# Beam penetration of fire barrier



## DJ4827 (Dec 7, 2013)

Good morning all,

For various reasons, my structural engineer wants to penetrate a fire barrier wall (probably 1 hr) with two 7"x14" paralam beams, and I am trying to work out if the penetration can be fire protected. The applicable code is the 2010 IBC, and the fire barrier wall is required to separate a small (< 500 sq.ft) high pile storage area from a store. Sprinklers are not required, because the pile area is so small. The roof does not need to be fire-rated, and, per IBC Interpretation 34-08, the HOW joint does not need to be rated, only the continuity provisions apply, and the wall just has to terminate at the underside of the roof deck. The roof construction is 1/2" CDX on 2"x14" Doug Fir. Given this roof construction, and that the penetrating beam is wood, I do not think there is a UL or other testing lab system for this penetration. I did, however, find  a case study from an intumescent paint company, in which they claimed they had sorted out a wood truss penetrating a 1 hr rated wall, with the paint extending on the wood structural members 5' on either side of the wall. I have not called them yet to see what code applied, what the circumstances were, etc, but in the mean time I was wondering what you might think about this. Ideally, there might be an approval that would cover this, which I have not yet found. Otherwise, I could go to the AHJ for a modification, if the case is reasonable that the integrity of the 2Hr wall would not be compromised. Do you think the intumescent paint approach would work, or can you suggest something else that you would be prepared to accept, if someone asked for a mod?

Thanks


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## cda (Dec 7, 2013)

2009 of 2012

What section requires the rated wall ?

What is Sq footage of building and storage area


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## DJ4827 (Dec 7, 2013)

2010 Cal BC. based on 2009 IBC.

The rated wall is required by Table 2306 of the 2010 Cal Fire Code (based on the 2009 IFC) which sets out the general fire protection and life safety requirements for different areas and pile sizes for the high pile. The AHJ interpretation, which makes sense to me, is that the area of high pile must be taken as the total area not separated by 1hr construction, i.e., if there is no rated wall, then the entire area of the store has to be dealt with in terms of the requirements of the high pile table. Therefore, my alternative is to put sprinklers in the entire building, otherwise not required, or put in the rated wall. For the small area enclosed by the rated wall, sprinklers are not required. Total building sf - 11,300 sq ft, i.e. less than 12,000 max for M, no sprinklers. High pile is 630 sq. ft, i.e, requires only fire detection system, no sprinklers, no other measures. No public access to the high pile. I will check consistency between the Cal code and the I codes, which is why I said IBC was the code. I'm just interested in the principle.

Thanks


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## cda (Dec 7, 2013)

2306.2 Extent and type of protection. Where required by Table 2306.2, fire detection systems, smoke and heat removal, draft curtains and automatic sprinkler design densities shall extend the lesser of 15 feet (4572 mm) beyond the high-piled storage area or to a permanent partition. Where portions of high-piled storage areas have different fire protection requirements because of commodity, method of storage or storage height, the fire protection features required by Table 2306.2 within this area shall be based on the most restrictive design requirements.

2306.3.1 Separation from other uses. Mixed occupancies shall be separated in accordance with the International Building Code.

Cut the high piled to 500?

508.2.1 Area limitations. Aggregate accessory occupancies shall not occupy more than 10 percent of the building area of the story in which they are located and shall not exceed the tabular values in Table 503, without building area increases in accordance with Section 506 for such accessory occupancies.


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## cda (Dec 7, 2013)

I do not think chapter 23 requires the fire wall


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## DJ4827 (Dec 7, 2013)

Two options for 508, maybe. 508.2, w/ 10% storage accessory to M, and the rest of the storage S2 separated w/ 2hr fire barrier for no sprinklers (storage > 10%, but not all the storage is high pile); or, maybe, 508.3, no separation required by building code, treat everything as most restrictive, = M, still under the 12,000 max. But then, maybe the high pile rules would be considered the most restrictive. Regardless of the BC issues, however, my AHJ FD high pile specialist says for the purposes of 2306 they will take the high pile area to be the total area not enclosed by 1hr min. fire rated walls. Therefore, even if the actual area of the high pile were reduced below 500 sf, unless the 500 sf were enclosed by the rated construction, the AHJ will take the high pile area as the total building area, = 11,300 sq ft, and the choice remains put in the rated construction, or put in the sprinklers. That is the reason for wanting to find a solution to the beam penetrations, if there is one.


