Firestop
Encyclopedia
A firestop is a passive fire protection
system
of various components used to seal openings
and joints
in fire-resistance rated
wall and/or floor assemblies, based on fire test
ing and certification listing
s.
Unprotected openings in fire separations void the fire-resistance ratings of the fire separations that contain them, allowing spread of fire past the limits of the fire safety plan
of the entire building
. Firestops are designed to restore the fire-resistance rating
s of rated wall and/or floor assemblies by impeding the spread of fire through the opening by filling the openings with fire resistant materials.
s, Cementatious mortars
, Silicone
, Firestop pillow
s, Mineral fibres
, and Rubber
compounds.
on their own. For instance, a two-hour rated pipe penetration firestop may consist of a layer of caulking
over packed rockwool. This overall arrangement provides the 2 hr. rating, not the caulking. However, both the individual firestop materials and the overall firestop assembly are 'listed' per listing and approval use and compliance.
, with drawings indicating location and the certification listing
s of each firestop. Using this documentation, the building owner can meet the requirements of the fire code related to fire barriers during the period of building occupation. Otherwise, improper repairs may result, which would violate the fire code, and could allow a fire to propagate between areas intended by code to be separated during a fire event.
are sometimes referred to as "deemed-to-comply", and are not credited with adequate fire resistance rating for building code compliance purposes. These are short term cost cutting measures at the expense of fire safety
and code compliance. Common mistakes include citing a listing for products that may be for other uses. For instance, an insulation with an active listing for having a certain flamespread rating does not mean it is acceptable for firestopping purposes.
that was used for each opening, be it a building joint
or a penetrant
through-penetration seal.
each publish books containing just their own listings, including only those firestop manufacturers who have contracted with them for testing and certification.
Firestops should be routinely inspected and maintained to mitigate the effects of re-entries and time.
n unionised
construction sites
, firestopping is often performed by members of the insulating trades. The insulators are the only building trade that includes firestop installation, theory and practical firestop training within its apprenticeship
program.
An agreement exists between the insulators and the electricians IBEW, which assigns firestop work from electricians to insulators, except that composite crews are required when working near live electrical conductors, whereby an electrician is required to observe and ensure the safety of the insulator.
Germany
's GBA (Gütegemeinschaft Brandschutz im Ausbau) also offers a passive fire protection course, resulting in a certificate designation: "Brandschutzfachkraft" (~Passive Fire Protection Expert). In Europe
as well as North America
, all major firestop installers with nuclear installation experience are, by background, insulators first. The generic material types used and the skill sets needed between insulation and firestop installations are similar. Exceptions to the generic rule of thumb about firestopping being insulators' work, includes firestop devices that become an integral part of the plumbing
system, which must be installed by plumbers during the forming of concrete
.
Germany
:
Passive fire protection
Passive fire protection is an integral component of the three components of structural fire protection and fire safety in a building. PFP attempts to contain fires or slow the spread, through use of fire-resistant walls, floors, and doors...
system
System
System is a set of interacting or interdependent components forming an integrated whole....
of various components used to seal openings
Penetration (firestop)
A penetration, in firestopping, is an opening, such as one created by the use of a cast-in-place sleeve, in a wall or floor assembly required to have a fire-resistance rating, for the purpose of accommodating the passage of a mechanical, electrical or structural penetrant. The penetration may or...
and joints
Joint (building)
A building joint is a junction where building elements meet without applying a static load from one element to another. When one or more of these vertical or horizontal elements that meet are required by the local building code to have a fire-resistance rating, the resulting opening that makes up...
in fire-resistance rated
Fire-resistance rating
A fire-resistance rating typically means the duration for which a passive fire protection system can withstand a standard fire resistance test. This can be quantified simply as a measure of time, or it may entail a host of other criteria, involving other evidence of functionality or fitness for...
wall and/or floor assemblies, based on fire test
Fire test
A fire test is a means of determining whether or not fire protection products meet minimum performance criteria as set out in a building code or other applicable legislation. Successful tests in laboratories holding national accreditation for testing and certification result in the issuance of a...
ing and certification listing
Certification listing
A certification listing is a document used to guide installations of certified products against which a field installation is compared to make sure that it complies with a regulation, such as a building code...
s.
