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Section 07840 - Firestopping

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Master Spec. Section 07840 Firestopping

Related Sections to 07840

Penetration Seal Drawings

Building Joint Drawings 1

Building Joint Drawings 2

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History of Firestops in North America

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Firestop Slide Show 1 of 10 Basics

Firestop Slide Show 2 of 10 Code

Firestop Slide Show 3 of 10 No Seal

Firestop Slide Show 4 of 10 Deemed-to-comply

Firestop Slide Show 5 of 10 Misinstalled

Firestop Slide Show 6 of 10 Re-entered

Firestop Slide Show 7 of 10 Faulty Spec.

Firestop Slide Show 8 of 10 Proper Firestops

Firestop Slide Show 9 of 10 Test

Firestop Slide Show 10 of 10 Smoke and Trays

Sample Firestop Listing

Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning; Boiling-Hot Pressure Washing

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Note For Non-Architects: Important: This page uses the "Masterformat" outline for writing construction specifications, which are the written documents that accompany blueprints for new buildings. A general rule is that 'Specs overrule Drawings'. In other words, more detailed information about workmanship and products for each trade are shown in the specifications. In case of a contract dispute, if there is a conflict between drawing and spec, the spec is right. What this means is that building product manufacturers, who want contractors to buy their products for a certain building, ask the specification writer (the specwriter can be someone working for the architect as an employee, or an outside consultant on contract to the architect) to include their products in the specification before anyone even prices the job. This planning phase is called 'pre-tender'. The idea is for manufacturers to get specified or accepted as an 'alternate' (to products already shown in the spec document) before contractors price the job. As human nature dictates, contractors and manufacturers will often attempt to get products approved as an 'alternate' after the jobs have been priced. This would be 'post-tender', timewise. Then, usually, the contractors are obliged to offer a 'credit', meaning they have to lower their contract value - make less money on the job. Theoretically, this could work in reverse, but usually, money talks. The trick is to offer a credit lower in value than the savings resulting from using the alternate product. These are called  'token credits'. And however ridiculous they may seem in comparison to the actual savings gained by the contractor by switching to some embarrassing third rate junk product, owners usually get that gleam in their eyes and go for the savings, even though the architect or engineer may be horrified at the mere suggestion. At the same time though, everyone waits hungrily for such suggestions. Say that a contractor who was hired to insulate mechanical piping in our hypothetical building, wants to switch from a good, premoulded rockwool pipe insulation to some made-in-Uganda crap, wrapped around the pipe with lots of gaps, meaning possibly water damage and higher energy costs for the tenant of the building afterwards.  The insulator offers a token credit to the plumber, who hired him. The plumber has to offer a token credit to the general contractor and the remaining 3 cents go to the owner, who has heard for the first time that his pipes will actually be insulated. The first move is to get the alternate approved without a credit. But credits grease the wheels. Finally, the owner's representative may tell the boss how well he's done saving money on the construction of the new building. Sounds good, right? If there's money to be made, everyone holds his or her hands open to partake in the grabbing, frustrating the manufacturer who spent lots of time and money educating the specwriter, who might as well be writing jokes instead of decent specs for people who bastardise the work. All the while, all of these folks maintain glorious literature and marketing about how great and virtuous they are, interested in good quality and first-rate workmanship, dependable, yadda yadda yadda. Of course not everyone acts like this all the time. But: CAVEAT EMPTOR! Human nature. Everyone wants to save a buck. The low tender system creates this animalistic behaviour. Building quality can be strongly affected this way. The topic of alternates is one of constant debate. And don't be too quick to judge too harshly. Just remember your own last shopping trip. Did you care whether that last product you bought was made in some communist country by slave labour? Could you afford to? 'Nuf said. There is a numbering system in use here, that you need to understand. The 'Masterformat' is essentially a filing system for the specifications. Obviously, the instructions to the plumber are not found on the same page as the instructions for the carpenter who hangs the doors. All the work on a building has been segmented into 16 broad 'divisions'. For instance, masonry work is in division 4. Plumbing is in division 15 and electrical work is in division 16. The categories are then further subdivided into speciality areas. The individual specifications follow the 'page format', meaning they contain 3 parts per trade or per spec, which don't really vary. Page format includes part 1: General, part 2: Products, and part 3: Execution, or Installation. This firestop spec is number 07840. That means it's in division 7, which is 'Thermal and Moisture Protection', along with Caulking, Roofing and Insulation. For instance, if one were referring to clause 07840.2.3.1, anyone knowing the Masterformat system can tell that what is meant is in division 7, the firestop spec, part 2 - products. It is obvious from the number, that the clause will describe something to do with a firestop product. You will also see SPEC-NOTEs in here. Spec-notes are not usually visible to anyone BUT the specwriter. Whether you install a toilet in a  high-rise hotel or a nuclear power station, your written work instruction is not going to vary that much. To save time and money, specwriters usually maintain what we call a Master Specification. And that is what this web-page is. It is a suggested Master Specification. A master spec is a computer file, which serves as a template for project-specific specifications. A SPEC-NOTE in there is intended to remind the specification writer of any considerations that should be taken into account when creating a spec for a certain building. For instance, if the owner wants platinum plated toilets, perhaps he has to use different piping to hook up to it. While the specwriter creates and sees the SPEC-NOTEs, when the print order is given, these are "hidden", so as not to confuse contract document readers.

