Standards and applications for smoke- and fire-protective curtains

by Katie Daniel | March 28, 2018 3:14 pm

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by Douglas H. Evans, PE, FSFPE, and Vickie J. Lovell
Fire curtains used as fire-protection features in commercial buildings have had a controversial history. In 1672, a fire at the Drury Lane Theater in London prompted the owners to rebuild with two safety features: a large water tank perched on the roof to douse potential stage fires, and the world’s first known safety curtain—an iron curtain mounted in front of the stage to protect the audience from back-stage fires. The new building lasted more than 120 years. In 1791, it was demolished to make way for a larger theatre, which opened in 1794. The rebuilt Drury Lane Theater survived for 15 years before burning down in 1809.

A century later, a fire curtain at Chicago’s Iroquois Theatre failed to deploy properly on December 30, 1903, snagging on a light reflector sticking out under the proscenium arch. (For more information on the accident, read Tinder Box: The Iroquois Theatre Disaster 1903 by Anthony P. Hatch [2003, Chicago Academy of Publishers] and Chicago Death Trap: The Iroquois Theatre Fire of 1903 by Nat Brandt [2003, Southern Illinois University Press].)Even if it had deployed, the curtain would have done little to save the 602 patrons who died that afternoon. There were many other contributing factors to the disaster, including:

• no exit signs, emergency lighting, extinguishers, sprinklers, alarms, or water connections;
• exit doors opened inward; and
• some exits were also locked.

The curtain was made with asbestos fiber interwoven with wire and contained wood pulp. It had not been tested for performance.

In the past, the usefulness of fire curtains was met with skepticism by some authorities. Such doubts of the earliest designs and applications may have been warranted. However, from the 1980s, significant advancements in design, technology, and engineering of these curtains has revived interest among engineers and architects in the product’s commercial applications. Today, fire- and smoke-protective curtains are gaining more and more acceptance in locations well beyond the theater because they are flexible, easier to conceal above ceilings and in small spaces, and cheaper than other products.

As fire-protective curtains continue to evolve technically, the standards and codes defining and driving performance of such fixtures are also being developed by regulatory authorities. Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the International Building Code (IBC), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and International Fire Code (IFC) have sections on fire-protective curtain assemblies. Fire-service professionals need to know which codes and standards apply, and where today’s modern fire-protective curtains can or cannot be used. (This article is based on a white paper on smoke- and fire-protective curtains the authors prepared last spring. It is intended for informational purposes only and is not an official interpretation of the code authorized by any regulatory agency identified in the report.)

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Fire- and smoke-protective curtains
A fire- and smoke-protective curtain assembly comprises a flexible heat-resistant fabric impregnated with a coating to limit air infiltration and concealed in a head box, which is installed and located near or within the ceiling. On receiving signal from a fire-detection device, they automatically deploy. The curtain unfurls from the head box, thereby separating one area from another. While not 100 percent fail-safe, they also deploy via gravity on loss of power. The bottom of the curtain can be weighted to assist with deployment and limit deflection caused by air movement. The curtains are unlikely to land on someone because they are lightweight and descend at only 0.15 m (0.49 ft) per second.

Fire and smoke curtain assemblies have many recognized applications in office buildings, retail stores, universities, shopping centers, and museums in Europe, where they have been used for more than three decades. In the United States, the products began to be marketed to the commercial building industry in the mid-1990s. Currently, fire- and smoke-protective curtains provide nonstructural separation only, and are not intended to be substituted for structural hourly rated partitions or opening protectives that have been tested for fire endurance and hose stream performance. Test standards and code allowances are being developed for these products to realize their full potential. The final authority for the approved use of fire curtains rests with the authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs).

Testing requirements
Various facilities, including UL, Intertek, Factory Mutual, and Southwest Research Institute, are qualified to test these products. Determining the suitability for a desired application of a fire- and smoke-protective curtain assembly depends on the depth of understanding by the designers and AHJs of the applicable codes and standards. The following tests are relevant for determining the appropriate uses of fire and smoke protection assemblies.

NFPA 80-2016, Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives, regulates the installation and maintenance of assemblies and devices used to protect openings in walls, floors, and ceilings against the spread of fire and smoke within, into, or out of buildings. The 2016 edition includes a new definition for “Fire-protective Curtain Assemblies” and associated Chapter 21. Paragraph 21.1.2 requires the testing of fire-protective curtain assemblies in accordance with ANSI/UL 10D-2014, Standard for Fire Tests of Fire-protective Curtain Assemblies.

