SECTION 712 PENETRATIONS  

712.4.1.2 Membrane penetrations. Penetrations of membranes that are part of a fire resistance rated horizontal assembly shall comply with Section 712.4.1.1.1 or 712.4.1.1.2. Where floor/ceiling assemblies are required to have a minimum 1 hour fire resistance rating, recessed fixtures shall be installed such that the required fire resistance will not be reduced.

Exceptions:

1. Membrane penetrations of maximum 2-hour fire-resistance-rated walls and partitions by steel, ferrous or copper conduits, pipes, tubes or vents, or concrete or masonry items where the annular space is protected either in accordance with Section 712.4.1.1 or to prevent the free passage of flame and the products of combus­tion. The aggregate area of the openings through the membrane shall not exceed 100 square inches (64 500 mm2) in any 100 square feet (9.3 m2) of ceiling area in assemblies tested without penetrations.

2. Ceiling membrane penetrations of maximum 2-hour fire-resistance-rated horizontal assem­blies by steel electrical boxes that do not exceed 16 square inches (l0 323 mm2) in area, pro­vided the aggregate area of such penetrations does not exceed 100 square inches (44 500 mm2) in any 100 square feet (9.29 m2) of ceiling area, and the annular space between the ceiling membrane and the box does not exceed 1/8 inch (3.12 mm).

3. Membrane penetrations by listed electrical boxes of any material, provided such boxes have been tested for use in fire-resistance-rated assemblies and are installed in accordance with the instructions included in the listing. The annular space between the ceiling membrane  and the box shall not exceed 1/8 inch (3.1 mm) unless listed otherwise.

4.The annular space created by the penetration of a fire sprinkler, provided it is covered by a metal escutcheon plate.

All Rights Reserved. This 2006 International Building Code® is a copyrighted work owned by the International Code Council, Inc. Without advance written permission from the copyright owner, no part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including, without limitation, electronic, optical or mechanical means (by way of example and not limitation, photocopying, or recording by or in an information storage retrieval system). For information on permission to copy material exceeding fair use, please contact: Publications, 4051West Flossmoor Road, Country Club Hills, IL 60478-5795. Phone 1-888-ICC-SAFE (422-7233). Trademarks: “International Code Council,” the “International Code Council” logo and the “International Building Code” are trademarks of the International Code Council, Inc.