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## cda (Dec 7, 2013)

Have to look at the books Monday

Have not done high piled in so long, use to only needed distance


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## DJ4827 (Dec 8, 2013)

Thanks very much


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## cda (Dec 8, 2013)

call hilti ...


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## Mark K (Dec 8, 2013)

Your concerns are structural capacity of the beam, penetration of opening, and temperature on other side of the wall.

Would expect that the beam should have a fire rating comparable to the wall it passes through.   This is important because if the beam were to burn through the fire wall would be damaged thus making it ineffective.  This can be achieved by wrapping the beam with gyp board, or by upsizing the beam size.  There are provisions for this in the code.  Intumescent paint has not traditionally been used on wood.

To deal with the potential of burning through the opening I would wrap the wood beam with gyp board for several feet from the fire wall if it was not already wrapped.

Because wood is a good insulator I do not believe that heat rise at the penetration will be a concern.


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## kilitact (Dec 8, 2013)

Would the beam meet the requirements for heavy timber in accordance with Table 601 footnote c which would give this a 1-hour rating. The area of racks is measured, this does not include the area that doesn't have racks.


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## cda (Dec 9, 2013)

any other ideas on this?

1. does the wall have to be rated?

2. If so what kind of fire stop method can be used?


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## cda (Dec 9, 2013)

DJ4827 said:
			
		

> 2010 Cal BC. based on 2009 IBC. The rated wall is required by Table 2306 of the 2010 Cal Fire Code (based on the 2009 IFC) which sets out the general fire protection and life safety requirements for different areas and pile sizes for the high pile. The AHJ interpretation, which makes sense to me, is that the area of high pile must be taken as the total area not separated by 1hr construction, i.e., if there is no rated wall, then the entire area of the store has to be dealt with in terms of the requirements of the high pile table. Therefore, my alternative is to put sprinklers in the entire building, otherwise not required, or put in the rated wall. For the small area enclosed by the rated wall, sprinklers are not required. Total building sf - 11,300 sq ft, i.e. less than 12,000 max for M, no sprinklers. High pile is 630 sq. ft, i.e, requires only fire detection system, no sprinklers, no other measures. No public access to the high pile. I will check consistency between the Cal code and the I codes, which is why I said IBC was the code. I'm just interested in the principle.
> 
> Thanks


I am not seeing the requirement for seperation per 2306:

http://publicecodes.cyberregs.com/st/ca/st/b300v10/st_ca_st_b300v10_23_sec006.htm

""""The AHJ interpretation, which makes sense to me, is that the area of high pile must be taken as the total area not separated by 1hr construction, i.e., if there is no rated wall, then the entire area of the store has to be dealt with in terms of the requirements of the high pile table.""""

If you go by that, if a store has one rack above twelve feet in the retail area, they would call the entire store high piled stock

I do agree if you are mixing different commodities and want to seperate them you need the one hour.

or if table 508.4 requires it than yes a wall is required.


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## DJ4827 (Dec 9, 2013)

Thanks for the suggestions. I am following them up.


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## High Desert (Dec 9, 2013)

Though penetration and membrane penetrations are required to have a fire rating. Don't know of any wood assembly that's been tested. If you find one, let me know. This is always an issue for fire-resistive walls in wood framed constrction.


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## Builder Bob (Dec 9, 2013)

3206.3 Separation of high-piled storage areas.

High-piled storage areas shall be separated from other portions of the building where required by Sections 3206.3.1 through 3206.3.2.2.

3206.3.1 Separation from other uses.

Mixed occupancies shall be separated in accordance with the International Building Code.

