Fire Barriers & Fire Stopping

Presented by: Bill Lauzon, PE Lauzon Life Safety Consulting, LLC 262-945-4567 Lauzon.lsc@gmail.com Web: Lauzon-LSC.com Environmental Part 2 Life Safety Code Chapter 8 Fire Barriers & Fire Stopping 1

Fire Stopping FIRE BARRIERS & STOPPING AGENDA A. Why Fire Stopping Is Important B. Compartmentalization C. Life Safety Plans D. Smoke & Fire Barriers E. Code References F. Fire Stop Products G. Installation H. Labeling & Barrier Management I. Installer Qualifications J. You be the Inspector! Environmental Part 2 2

Fire Safety is important in health care Health Care: Defend in Place rather than Evacuate in a Fire Emergency Patients STAY IN the building and relocate to another part of it 4

WALL Fire Safety is important in health care The Safety of Patients Depends on the Quality of its Fire Resistive Construction FIRE SAFETY 5

Fire Safety is important in health care FIRE STOPPING protects the fire resistance ratings of walls, floors & ceilings 6

wall Fire Safety is important in health care Even Little holes make a BIG difference in the spread of fire ¼ hole > 100 fpm Fully Developed Fire 7

Compartmentalization Compartmentalization is all about building walls & floors into BOXES whose job is to slow down the spread of fire & smoke 9

Compartmentalization FRR are for 4 story example Each Floor is a separate BOX stacked on one another 10

Compartmentalization FRR are for 4 story example Each Floor has a 2-hr Fire Resistance Rating 11

Compartmentalization FRR are for 4 story example Each Floor: Corridors are separated from rooms by smoke-tight walls & ceilings 2hr S-T 12

Compartmentalization FRR are for 4 story example Each Floor: Stairwells are surrounded by walls with 2- hour fire resistive ratings 2hr S-T 2hr 2hr 13

Compartmentalization FRR are for 4 story example Each Floor: Rooms with significant combustibles are surrounded by walls with 1-hour fire resistive ratings 1hr 2hr S-T 2hr 2hr 14

Compartmentalization FRR are for 4 story example Each Floor: Each Floor is divided by Smoke Barrier Walls into compartments which have walls with 1-hour fire resistive ratings 1hr S-T 1hr 2hr 2hr 2hr 15

Compartmentalization Health care is inspected more than any other building for proper construction! (except nuclear) 16

LIFE SAFETY PLANS Shows fire rated walls Smoke Barrier Walls Fire Barrier Walls Recommend colorizing the RATED life safety components 18

LIFE SAFETY PLANS ONLY THE ITEMS THAT ARE COLORED (red, blue, green, orange) REQUIRE FIRE RATING & STOPPING 19

SMOKE BARRIER WALLS Only in Health Care Residential 21

SMOKE BARRIER WALLS PURPOSE: Form Smoke Compartments 22

SMOKE BARRIER WALLS Defend in Place = Evac Horizontally PURPOSE: Form Smoke Compartments 23

SMOKE BARRIER WALLS LOCATIONS (Health Care) 1. Sleeping Floor & Floor Below 2. Floors with 50 or more people 3. Max 22,500 sq. ft. size compartment 4. Max 200 travel distance to neighbor Defend in Place 24

SMOKE BARRIER WALLS CODE REQUIREMENTS 1. Wall Rating: 1 hr new; 30 min existing 2. Outside wall to Outside Wall 3. Floor to Deck Above 4. All Penetrations Sealed 5. Doors: 20 min Rated; Closers Defend in Place 25

SMOKE BARRIER WALLS DON T confuse with Corridor Walls (non-rated, smoke-tight) Smoke-TIGHT Smoke BARRIER NO such thing as a Smoke Wall 26

RATED DOOR BASICS 27

RATED DOOR BASICS Fire Ratings: Wall Door 2 hr wall 1-1/2 hr 1 hr wall 1 hr (vertical openings) ¾ hr (other) Smoke Barrier =20 min ½ hr wall 20 min 28

RATED DOOR BASICS Tidbit to know: Doors are usually rated LESS than the wall they are in Wall Door? 29

RATED DOOR BASICS WHY? BECAUSE Combustible materials are not placed in door opening So, the code permits fire doors to be de-rated about a ½ hr LESS than the wall 30

RATED DOOR BASICS NEVER MODIFY* a listed door or frame MOST violated Life Safety Rule * Without documented approval of the door/frame manufacturer 31

RATED DOOR BASICS NEVER MODIFY* a listed door or frame No Drilling! No Substituting! No Unlisted Hardware! * Without documented approval of the door/frame manufacturer 32

FIRE BARRIER WALLS Many Purposes Ratings based on Occupancy 33

FIRE BARRIER WALLS 34

FIRE BARRIER WALLS FIRE BARRIERS :... Keep fires in (from spreading) Hazardous Areas Shafts Floors... Keep fires out (for exiting) Stairs Exit Passageways 35

FIRE BARRIER WALLS LOCATIONS: Construction Separation (differing types of constr) Occupancy Separation (differing occupancies) Vertical Openings (shafts) Hazardous Rms 36

FIRE BARRIER WALLS Construction Separation Separates CONSTRUCTION TYPES IBC NFPA Description IA I(332) Concrete IIA II(222) Protected Steel IIB II(000) Non-Protected Steel IIIA III(211) Protected Steel/Wood IIIB III(200) Protected Steel/Wood IV IV(2HH) Heavy Timber VA V(111) Protected Wood VB V(000) Non-Protected Wood 37

FIRE BARRIER WALLS Construction Separation CODE REQUIREMENTS (Health Care) 1. Wall Rating: 2 hr 2. Outside wall to Outside Wall 3. All Floors; vertically aligned 4. Floor to Deck Above 5. All Penetrations Sealed 6. Doors: 90 min Rated; Closers 38