ANSI/UL 10D evaluates fire-protective curtain assemblies intended to provide supplemental, passive fire protection as part of an engineered fire protection system. This is a relatively new standard, adapted from ANSI/UL 10C-2016, Positive-pressure Fire Tests of Door Assemblies, to specifically address fire-protective curtain assemblies. These curtains have the ability to withstand exposure to a fire-endurance test conducted in accordance with the standard-time temperature curve of ANSI/UL 263-2011, Standard for Fire Tests of Building Construction and Materials, and ASTM E119-16a, Standard Test Method for Fire Tests of Building Construction and Materials, under positive pressure, without the development of through openings in the curtain, or flaming of the material on the unexposed side of the assembly, for the duration of the hourly rating. (The following was copied from the 2015 IBC Section 703.5.2, “Composite Materials.” Fabrics having a structural base of noncombustible material as determined in accordance with IBC Section 703.5.1 with a surfacing of not more than 3.18 mm [0.125 in.] thick and has a flame spread index not greater than 50 when tested in accordance with ASTM E84, Standard Test Methods for Tension Testing of Metallic Materials, or UL 723, Standard for Test for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials, shall be acceptable as a noncombustible product.)

Two primary tests are used for evaluating fire-resistive building elements, components, and assemblies. Both test methods (ANSI/UL 263 is equivalent to ASTM E119), prescribe a standard fire exposure controlled by the test facility to meet specified temperatures during a specified time. On completion of the fire endurance test, the assembly is subjected to the impact, erosion, and cooling effects of a hose stream of water. These test standards require temperatures to be recorded on the assembly’s unexposed surface.

As fire- and smoke-protective curtain assemblies are thermally thin, they cannot meet the temperature limits established by the standards on the unexposed surface, even though they are subjected to the standard time-temperature curve included therein. It is also virtually impossible for the current generation of fire- and smoke-protective curtain assemblies to withstand effects of the hose stream test on completion of the fire endurance test.

Unlike ASTM E119, ANSI/UL 10D does not require the products to limit temperature on the unexposed surface. Additionally, the impact of the hose stream test after fire exposure is not required. Therefore, fire- and smoke-protective curtains are not suitable as fire walls, fire barriers, fire partitions, smoke barriers, shaft enclosures, or rated floors (horizontal assemblies) as defined by the model codes.

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NFPA 105-2016, Smoke Door Assemblies and Other Opening Protectives, prescribes minimum requirements for smoke door assemblies intended to protect life and property from smoke. The 2016 edition includes a new definition for “Smoke Protective Curtain Assembly” and associated Chapter 8.

Smoke door assemblies are required to be leakage tested in accordance with ANSI/UL 1784-2015, Air Leakage Tests for Door Assemblies, and identified by an “S” label attached to the bottom bar of the curtain indicating a maximum air leakage rate of 0.9 m³/min/m² (3 cf/min/sf) and the tested pressure differential of 25 Pa (0.1 in.), 50 Pa (0.2 in.), or 75 Pa (0.3 in.) of water. These requirements correlate with IBC Section 710.5.2.2, “Smoke Partitions.” NFPA 105 Paragraph A.8.1.1, “Smoke Protective Curtain Assemblies,” clarifies fire-protective curtain assemblies are not to be confused with fabric fire-safety curtain assemblies specifically intended for protection of proscenium openings.

ANSI/UL 1784 is the test standard used to determine air leakage through door assemblies and other opening protectives installed in wall openings where air leakage is intended to be controlled.

Fire- and smoke-protective curtain assemblies may also be tested in accordance with the requirements of UL 10B-2008, Standard for Fire Tests of Door Assemblies, and ANSI/UL 10C.

These two test standards require temperatures to be recorded on the unexposed surface of the assembly. On completion of the fire endurance test, the assembly is subjected to the impact, erosion, and cooling effects from a hose stream. As mentioned, fire- and smoke-protective curtain assemblies are thermally thin. Therefore, they cannot meet the temperature limits on the unexposed surface. (As a conductive material, uninsulated steel has similar limitations.) After being subjected to the fire test, most fire- and smoke-protective curtain assemblies are unable to hold up to the hose stream, but some niche products can. To obtain recognition under UL 10B or UL10C, these portions of the test are typically not included.