3206.3.2 Multiple high-piled storage areas.

Multiple high-piled storage areas shall be in accordance with Section 3206.3.2.1 or 3206.3.2.2.

3206.3.2.1 Aggregate area.

The aggregate of all high-piled storage areas within a building shall be used for the application of Table 3206.2 unless such areas are separated from each other by 1-hour fire barriers constructed in accordance with Section 707 the International Building Code. Openings in such fire barriers shall be protected by opening protectives having a 1-hour fire protection rating.

3206.3.2.2 Multiclass high-piled storage areas.

High-piled storage areas classified as Class I through IV not separated from high-piled storage areas classified as high hazard shall utilize the aggregate of all high-piled storage areas as high hazard for the purposes of the application of Table 3206.2. To be considered as separated, 1-hour fire barriers shall be constructed in accordance with Section 707 of the International Building Code. Openings in such fire barriers shall be protected by opening protectives having a 1-hour fire protection rating.

Exception: As provided for in Section 3204.2.


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## cda (Dec 9, 2013)

Builder Bob said:
			
		

> 3206.3 Separation of high-piled storage areas. High-piled storage areas shall be separated from other portions of the building where required by Sections 3206.3.1 through 3206.3.2.2.
> 
> 3206.3.1 Separation from other uses.
> 
> ...


One question is

If you have an area of high piled and no wall separating it from the rest of the building, that does not make the entire building high piled stock


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## Builder Bob (Dec 9, 2013)

cda said:
			
		

> One question is If you have an area of high piled and no wall separating it from the rest of the building, that does not make the entire building high piled stock


Nope, but I can require the access aisle width to be maintained around the perimeter of the high piled storage area..... Sometimes, a permanent barrier is the best answer.


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## cda (Dec 10, 2013)

Builder Bob said:
			
		

> Nope, but I can require the access aisle width to be maintained around the perimeter of the high piled storage area..... Sometimes, a permanent barrier is the best answer.


Thanks just going by op question and it did not make since to call an entire building/ area high piled when you have a designated area


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## DJ4827 (Dec 10, 2013)

The AHJ wants the rated wall.

I looked at the heavy timber issue, and the structural capacity of the beams. According to Truss joist, paralams 7”x14 are likely to have fire rating at least 1 hr, probably more. The char rate is 1.8”/hr. Their engineer said the approval path to getting a rating accepted for the beams is Section 721 and American Forest and Paper Association Technical Report # 10, _Calculating The Fire Resistance Of Exposed Wood Members_, which has a formula that is IBC acceptable. If the beams are 1 hr, and the support columns are also 1 hr, then the beams won’t bring down the wall. If the beams are wrapped with gyp at the penetration point, maybe some feet back, then the actual joint at the penetration would be a one hour gyp to gyp joint, and the fire could not get at the paralam penetration.

I did get a detail from a paint producer for intumescent paint on wood structural members, in that case a truss, but I think it does not address the structural stability question raised by Mark K, and while their test report did cover ply deck and wood joists, I'm not sure if it would apply to beams.

So, I’m figuring to try to get this approved under:

703.2 Fire-resistance ratings. The fire-resistance rating of building elements, components or assemblies shall be determined in accordance with the test procedures set forth in ASTM E 119 or UL 263 or in accordance with Section 703.3. Where materials, systems or devices that have not been tested as part of a fire-resistance-rated assembly are incorporated into the building element, component or assembly, sufficient data shall be made available to the building official to show that the required fire-resistance rating is not reduced. Materials and methods of construction used to protect joints and penetrations in fire-resistance-rated building elements, components or assemblies shall not reduce the required fire-resistance rating.

Seems the case is good that this approach would not compromise the wall or reduce the rating.

Thanks again for your suggestions.


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## cda (Dec 10, 2013)

I still think 2306 is not the way to get a rated wall in your case. I think the ahj is wrong

http://www.awc.org/pdf/tr10.pdf

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf2004/fpl_2004_white001.pdf

http://woodworks.org/wp-content/uploads/Lunch-Seminar-02-Heavy-Timber-V14-RTM.pdf


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