Unprotected openings in fire separations void the fire-resistance ratings of the fire separations that contain them, allowing spread of fire past the limits of the fire safety plan
Fire safety plan
A fire safety plan is required by all North American national, state and provincial fire codes based on building use or occupancy types. Generally, the owner of the building is responsible for the preparation of a fire safety plan. Buildings with elaborate emergency systems may require the...
of the entire building
Building
In architecture, construction, engineering, real estate development and technology the word building may refer to one of the following:...
. Firestops are designed to restore the fire-resistance rating
Fire-resistance rating
A fire-resistance rating typically means the duration for which a passive fire protection system can withstand a standard fire resistance test. This can be quantified simply as a measure of time, or it may entail a host of other criteria, involving other evidence of functionality or fitness for...
s of rated wall and/or floor assemblies by impeding the spread of fire through the opening by filling the openings with fire resistant materials.
Opening types
- Electrical through-penetrations
- Mechanical through-penetrations
- Structural through-penetrations
- Unpenetrated openings (e.g. openings for future use)
- Re-entries of existing firestops
- Control or sway jointsJoint (building)A building joint is a junction where building elements meet without applying a static load from one element to another. When one or more of these vertical or horizontal elements that meet are required by the local building code to have a fire-resistance rating, the resulting opening that makes up...
within fire-resistance rated wall or floor assemblies - JunctionsJoint (building)A building joint is a junction where building elements meet without applying a static load from one element to another. When one or more of these vertical or horizontal elements that meet are required by the local building code to have a fire-resistance rating, the resulting opening that makes up...
between fire-resistance rated wall or floor assemblies - "Head-of-wall" (HOW) jointsJoint (building)A building joint is a junction where building elements meet without applying a static load from one element to another. When one or more of these vertical or horizontal elements that meet are required by the local building code to have a fire-resistance rating, the resulting opening that makes up...
, where non-loadbearing wall assemblies meet floor assemblies
Materials
Firestop components include IntumescentIntumescent
An intumescent is a substance which swells as a result of heat exposure, thus increasing in volume, and decreasing in density. Intumescents are typically used in passive fire protection and, in America, require listing and approval use and compliance in their installed configurations in order to...
s, Cementatious mortars
Mortar (firestop)
Firestop mortars are mortars most typically used to firestop large openings in walls and floors required to have a fire-resistance rating. They are passive fire protection items...
, Silicone
Silicone
Silicones are inert, synthetic compounds with a variety of forms and uses. Typically heat-resistant and rubber-like, they are used in sealants, adhesives, lubricants, medical applications , cookware, and insulation....
, Firestop pillow
Firestop pillow
Firestop pillows are passive fire protection items, used for firestopping holes in wall or floor assemblies required to have a fire-resistance rating...
s, Mineral fibres
Mineral wool
Mineral wool, mineral fibers or man-made mineral fibers are fibers made from natural or synthetic minerals or metal oxides. The latter term is generally used to refer solely to synthetic materials including fiberglass, ceramic fibers and stone wool...
, and Rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
compounds.
Ratings
Firestops achieve a fire rating by combining certain materials in an arrangement specific to the item (e.g., pipe, cable) penetrating the fire rated wall or floor, and the construction arrangement of the fire rated wall or floor itself. The materials used in firestops do not have ratingsFire-resistance rating
A fire-resistance rating typically means the duration for which a passive fire protection system can withstand a standard fire resistance test. This can be quantified simply as a measure of time, or it may entail a host of other criteria, involving other evidence of functionality or fitness for...
on their own. For instance, a two-hour rated pipe penetration firestop may consist of a layer of caulking
Caulking
Caulking is one of several different processes to seal joints or seams in various structures and certain types of piping. The oldest form of caulking is used to make the seams in wooden boats or ships watertight, by driving fibrous materials into the wedge-shaped seams between planks...
over packed rockwool. This overall arrangement provides the 2 hr. rating, not the caulking. However, both the individual firestop materials and the overall firestop assembly are 'listed' per listing and approval use and compliance.