NFPA 252-2017, Standard Methods of Fire Tests of Door Assemblies, is essentially an equivalent to UL 10B and UL 10C. The test can be run with the neutral pressure level at 9953.6 Pa (40 in.) or less above the sill (UL 10C and UL 10D, and IBC Section 716.5.1, “Side-hinged or Pivoted Swinging Doors”) or at the top (UL 10B and IBC Section 716.5.2, “Other Types of Assemblies”).

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Recognized applications
Fire- and smoke-protective curtain assemblies have many compliant applications in North America, including:

• 20-minute opening protectives (other than occupant use doors) in corridors and smoke barriers;
• elevator hoistways in order to limit the migration of smoke into lobbies via hoistway opening;
• draft curtains for escalator and stair openings as well as storage uses;
• proscenium curtains;
• smoke partitions including opening protectives;
• atria separation (either vertical or horizontal) as part of an engineered smoke management system only (not appropriate for use as a fire barrier); and
• decorative ceilings that allow heat to bank down and ensure that automatic sprinklers in the plane of the membrane activate properly.

The following building and fire code sections open the doors for assemblies limiting fire, smoke, and their by-products. Under certain conditions, fire- and smoke-protective assemblies have applications fulfilling the intent of the codes. Ultimately, the final determination for approval and suitability rests with the authority having jurisdiction.

Opening protectives
IBC Section 710.5.2.2 requires doors in smoke partitions to meet the requirements for smoke and draft control door assemblies in accordance with UL 1784. Air leakage is limited to 0.015 m³/(s • m²) (3 cf/min/sf) of door opening at 24.9 Pa (0.10 in.) of water for both the ambient temperature test and the elevated temperature exposure test. Section 716.5.3.1, “Smoke and Draft Control,” requires all fire door assemblies to meet the preceding leakage limitations. Installation of smoke doors is required to be in accordance with NFPA 105. IBC Section 716.5.7.3, “Smoke and Draft Control Door Labeling Requirements,” requires smoke and draft control doors complying with UL 1784 to include the letter “S” on the fire-rating label as an indication the door and frame assembly comply where listed or labeled gasketing is installed. IBC Section 710.5.2.2.1, “Smoke and Draft Control Door Labeling,” allows smoke and draft control doors that only comply with UL 1784 to include the letter “S” on the label. NFPA 101-2015, Life Safety Code, contains similar requirements for smoke leakage-rated fire door assemblies.

IBC Section 716.5.3, “Door Assemblies in Corridors and Smoke Barriers,” allows fire door assemblies in corridor or smoke barrier walls to have a minimum fire protection rating of 20 minutes. Also, testing in accordance with NFPA 252 or UL 10C is required, but the hose stream test is exempted. NFPA 101 Table 8.3.4.2, “Minimum Fire Protection Ratings for Opening Protectives in Fire Resistance-rated Assemblies and Fire-rated Glazing Markings,” also exempts fire door assemblies serving exit access corridors, smoke barriers, and smoke partitions from the hose stream test. IBC Section 716.5.4, “Door Assemblies in Other Fire Partitions,” requires that door assemblies in fire partitions other than corridors to have a minimum fire protection rating of 20 minutes and be tested in accordance with NFPA 252, UL 10B, or UL 10C without the hose stream test.

IBC Section 1010.1.1, “Size of Doors,” requires means of egress doors to provide a minimum clear width of 813 mm (32 in.). Further, Section 1010.1.1.1, “Projections into Clear Width,” does not allow any projections into the required clear width lower than 864 mm (34 in.) above the floor or ground. Projections into the clear opening width between 864 mm and 2032 mm (80 in.) above the floor or ground shall not exceed 102 mm (4 in.). These requirements are similar to those included in NFPA 101 Paragraph 7.2.1.2, “Door Leaf Width.”

Curtains are not rigid and can create a tripping hazard at the bottom if they do not open fully. Some models do not open fully at the top. As such, fire- and smoke-protective curtain assemblies have difficulty meeting the requirements for means of egress doors. Further, IBC Section 1010.1.9, “Door Operations,” and NFPA 101 require egress doors to be readily openable without the use of special knowledge or effort.

