SECTION 713 FIRE-RESISTANT JOINT SYSTEMS

 

713.1 General. Joints installed in or between fire-resis­tance-rated walls, floor or floor/ceiling assemblies and roofs or roof/ceiling assemblies shall be protected by an approved fire-resistant joint system designed to resist the passage of fire for a time period not less than the required fire-resistance rating of the wall, floor or roof in or between which it is installed. Fire-resistant joint systems shall be tested in accordance with Section 713.3. The void created at the intersection of a floor/ceiling assembly and an exterior curtain wall assembly shall be protected in accordance with Section 713.4.

Exception: Fire-resistant joint systems shall not be required for joints in all of the following locations:

1.Floors within a single dwelling unit.

2.Floors where the joint is protected by a shaft enclo­sure in accordance with Section 707.

3.Floors within atriums where the space adjacent to the atrium is included in the volume of the atrium for smoke control purposes.

4.Floors within malls.

5.Floors within open parking structures.

6.Mezzanine floors.

7.Walls that are permitted to have unprotected open­ings.

8.Roofs where openings are permitted.

9.Control joints not exceeding a maximum width of 0.625 inch (15.9 mm) and tested in accordance with ASTME 119.

713.2 Installation. Fire-resistant joint systems shall be securely installed in or on the joint for its entire length so as not to dislodge, loosen or otherwise impair its ability to accommo­date expected building movements and to resist the passage of fire and hot gases.

713.3 Fire test criteria. Fire-resistant joint systems shall be tested in accordance with the requirements of either ASTM E 1966 or UL 2079. Nonsymmetrical wall joint systems shall be tested with both faces exposed to the furnace, and the assigned fire-resistance rating shall be the shortest duration obtained from the two tests. When evidence is furnished to show that the wall was tested with the least fire-resistant side exposed to the furnace, subject to acceptance of the building official, the wall need not be subjected to tests from the opposite side.

Exception: For exterior walls with a horizontal fire separa­tion distance greater than 5 feet (1524 mm), the joint system shall be required to be tested for interior fire exposure only.

713.4 Exterior curtain wall/floor intersection. Where fire resistance-rated floor or floor/ceiling assemblies are required, voids created at the intersection of the exterior curtain wall assemblies and such floor assemblies shall be sealed with an approved material or system to prevent the interior spread of fire. Such material or systems shall be securely installed and capable of preventing the passage of flame and hot gases sufficient to ignite cotton waste where subjected either to ASTM E 119 time-temperature fire conditions under a minimum positive pressure differential of 0.01 inch (0.254 mm) of water column (2.5 Pa) or installed as tested in accordance with ASTM E  2307 for the time period at least equal to the fire-resistance rat­ing of the floor assembly. Height and fire-resistance require­ments for curtain wall spandrels shall comply with Section 704.9.

713.5 Spandrel wall. Height and fire-resistance requirements for curtain wall spandrels shall comply with Section 704.9. Where Section 704.9 does not require a fire-resistance-rated spandrel wall, the requirements of Section 713.4 shall still apply to the intersection between the spandrel wall and the floor.

713.6 Fire-resistant joint systems in smoke barriers. Fire-resistant joint systems in smoke barriers shall be tested in accordance with the requirements of UL 2079 for air leakage. The air leakage rate of the joint shall not exceed 5 cfm per lineal foot (0.00775 m3/s1m) of joint at 0.30 inch (7.47 Pa) of water for both the ambient temperature and elevated temperature tests.

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