FIRE BARRIER WALLS Occupancy Separation Separates OCCUPANCIES IBC NFPA A Assembly B Business E Education F Industrial I-2 Health Care M Mercantile R Residential S Storage 39

FIRE BARRIER WALLS Occupancy Separation CODE REQUIREMENTS (Health Care) 1. Wall Rating: 2 hr 2. Outside wall to Outside Wall 3. Floor to Deck Above 4. All Penetrations Sealed 5. Doors: 90 min Rated; Closers 40

FIRE BARRIER WALLS Vertical Openings Encloses HOLES through floors 1. Stair Wells 2. Elevators 3. Exit Passageways 4. Ventilation Shafts 5. Pipe Shafts 41

FIRE BARRIER WALLS Vertical Openings CODE REQUIREMENTS (Health Care) 1. Wall Rating: 1 hr if <= 3 stories; 2 hr > 3 2. Interior Enclosure Walls 3. Floor to Deck Above 4. All Penetrations Sealed 5. Doors: 60/90 min Rated; Closers 42

FIRE BARRIER WALLS Hazardous Rooms Encloses Rooms with Combustibles 1. Storage 2. Furnace/Boilers 3. Maintenance 4. Paint Shops 5. Trash 43

FIRE BARRIER WALLS Hazardous Rooms CODE REQUIREMENTS (Health Care) 1. Wall Rating: 1 hr if new; or Unsprinkled 2. Interior Enclosure Walls 3. Floor to Deck Above 4. All Penetrations Sealed 5. Doors: 45 min Rated; Closers 44

CODE REFERENCES 46

FIRE BARRIER & STOPPING CODE REFERENCES Typical Code Language: SPACE between the penetrating item and the fire barrier shall meet one of the following conditions: a. filled with a material that is capable of maintaining the fire resistance of the fire barrier Annular Space b. protected by an approved device that is designed for the specific purpose 47

Regulations Cover: Through Penetrations Membrane Penetrations Construction Joints Perimeter Seals 48

Regulations Cover: Through Penetrations Membrane Penetrations Construction Joints Perimeter Seals Rated Floor- Ceiling Assembly 51

FIRE STOP PRODUCTS MANY MANUFACTURERS All are generally good. Difference is the COST & SUPPORT 55

FIRE STOP PRODUCTS Key Fire stop Terms and Definitions JOINT SYSTEM a fire stop product to seal gaps/joints in construction (walls/floors) WALL or FLOOR ASSEMBLY - A fire resistance rated wall or floor that contains through-penetrations. THROUGH-PENETRATION - An opening (hole) that has been made through a fire rated wall or floor. PENETRANT (or Penetrating item) - Pipes, electrical conduit, cables, cable trays, or ducts that have been placed through a fire rated assembly. 56

FIRE STOP PRODUCTS Key Fire stop Terms and Definitions FILL MATERIAL - The fire stop sealant material that is placed in and/or around the opening. BACKING MATERIAL or FORMING MATERIAL - Noncombustible material used to provide support for fire-rated sealant (i.e. foam backer rod or mineral wool) COLLAR - A sheet metal restricting device normally used in conjunction with plastic pipe to direct and control the intumescent action of the fire stop sealant with which it is filled. 57

FIRE STOP PRODUCTS Key Fire stop Terms and Definitions Gap Can be TOO Big or TOO Small ANNULAR SPACE - The gap between the penetrating item and the edge of the opening. A point of contact or an area where no gap exists is referred to as zero annular space. 58

FIRE STOP PRODUCTS Key Fire stop Terms and Definitions INTUMESCENT - The ability of fire stop to swell, inflate, or expand with heat. Some fire stop sealants will intumesce when exposed to the intense heat of fire causing them to close gaps or voids in throughpenetration openings. expands 10-fold when heated 59

FIRE STOP PRODUCTS TYPES OF PRODUCTS 1. SEALANTS 2. DEVICES 60

FIRE STOP PRODUCTS INTUMESCENT 1. SEALANTS expands 10-fold when heated HILTI FS-ONE 61

FIRE STOP PRODUCTS 1. SEALANTS INTUMESCENT Tube Wrap Strips Pillow/Blocks Putty Putty Pads Plugs Foam* 62

FIRE STOP PRODUCTS * Use Foam with CAUTION CMS (Region V) Has instructed DQA that it s research has NOT found any foam to be acceptable 63

FIRE STOP PRODUCTS 1. SEALANTS INTUMESCENT Tube Wrap Strips Pillow/Blocks Putty Putty Pads Plugs Foam* HILTI CP-606 ELASTOMERIC Tube Spray 64

FIRE STOP PRODUCTS 1. SEALANTS INTUMESCENT Tube Wrap Strips Pillow/Blocks Putty Putty Pads Plugs Foam* ELASTOMERIC Tube Spray 65

FIRE STOP PRODUCTS 1. SEALANTS INTUMESCENT Tube Wrap Strips Pillow/Blocks Putty Putty Pads Plugs Foam* ELASTOMERIC Tube Spray MORTAR Trowel-On Pourable 66

FIRE STOP PRODUCTS 2. DEVICES INTUMESCENT Collars Cable Pathways More & More being Developed ELASTOMERIC Cast-In Devices 67

wall TESTING LABORATORIES Fully Developed Fire Independent Tester FIRE Mfgrs submit products for TESTING under UL 1479 to verify they provide the required fire resistance rating 69

TESTING LABORATORIES Underwriters Laboratories Inc. Northbrook, Illinois Underwriters Laboratories of Canada Scarborough, Ontario Intertek Testing Services Pittsburg, California Omega Point Laboratories San Antonio, Texas 70