NFPA 80 Chapter 13, “Service Counter Fire Doors,” addresses service counter fire doors. Paragraph 3.3.105 defines these assemblies as a (rolling steel) fire door used to protect openings in walls where the primary purpose of the opening is for non-pedestrian use, such as counter service for food, a pharmaceutical dispensary, package and baggage transfer, or observation ports. Since fire- and smoke-protective curtain assemblies are allowed as opening protectives in corridor or smoke barrier walls where a minimum 20-minute rating is required, it may be reasonable to consider them for this application as it provides another option to designers.

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Door latching requirements
IBC Section 716.5.9, “Door Closing,” and NFPA 101 Section 7.2.1, “Door Openings,” require fire doors to be latching and self- or automatic-closing. Unless otherwise permitted specifically, single fire doors and both leaves of pairs of side-hinged swinging fire doors require an active latch bolt to secure the door when closed. When the curtains are used as doors, they have to meet these requirements. It is a disadvantage since fire- and smoke-protective curtains may have difficulties in meeting these requirements.

Elevator lobbies
IBC Section 3006, “Elevator Lobbies and Hoistway Opening Protection,” requires shaft enclosures and elevator lobbies when the hoistway connects more than three stories. Elevator lobbies are required to be constructed as smoke partitions when sprinklers are installed throughout the building. Otherwise, elevator lobbies are required to be constructed as fire partitions. In either case, doors protecting openings in elevator lobbies are required for corridors. Other than hoistway doors and the elevator car door, Section 3002.6, “Prohibited Doors,” prohibits doors at the point of access to an elevator car unless such doors are readily openable from the car side without special knowledge or effort. NFPA 101 contains similar requirements where elevator lobbies are provided. American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) A17.1/CSA B44-2013, Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators, Section 2.11.6.3 not only requires unrestricted egress from the elevator, but also limits obstructions preventing firefighters from visually observing the elevator landing/lobby.

IBC Section 3007.6, “Fire Service Access Elevator Lobby,” requires doorways to a fire service access elevator lobby to be a ¾-hour fire-door assembly. Section 3008.6, “Occupant Evacuation Elevator Lobby,” requires a ¾-hour fire-door assembly into occupant evacuation elevator lobbies. Such ¾-hour fire-door assemblies are required to pass the hose stream test. Fire- and smoke-protective curtain assemblies are not able to pass the hose stream test and, therefore, are not allowed for these applications.

Draft curtains
Paragraph 3.3.8, “Draft Curtain,” of NFPA 13-2016, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, defines draft curtains as a continuous material protruding downward from the ceiling to create a reservoir for collecting smoke and heat. It references NFPA 204-2015, Standard for Smoke and Heat Venting, for additional information.

Paragraph 8.4.6.4.1 of NFPA 13 requires draft curtains where early-suppression, fast-response (ESFR) sprinkler systems are installed adjacent to systems with standard-response sprinklers. IFC Section 5106.3.2, “Automatic Sprinkler Protection,” requires draft curtains to separate ordinary and high-temperature ceiling sprinkler systems. For these applications, draft curtains are required to be of noncombustible construction. Depending on the structural base (e.g. a fabric of woven glass fibers), these products can qualify as noncombustible even with a combustible surface treatment.

NFPA 92, Standard for Smoke Control Systems, Paragraph 3.3.4, “Draft Curtain,” defines draft curtains as a fixed or automatically deployable barrier protruding downward from the ceiling to channel, contain, or prevent the migration of smoke. A draft curtain can be a solid, fixed obstruction or a deployable barrier descending to a fixed depth during its operation.

NFPA 92 Paragraph 5.5.2.3, “Balcony Spill Plumes,” recognizes draft curtains to restrict horizontal smoke migration. Paragraph 5.5.2.5 requires draft curtains to remain in place and confine smoke when the design fire is near the draft curtain exposing it to the maximum predicted temperature for the design interval time. Paragraph A.5.5.2.4 specifies draft curtains can be of any material meeting the performance criteria of Paragraph 7.2 of NFPA 204.

Paragraph 3.3.9 of NFPA 204 defines a draft curtain as a fixed or deployable barrier protruding downward from the ceiling to channel, contain, or prevent the migration of smoke. The performance criteria of NFPA 204 Paragraph 7.2.1 requires draft curtains to remain in place and confine smoke when the design fire is near the draft curtain exposing it to the maximum predicted temperature for the design interval time.