Maintenance
Firestops should be maintained in accordance with the listing and approval use and compliance. Construction documentation sometimes includes an inventory of all firestops in a buildingBuilding
In architecture, construction, engineering, real estate development and technology the word building may refer to one of the following:...
, with drawings indicating location and the certification listing
Certification listing
A certification listing is a document used to guide installations of certified products against which a field installation is compared to make sure that it complies with a regulation, such as a building code...
s of each firestop. Using this documentation, the building owner can meet the requirements of the fire code related to fire barriers during the period of building occupation. Otherwise, improper repairs may result, which would violate the fire code, and could allow a fire to propagate between areas intended by code to be separated during a fire event.
Examples of fire barrier penetrations without firestopping
Older buildings often have no firestops at all. In that case, a thorough inspection can identify all vertical and horizontal fire barriers and their fire ratings, and all breaches in these barriers, which can be sealed approved methods.Non-listed firestop attempts
Firestops which are created by contractors or building maintenance personnel which are not listedProduct certification
Product certification or product qualification is the process of verifying that a certain product has passed performance tests and quality assurance tests or qualification requirements stipulated in contracts, regulations, or specifications...
are sometimes referred to as "deemed-to-comply", and are not credited with adequate fire resistance rating for building code compliance purposes. These are short term cost cutting measures at the expense of fire safety
Fire safety
Fire safety refers to precautions that are taken to prevent or reduce the likelihood of a fire that may result in death, injury, or property damage, alert those in a structure to the presence of a fire in the event one occurs, better enable those threatened by a fire to survive, or to reduce the...
and code compliance. Common mistakes include citing a listing for products that may be for other uses. For instance, an insulation with an active listing for having a certain flamespread rating does not mean it is acceptable for firestopping purposes.
Re-entry
It is often necessary to the life of the building to install new electrical cables or mechanical systems piping through a hole in a fire rated barrier which has been properly fire stopped during initial construction, in which case the firestops are referred to as being "re-entered". In order to maintain the intent of the original fire protection plan of the building, firestops re-entries must be performed in compliance with the certification listing upon which the original installed configuration was based.Work sequencing with spray fireproofing
Spray fireproofing of structural steel is most efficiently accomplished before interior partitions are built, which can result in a conflict with fire stops in firewalls. Firestops must adhere to the bare, dry, unobstructed surfaces of the fire barrier which is penetrated (e.g., metal decking), or adjacent to an interface of two fire barriers at which fire stopping is required (e.g., beams). Spray fireproofing cannot be applied prior to fire stopping at these surfaces, as the fireproofing would obstruct adherence of the fire stop materials to the fire barrier surfaces. Spraying the upper room perimeter with fireproofing may also result in covering of wall/ceiling joints and through penetrations that require fire stopping. These joints are then not visually observed and not provided with proper fire stopping, violating the fire integrity of the passive fire barrier.Tagging
Proper maintenance is enhanced by the installation of tags on each side of the firestop, containing the information necessary to reference to documents indicating the approved procedures for the original installation and re-entries. This requires knowledge of the exact certification listingCertification listing
A certification listing is a document used to guide installations of certified products against which a field installation is compared to make sure that it complies with a regulation, such as a building code...
that was used for each opening, be it a building joint
Joint (building)
A building joint is a junction where building elements meet without applying a static load from one element to another. When one or more of these vertical or horizontal elements that meet are required by the local building code to have a fire-resistance rating, the resulting opening that makes up...
or a penetrant
Penetrant (mechanical, electrical, or structural)
Penetrants, or penetrating items, are the mechanical, electrical or structural items that pass through an opening in a wall or floor, such as pipes, electrical conduits, ducting, cables and cable trays, or structural steel beams and columns...
through-penetration seal.
