Walls & Ceilings Architect/October 2007

FIRESTOP 101 Firestop System is deﬁ ned as a passive fire protection system comprised of a variety of components used to seal openings through fire-rated wall or floor systems. Sometimes these are referred to as “poke through” openings. The openings may be electrical wiring, mechanical penetrations, structural framing members, or a joint or junctions between rated wall or ceiling assemblies. Construction joints may be static or dynamic. Dynamic joints are more complicated, as they must remain in place to provide protection during a ﬁ re, after the joint has been subjected to the anticipated movement it expected to encounter during its service life. All ﬁ restop systems are routinely inspected, therefore we must all pay attention to design and installation. A Firestop Systems: Where, Why, When and How By Mark Fowler inspectors are getting pretty fussy about firestop systems. If you are wondering why such a commotion over something that will probably not happen and was not a big deal a few years ago, then we need to look back. Firestop systems got their birth in the 1970s with a few notable high-rise building ﬁ res that demonstrated the ability of fire to breach a properly installed ﬁ re-rated assembly. Fire disasters, like the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, led to more accurate records on ﬁ res and improved ﬁ re safety. Consider these facts from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). • Three-fourths of all ﬁ re deaths are caused by smoke inhalation. • 57 percent of all people killed in ﬁ res are not in the room of the ﬁ re origin. • 47 percent of survivors caught in a ﬁre could not see more than 12 feet. • Smoke travels 120-420 feet per minute under ﬁ re conditions. Comprehending these undeniable facts gives us some appreciation for what building inspectors are up against. It also should make wall and ceiling industry contractors understand the importance of what we are charged with when we construct ﬁ rerated assemblies: Protecting Lives. The importance of ﬁ restops is certainly not lost on the building codes. The International Building Code (IBC) has two sections dedicated solely to ﬁ restops. The ﬁ rst is Section 712, PENETRATIONS. Section 712 governs the materials and methods used to protect through penetrations and membrane penetrations of WHY SUCH A BIG DEAL? Some wall and ceiling contractors have noticed and commented that 30 | Walls & Ceilings Architect | October 2007

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Walls & Ceilings Architect/October 2007

Contents Trade News Silver Certiﬁed Airtight The Men of Steel Thinking Thermal Firestop 101 ICFs Create a Tight Envelope The Finish Line The Green Thumb Cracking the Code

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