allows for -7mm and +5mm size variance, and has been tested at both extremes (a 58mm brick installed next to a 70mm brick). This makes it well suited to handmade or artisan bricks, where size and shape are inherently inconsistent, as well as standard stock bricks. Specifiers working with irregular or reclaimed brick types should factor this tolerance into brick selection at an early stage, rather than treating it as a fabrication risk.

The system requires a mortar depth of 30-40mm, with a standard 10mm mortar joint. This should be coordinated with the brick slip depth and frame design early in the detailing process, as it affects the overall build-up and the relationship between the brick slip face and the surrounding masonry.

Unlike prefabricated brick slip panels, FBS slips are fitted on site once the frame is fixed in place. This has a direct impact on programme and logistics:

• Frames and brick slips are delivered separately, so deliveries are smaller and lighter.
• Frames can be installed and secured before the slips arrive, meaning the frame itself is lighter to handle and reduces manual handling risk.
• No resin bonding is required, which removes a curing step from the programme and reduces install cost.
• Because the finish is applied on site, the site team retains control over aesthetic quality and coursing, rather than this being fixed at the point of manufacture.

Installation follows a fixed sequence: central brick slips are installed first (leaving the second row from top and bottom empty), followed by the bottom slip using the slip install tool provided, then the top slip, with the remaining rows filled in last. The frame must be fully fixed in place before any brick slips are installed. Specifiers and contractors should build this sequencing into site method statements rather than assuming a single-pass installation.

Adjustment slots built into the Masonry Support Shelf or Lintel allow the whole unit to be adjusted laterally, and individual slips can still be repositioned once installed, provided this is done prior to pointing. This gives the site team a genuine opportunity to correct alignment issues in-situ, rather than relying entirely on manufacturing precision.

FBS has been independently tested across a range of structural and environmental scenarios, and holds certification against the following:

• Wind resistance: withstands up to 245mph even in an un-mortared state (CWCT Standard Test Methods 2005 & BS EN 13116:2001), making it suitable for high-exposure elevations.
• Impact performance: tested for hard body and soft body impact, both mortared and unmortared, and again after 60-year long-term durability testing (CWCT TN75 & TN76:2005), giving confidence in performance across the building’s service life rather than only at handover.
• Watertightness: passes static and dynamic pressure testing at 600 Pascals (CWCT Standard Test Methods 2005 & BS EN 12154:2000).
• Reaction to fire: A1 rating (BS EN 13501-1:2018), the highest non-combustibility classification.
• Long-term durability: certified to 60 years (EAD 090062-00-0404 & DD CEN/TS 772-22:2006).

This combination means the long-term performance of the system is evidenced by third-party testing rather than by projection from short-term results, which is a key consideration for higher-risk or high-exposure buildings.

The brick slip locking system and the substructure is available in Stainless Steel 304 or 316. As with masonry support generally, 316 stainless should be considered where the building is within close proximity to the coast or a body of salt water, given its improved resistance in more aggressive environments. Where FBS is used in conjunction with a masonry support or lintel substructure of a different material, the same isolation principles that apply to bi-metallic corrosion on masonry support should be considered at the interface.