No Smoking avingaving properlyproperly installedinstalled ffire-ire- Passive ffireire pprotectionrotection techniquestechniques forfor buildinbuildings.gs. Hstops between rooms and By Gregg Stahl throughout corridors in commercial structures and multi-family residen- tial buildings is critical—these sys- product. It is the use of many prod- for the passage of pipes, cables or tems capture and contain and ucts designed for specific applications HVAC systems smoke locally, allowing extra time that comprise a complete passive fire • Where two assemblies meet, form- for occupants to escape a building protection system. When installed ing a perimeter such as the fire. As such, specification and cor- properly, these products work in top of a wall, curtainwall or floor- rect installation of the most effective concert to create effective barriers to-floor joints system of products is a cru- against the passage of flames, smoke cial component of building design. and toxic gases. Used in conjunction It is recommended that contractors Fire-stopping involves using cer- with other methods, only use products with fire-resis- tain fire-resistant building materi- properly installed passive fire pro- tance properties and performance als—some of them specially manu- tection saves lives, protects property verified by an accredited third-par- factured—to contain the spread of and minimizes business losses. ty testing agency. Now, let’s take a fire and smoke through penetrations Installation of passive fire protec- closer look at two important com- in fire-rated wall, floor and floor/ tion systems is of the utmost impor- ponents of passive firestop systems: ceiling assemblies. When penetrations tance, as fire protection and life sealants and materials. are made through fire-rated wall safety is possible only if the firestop assemblies for switches and power materials are installed correctly. It is SEALANTS outlets, they must be sealed appro- not uncommon for general contrac- Simple mastics or sealants commonly priately with fire-stop materials, such tors to take responsibility for install- are used to seal firestop- as or specified caulking ing the firestop with their team of ping as well as joint fire- to maintain fire-compartment integ- sub-contractors, but sometimes proj- stop applications. These sealants are rity. Joints in or between fire-resistant ects require all firestop systems be available in various forms and chemi- assemblies also should be sealed to installed by contractors whose pri- cal formulations, but the one thing halt the passage of fire, smoke and mary business is firestop installation. they all have in common is their per- combustion byproducts. The group of Traditional firestopping products formance is solely dependent on the fire-stopping products used to accom- featured in passive firestop systems system in which they are tested. plish this goal is typically referred to include sealants, sprays, mechani- Firestop sealants in caulk, self- as a “passive firestop system.” cal devices, foam blocks or pillows. leveling and spray grade are read- These products are installed primar- ily available in silicone, latex and PASSIVE FIRESTOP SYSTEM ily in two applications: solvent-based products. They often Total fire protection cannot be • Around penetrations that are require the addition of a backing achieved with the use of a singular made in fire-resistive construction material in the system for support.

26 | Walls & Ceilings | October 2012  In this application, the product provides a clean transition from wall to substrate while exposed joints are both fi re and sound rated. With no overlapping spray or caulking required, fatigue and/or dislodging of the fi reproofi ng substrate is eliminated during the assembly’s life cycle.

Sealants are the most recognized group of firestop products due to the versatility of firestop caulk—it can be used for several different applica- tions on construction projects.

INTUMESCENT MATERIALS Intumescent materials are firestop products that expand in volume when exposed to heat or flames exceeding a specified temperature. They are one of the primary groups of products utilized in applications where one of the assembly compo- Fire Stop Defl ection Track – BlazeFrame is a defl ection track that includes a factory-installed intumes- nents will deteriorate or burn away cent strip affi xed to steel profi les. When exposed to heat, the intumescent expands and forms a barrier during fire exposure. The expansion to seal off joints (gap), preventing passage of fl ames, temperature pass through, and hot gases. of the material closes the void that is created when the item melts or burns away, thus maintaining the integ- • No fatigue for the life of the CONCLUSION rity of the fire-rated assembly. Intu- assembly Fire protection is an important deci- mescent firestop materials come in • Faster installation; saves time and sion that should be carefully con- many forms, from caulks to metallic labor sidered at an early design stage. collars with intumescent strip lin- • STC ratings tested in the same While passive fire protection can ings, with each product designed for range as acoustic caulks successfully prevent the spread of a specific purpose. • Cured intumescent materials are fire, redundancy is key for total fire For large commercial and insti- odor-free protection. New technologies, such tutional projects, contractors have • Unaffected by wet, freezing, as steel studs with intumescent mate- increasingly turned to steel tracks humid or hot (below 300 degrees rials already attached, save contrac- that come factory-made with intu- Fahrenheit) conditions tors time and money and help ensure mescent materials already attached. • Offers more UL tested assemblies the confinement of smoke and fire These products, such as BlazeFrame than those that require a sealant throughout commercial buildings. from ClarkDietrich Building Sys- When combined with active fire pro- tems, are gaining traction with walls When choosing products for a tection systems, such as fire-sprin- and ceilings contractors because they fire-stopping system, it is impor- klers, alarms and detection systems provide a one-step track and fire tant to select products that have and occupant education, these mate- protection installation. Other advan- been appropriately tested to meet rials offer a safer, more balanced tages to these types of fire-stopping applicable safety standards. ASTM approach to protecting a building products include: E 1966 is a common standard for and its occupants. W&C • Strong unencumbered movement testing fire resistive joint systems of up to 3 inch and covers sealants, coatings and Greg Stahl is product devel- • Eliminates reliance of adhesion materials used in joints. ASTM E opment director for ClarkDiet- and bond-strength caulk 814 covers testing of wall and floor rich Building Systems. • Eliminates sprays over mineral penetrations, which are sealed with wool in flutes fire-stop materials. FIRE STATISTICS SHOW SAFETY AND COST FIGURES According to the most recent National Fire Protection Asso- This represents an average loss per reported incident in non- ciation data, in 2010 U.S. fire departments responded to an residential/commercial structures of over $20,000. estimated 1,331,500 fi res. These fi res resulted in 3,120 civil- • Three-quarters of all fi re deaths are caused by smoke inhalation ian fi re fatalities, 17,720 civilian fi re injuries and an estimated • Fifty-seven percent of all people killed in fi re are not in the $11,593,000,000 in direct property loss. room of the fi re origin Of these fi res, 482,000 occurred in commercial or municipal • Forty-seven percent of survivors caught in a fi re could not see buildings. Of the more than $11 billion in property damage, more more than 12 feet than $9.7 billion took place in these non-residential structures. • Smoke travels 120 to 420 feet per minute under fi re conditions

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