SECTION 710  SMOKE PARTITIONS

710.1 General. Smoke partitions installed as required elsewhere in the code shall comply with this section.

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

710.3 Fire-resistance rating. Unless required elsewhere in the code, smoke partitions are not required to have a fire-resistance rating.

710.4 Continuity. Smoke partitions shall extend from the top of the foundation or floor below to the underside of the floor or roof sheathing, deck or slab above or to the underside of the ceiling above where the ceiling membrane is constructed to limit the transfer of smoke.

710.5 Openings. Windows shall be sealed to resist the free pas­sage of smoke or be automatic-closing upon detection of smoke. Doors in smoke partitions shall comply with this section.

710.5.1 Louvers. Doors in smoke partitions shall not include louvers.

710.5.2 Smoke and draft control doors. Where required elsewhere in the code, doors in smoke partitions shall be tested in accordance with UL 1784 with an artificial bottom seal installed across the full width of the bottom of the door assembly during the test. The air leakage rate of the door assembly shall not exceed 3 cubic feet per minute per square foot [ft3/(min . ft2)](0.015424 m3/ s . m2) of door opening at 0.10 inch (24.9Pa) of water for both the ambient temperature test and the elevated temperature exposure test.

710.5.3 Self- or automatic-closing doors. Where required elsewhere in the code, doors in smoke partitions shall be self- or automatic closing by smoke detection in accordance with Section 715.4.7.3.

710.6 Penetrations and joints. The space around penetrating items and in joints shall be filled with an approved material to limit the free passage of smoke.

710.7 Ducts and air transfer openings. The space around a duct penetrating a smoke partition shall be filled with an approved material to limit the free passage of smoke. Air transfer openings in smoke partitions shall be provided with a smoke damper complying with Section 716.3.2.

Exception: Where the installation of a smoke damper will interfere with the operation of a required smoke control system in accordance with Section 909, approved alternative protection shall be utilized.

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.