SECTION 708 FIRE PARTITIONS 

 

708.1 General. The following wall assemblies shall comply with this section:

1. Walls separating dwelling units in the same building.

2. Walls separating sleeping units in occupancies in Group R-l hotel, R-2 and 1-1 occupancies.

3. Walls separating tenant spaces in covered mall buildings as required by Section 402.7.2.

4. Corridor walls as required by Section 1017.1.

5. Elevator lobby separation as required by Section 707.14.1.

6. Residential aircraft hangars.

708.2 Materials. The walls shall be of materials permitted by the building type of construction.

708.3 Fire-resistance rating. Fire partitions shall have a fire-resistance rating of not less than 1 hour.

Exceptions:

1. Corridor walls as permitted by Table 1017.1.

2. Dwelling and sleeping unit separations in buildings of Type lIB, IIIB and VB construction shall have fire-resistance ratings of not less than 1/2 hour in buildings equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1.

708.4 Continuity. Fire partitions shall extend from the top of the foundation or floor/ceiling assembly below to the underside of the floor or roof sheathing, slab or deck above or to the fire-resistance-rated floor/ceiling or roof/ceiling assembly above, and shall be securely attached thereto. If the partitions are not continuous to the sheathing, deck or slab, and where constructed of combustible construction, the space between the ceiling and the sheathing, deck or slab above shall be fireblocked or drafts topped in accordance with Sections 717.2 and 717.3 at the partition line. The supporting construction shall be protected to afford the required fire-resistance rating of the wall supported, except for tenant and sleeping unit separation walls and corridor walls in buildings of Types lIB, IIIB and VB construction.

Exceptions:

1. The wall need not be extended into the crawl space below where the floor above the crawl space has a minimum 1-hour fire-resistance rating.

2. Where the room-side fire-resistance-rated membrane of the corridor is carried through to the underside of the floor or roof sheathing, deck or slab of a fire-resistance-rated floor or roof above, the ceiling of the corridor shall be permitted to be protected by the use of ceiling materials as required for a 1-hour fire-resistance-rated floor or roof system.

3. Where the corridor ceiling is constructed as required for the corridor walls, the walls shall be permitted to terminate at the upper membrane of such ceiling assembly.

4. The fire partition separating tenant spaces in a mall, complying with Section 402.7.2, are not required to extend beyond the underside of a ceiling that is not part of a fire-resistance-rated assembly. A wall is not required in attic or ceiling spaces above tenant separation walls.

5. Fireblocking or draftstopping is not required at the partition line in Group R-2 buildings that do not exceed four stories in height, provided the attic space is subdivided by draftstopping into areas not exceeding 3,000 square feet (279 m2) or above every two dwelling units, whichever is smaller.

6. Fireblocking or drafts topping is not required at the partition line in buildings equipped with an automatic sprinkler system installed throughout in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1 or 903.3.1.2, provided that automatic sprinklers are installed in combustible floor/ceiling and roof/ceiling spaces.

708.5 Exterior walls. Where exterior walls serve as a part of a required fire-resistance-rated separation, such walls shall comply with the requirements of Section 704 for exterior walls, and the fire-resistance-rated separation requirements shall not apply.

Exception: Exterior walls required to be fire-resistance rated in accordance with Section 1014.5.1 for exterior egress balconies, Section 1020.1.4 for exit enclosures and Section 1023.6 for exterior exit ramps and stairways.

708.6 Openings. Openings in a fire partition shall be protected in accordance with Section 715.

708.7 Penetrations. Penetrations of fire partitions shall comply with Section 712.

708.8 Joints. Joints made in or between fire partitions shall comply with Section 713.

 708.9 Ducts and air transfer openings. Penetrations in a fire partition by ducts and air transfer openings shall comply with Section 716.

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