Testing and certification
Acceptable certification listings include but are not limited to those available from- Underwriters LaboratoriesUnderwriters LaboratoriesUnderwriters Laboratories Inc. is an independent product safety certification organization. Established in 1894, the company has its headquarters in Northbrook, Illinois. UL develops standards and test procedures for products, materials, components, assemblies, tools and equipment, chiefly dealing...
, or - Underwriters Laboratories of Canada in North AmericaNorth AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, or - Deutsches Intitut für Bautechnik in GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, or - Efectis in The NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. - FM GlobalFM GlobalFM Global is a U.S.-based insurance company, with offices worldwide, that specializes in loss prevention services primarily to large corporations throughout the world in the Highly Protected Risk property insurance market sector. "FM Global" is the communicative name of the company, whereas the...
provides testing and certification of firestops, and also certification of firetop contractors
Regulations and compliance
When the installed configuration is not in conformance with the appropriate certification listing, the fire-resistance rating may be less than expected. In those cases in which it is difficult to assess the impact, it often must be assumed to be zero, which means that the fire protection plan for the building is compromised. It is, therefore, necessary to be able to match each opening in fire-resistance rated wall or floor in a building with a certification listing. There are thousands of listings by various certification and testing laboratories. Both the Canadian and US Underwriters LaboratoriesUnderwriters Laboratories
Underwriters Laboratories Inc. is an independent product safety certification organization. Established in 1894, the company has its headquarters in Northbrook, Illinois. UL develops standards and test procedures for products, materials, components, assemblies, tools and equipment, chiefly dealing...
each publish books containing just their own listings, including only those firestop manufacturers who have contracted with them for testing and certification.
Firestops should be routinely inspected and maintained to mitigate the effects of re-entries and time.
Trade jurisdiction
In North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n unionised
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
construction sites
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
, firestopping is often performed by members of the insulating trades. The insulators are the only building trade that includes firestop installation, theory and practical firestop training within its apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
program.
An agreement exists between the insulators and the electricians IBEW, which assigns firestop work from electricians to insulators, except that composite crews are required when working near live electrical conductors, whereby an electrician is required to observe and ensure the safety of the insulator.
Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
's GBA (Gütegemeinschaft Brandschutz im Ausbau) also offers a passive fire protection course, resulting in a certificate designation: "Brandschutzfachkraft" (~Passive Fire Protection Expert). In Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
as well as North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, all major firestop installers with nuclear installation experience are, by background, insulators first. The generic material types used and the skill sets needed between insulation and firestop installations are similar. Exceptions to the generic rule of thumb about firestopping being insulators' work, includes firestop devices that become an integral part of the plumbing
Plumbing
Plumbing is the system of pipes and drains installed in a building for the distribution of potable drinking water and the removal of waterborne wastes, and the skilled trade of working with pipes, tubing and plumbing fixtures in such systems. A plumber is someone who installs or repairs piping...
system, which must be installed by plumbers during the forming of concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
.
Trade associations
United States of America:- Alliance for Fire & Smoke Containment & Control
- Firestop Contractors International Association
- International Firestop Council
Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
:
External links
- UL Essay On Firestops
- Deutsches Institut für Bautechnik (DIBt)
- iBMB a part of Technische Universität BraunschweigTechnische Universität BraunschweigThe TU Braunschweig is the oldest University of Technology in Germany. It was founded in 1745 as Collegium Carolinum and is a member of TU9, an incorporated society of the most renowned and largest German Institutes of Technology. Today it has about 13,000 students, making it the third largest...
- Underwriters' Laboratories of Canada (ULC)
- Underwriters Laboratories