The fire test of this alternative joint protection was conducted at the Elmendorf, Texas, facility of Intertek in 2021. During the test, the following was observed:
- At 11.5 minutes, the exposed unprotected part of the roof beyond the ceiling wings exceeded the limiting ASTM E119 (UL 263) temperatures.
- At 13 minutes, the unprotected roof beyond the ceiling wings “ …was compromised, and areas opened to the furnace.”
- The test was terminated at 15 minutes due to a safety hazard from openings in the unprotected roof deck sections over the furnace.
- During the full test duration, the one-hour-rated, non-loadbearing, fire-resistance-rated wall, head-of-wall joint, and the roof segment partially protected by the 1.2 m (4 ft) wide gypsum board ceilings remained intact and passed all the applicable acceptance criteria of ASTM E119 (UL 263) and ASTM E2837 standard for fire-resistance-rated walls and continuity joints, respectively.
This tested wall continuity joint assembly demonstrated satisfactory compliance with the 2018 IBC, section 707.9, performance requirement for a duration of at least up to the failure of the most vulnerable unrated roof assembly to which the joint is interconnected. The full test duration was not done as the test was terminated at 15 minutes. The wall design had a one-hour rating. These test results can also be used to justify the assemblies using the IBC section 104.11, alternate materials, design, and methods of construction and equipment.
Conclusion
The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) receives many technical queries about fire safety requirements for metal buildings. Common questions include topics such as passive versus active fire protection, sprinkler requirements, fire ratings, new developments in fire protection, meeting fire code requirements, and the use of fire-resistant materials such as SFRM and intumescent paint. MBMA provides the fire protection resources to answer these questions, assisting design professionals and specifiers to design metal buildings that are not only safe but are also code compliant.
Resources
- MBMA Fire Resistance Design Guide
MBMA Fire Protection Page, www.mbma.com/Fire_Protection.html - Fire Resistance Design for Metal Building Systems Part 1 www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcdaGAF0csY
- Fire Resistance Design for Metal Building Systems Part 2 www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J1RBvcZaUc
Author
Vincent E. Sagan, PE, F.ASCE, is the senior staff engineer for the Metal Buildings Manufacturers Association (MBMA), and serves as the project director for the 2023 edition of the Fire Resistance Design Guide for Metal Building Systems. In addition, he manages research and engineering projects, and interacts with U.S. code and standards organizations. He represents MBMA on the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) committee on specifications for the design of cold-formed steel structural members and several ASCE 7 subcommittees. He has more than 30 years of experience in all phases of investigation, design, and construction of buildings and other structures.