NFPA 101 Paragraph 8.6.9, “Convenience Openings,” allows escalator and moving walk openings to be protected as outlined in NFPA 13-2016, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, when the building is protected throughout by automatic sprinklers. Depending on the occupancy, this option is limited to interconnecting no more than four contiguous stories.

The IFC (Section 1103.4.6, “Escalators Connecting Four or Fewer Stories”) and IBC (Section 712.1.3.1, “Opening Size”) allow escalator openings in Group B and M occupancies to be protected with draft curtains and closely spaced sprinklers. These same constraints also apply to exit access stairways and ramps, but are limited to four or fewer stories.

Proscenium curtains
NFPA 101 Paragraph 12.4.6.7.1, “Proscenium Openings,” allows proscenium openings to be protected by a listed, minimum 20-minute fire curtain complying with NFPA 80. This allowance is also recognized in IBC Section 410.3.5, “Proscenium Curtain.” Only fire- and smoke-protective curtain assemblies meeting the requirements of NFPA 80 Chapter 20, “Fabric Fire Safety Curtains,” can be used as fabric fire safety curtain assemblies to protect proscenium openings.

NFPA 80 Section 21.1.1 also clarifies the current generation of fire- and smoke-protective curtain assemblies are not to be confused with fabric fire safety curtain assemblies specifically intended for protection of proscenium openings. For recognition as proscenium opening protection, the fire- and smoke-protective curtain assemblies would have to meet the requirements of NFPA 80 Chapter 20. Fire safety curtain assemblies for prosceniums are intended to provide at least 20 minutes of protection for audience members to safely evacuate the chamber.

Fire safety curtain assemblies for prosceniums are usually tested in accordance with ANSI/UL 263 or ASTM E119, as applicable to nonbearing walls and partitions for 30 minutes. Since fire safety curtain assemblies are only intended to provide a reasonable level of separation between the audience and an on-stage fire to allow safe evacuation of the audience, the only condition of acceptance from ANSI/UL 263 or ASTM E119 is to restrict the passage of flame or hot gases. Note the temperature rise condition of acceptance is exempted. Additionally, the upper two-thirds of the test specimen is exposed to a positive pressure between the furnace and surrounding area.

Smoke partitions
IBC Section 710.2 allows smoke partitions to be of the same materials permitted by the building type of construction. Section 710.3, “Fire-resistance Rating” specifies that, in and of themselves, smoke partitions need not have a fire-resistance-rating, but one may be necessitated by other requirements in the code. As such, fire- and smoke-protective curtain assemblies may be deemed compliant for use as smoke partitions. NFPA 101 considers smoke partitions similarly.

Horizontal assemblies (rated floor/ceiling assemblies)
IBC Table 601, “Fire-resistance Rating Requirements for Building Elements (Hours),” and Section 711.2.4 specify the fire-resistance rating of horizontal assemblies (floors and roofs). IBC Sections 703.2, “Fire-resistance Ratings,” and 703.3, “Fire-resistance Ratings and Fire Tests,” specify the primary method to determine the fire-resistance rating of building elements, components, or assemblies is based on the fire exposure and acceptance criteria outlined in ASTM E119 or UL 263. Although the hose stream requirements of these test standards are exempted for horizontal assemblies, relatively thin membranes cannot meet the unexposed surface temperature limitations and, as such, fire- and smoke-protective curtain assemblies cannot qualify as horizontal assemblies under these standards.

NFPA 101 Paragraph 8.3.3.4 and IBC Section 712.1.13.1, “Horizontal Fire Door Assemblies,” require fire door assemblies protecting openings in fire-resistance-rated horizontal assemblies to be tested in accordance with NFPA 288-2017, Standard Methods of Fire Tests of Horizontal Fire Door Assemblies Installed in Horizontal Fire Resistance-rated Assemblies, and achieve a fire-resistance rating notless than the assembly that is being penetrated. Fire- and smoke-protective curtain assemblies cannot meet the temperature limits on the unexposed surface. The hose stream test is not required for either floor/ceiling assemblies or the associated opening protectives.

When specific constraints are met, IBC Section 712.1.9, “Two-story Openings,” allows two floors to be interconnected. Horizontal sliding fire- and smoke-protective curtain assemblies that can automatically configure are available. Such horizontal applications would neither be subject to live or dead loads nor would they be in contact with combustible materials. As such, it may be considered reasonable to allow these assemblies (tested to restrict fire and smoke propagation for a minimum of two hours) to mitigate interconnection of levels and/or atrium requirements when installed at every other floor.

Additional considerations when determining suitability
Fire- and smoke-protective curtain assemblies automatically deploying either vertically or horizontally will be activated by a fire detection device or fusible link. When a fire alarm system configures these curtains, the activation signal is not allowed to be transferred through a building management system (BMS) unless the BMS is UUKL Listed in accordance with ANSI/UL 864-2014, Standard for Control Units and Accessories for Fire Alarm Systems.

With respect to “equivalent means of protection,” the relevant sections in NFPA 80 and NFPA 101 state the NFPA codes and standards are not intended to prevent the use of systems or methods equivalent (or superior) to the prescriptive requirements. It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide substantiation to the authority having jurisdiction, which is tasked with concurring the proposed approach is equivalent. When the material or method is approved as equivalent (providing the level of protection intended by the code or standard), it is recognized as compliant. IBC and IFC contain similar provisions.

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Non-compliant applications
These products cannot meet the unexposed surface temperature limitations of ANSI/UL 263 or ASTM E119 (139 C [250 F] average or 181 C [325 F] at any point). Therefore, they are not compliant as walls or floor/ceiling assemblies requiring a fire-resistance rating.

Further, these curtains do not qualify as fire walls, fire barriers, fire partitions, smoke barriers, shaft enclosures, or rated floors (horizontal assemblies), although they may have some code-compliant uses when installed in such assemblies.

Due to these temperature limitations, these products also do not meet the requirements for horizontal fire door assemblies in accordance with NFPA 288. The current generation of products also has difficulty meeting the hose stream requirements of the test standard.

Some of these products are not compliant with egress requirements, such as opening width at top (pass through slots) and tripping hazards at the floor (drooping and draping).

Using fire- or smoke-protective curtains to separate spaces in buildings where non-combustible interior non-bearing partitions are required and combustible curtains/draperies tested in accordance with NFPA 701, Standard Methods of Fire Tests for Flame Propagation of Textiles and Films, would not be appropriate. They are also unidirectional, meaning they are only designed to serve occupants in one direction or orientation.

The ability of these products to meet other egress requirements can also be debated. “Up buttons” can be considered special knowledge. Velcro “latches” may not be considered by some to comply with either NFPA 101 or the IBC. Here again, these products as a category, cannot meet the hose stream test defined in ASTM E119, which consequently limits the rating to 20 minutes. This constraint also prohibits these products for ¾-hour doorways to a fire service access and occupant evacuation elevator lobbies.

The definition in NFPA 13 Paragraph 3.3.8, “Draft Curtain,” says “continuous.” The 2012 IFC Section 910.3.5.1, “Draft Curtains–Construction,” says joints/connections must be smoke-tight. As such, these requirements indicate gaps are not allowed when multiple fire- and smoke-protective curtain assemblies are installed adjacent to each other to create draft curtains.

Potential applications
The codes and standards are continually evolving. The following applications are likely to become widely accepted by AHJs in the foreseeable future as codes and standards become more refined on use of these products:

• service counter fire doors as 20-minute opening protectives; and
• atria separation (either vertical or horizontal) to limit interconnection
  of levels.

The UL Task Group (STP 10) responsible for the applicable standards (UL 10B, C, and D) is considering the inclusion of horizontal sliding applications for these products in UL 10D. If approved through the standards revision process, the use of horizontal applications will open the door to new applications.

Douglas H. Evans founded DHE FPE LLC after working as fire protection engineer with the Clark county’s (Nevada) building department for 22 years. At the county, his primary focus was coordinating fire protection aspects for mega-resorts on the Las Vegas Strip. Evans is primarily recognized for his knowledge of combustible exterior façade, plastics/foam plastics in building construction, unique interior features, and smoke management systems. He is also a Fellow of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers and member of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). He can be reached at dhefpe@gmail.com[7].

Vickie J. Lovell recently retired as president of InterCode Inc., which provides code change development strategies, product and market forecasting, technical writing services, and product commercialization. She helped develop codes and standards for groups such as the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), International Code Council (ICC), and NFPA. Lovell can be reached at vickie@intercodeinc.com[8].

Source URL: https://www.constructionspecifier.com/standards-applications-smoke-fire-protective-curtains/

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