SPEC-NOTE:  Most firestopping in Canada is specified, installed and maintained incorrectly. To avoid problems, it is advisable for the specifier to do some homework prior to specifying firestops. Unless you have developed firestop products, have pushed a few projects through testing and certification in more than one laboratory, laboured over test samples, sweated through hose-stream tests, as well as worked as a firestop contractor, worked with specifications and code development, you can probably benefit from exposing yourself to the recommended free information. Remember, the author does not stand to gain. You can begin to familiarise yourself with the relevant topics by perusing all the links shown in http://www.oocities.org/astximw.

SPEC-NOTE: Familiarise yourself with and consider utilising the definitions shown on the Glossary page: http://www.oocities.org/astximw/firestop_terminology.html. If you don't use those, you're inviting malpractice suits.

SPEC-NOTE: Peruse the specification inserts http://www.oocities.org/astximw/related_sections.html and use them, where applicable, within the related Sections of work in other parts of the project manual, ensuring that any conflicting statements be removed or re-worded such as to not conflict with work outlined under Section 07840.

SPEC-NOTE: Generic Drawings accompany this Specification. They are linked to this page at the link bars at the top and bottom of this pages, as well as throughout the body of this Specification text. The drawings and text shown in those pages is crucial to the final result. Peruse and use them as required for your project.

SPEC-NOTE: Review the Products and Equipment Pages before specifying anything.

1   General

1.1   SECTION INCLUDES

.1   Firestopping of construction joints.

.2   Firestopping of service penetrations.

1.2   RELATED SECTIONS

SPEC-NOTE: Obtain & use INSERTS to place into the Related Sections of Work specifications to co-ordinate this specification and avoid overlaps and contradictions. Avoid overlap problems!

SPEC-NOTE: The concept is that this specification provide the basis for a firestop maintenance program for the owner. Without this basis, firestopping is but a band-aid as it becomes impossible to prove due diligence in terms of complying with the Ontario Fire Code without the proper documentation. Consultants who do not enable the owner to properly maintain firestops, ensure non-compliance with the Fire Code, once the building is occupied. If you can't walk up to a hole in a fire-resistance-rated wall and see a tag that identifies the certification listing number used for that firestop, you're witnessing negligence on a legally indefensible scale.

.1   Section 03100 - Concrete Formwork.

.2   Section 04200 - Unit Masonry.

.3   Section 07250 - Spray Applied Fireproofing.

.4   Section 07900 - Joint Sealing.

.5   Section 08900 - Curtainwall.

.6   Section 09250 - Metal Studs and Gypsum Wallboard.

.7   Division 15 - Mechanical, including Fire Protection and Insulation.

.8   Division 16 - Electrical.

1.3 REFERENCES

.1   CAN/ULC-S115, Standard Method of Fire Tests of Firestop Systems.

.2   CAN/ULC-S102, Standards Method of Test for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials and Assemblies.

SPEC-NOTE: 07840.1.3.3 is a reference to a US standard. It is not mentioned in Canadian building codes as yet. However, its requirements are identical to those in ULC-S115, which is what firestop testing in Canada is based upon. The reason for mandating its use here is that this US test is available from ULC and it cycles the joint through operational motion and then quantifies the results in terms of percentage of motion, compared to the joint width. Thus, if one had a 10cm wide joint, a joint firestop system certified for 10% motion would mean that the joint could theoretically expand and contract by 1cm during building operation without detrimental effect upon the fire protection rating of the joint firestop thus listed by either ULC or UL.

.3   ANSI/UL 2079 Tests for Fire Resistance of Building Joint Systems

SPEC-NOTE: NFPA 12A is used only in part for the door fan infiltrometer test, as a means to test firestop workmanship by testing and quantifying leakage areas. This is an alternative to destructive testing and provides the most realistic smoke migration data available, specific to your construction site.

.4   NFPA-12A, Standard of Halon 1301 Fire Extinguishing Systems.

.5   ULC List of Equipment and Materials

SPEC-NOTE: FM Global approves products and systems and operates in Canada as well as the US. However, their approvals refer to insurance requirements (See Ratings texts in the Glossary) and do not necessarily indicate code compliance. If the owner is or will be FM insured, one should work with the local FM field office to sort out what will be used where. This can have significant financial impact upon the owner. FM will typically prefer FM approved products wherever possible. However, there are cases, where this may violate Canadian codes. For firestopping purposes, thermocouple data is collected and interpreted differently from the Canadian code baseline. FM firestop approvals simply give an hourly rating, whereas S115 offers 5 different ratings, which all differ from the FM rating. In some cases, the FM rated product has enjoyed more severe testing, in other cases not. This is where the Consultant needs to work closely with both the AHJ and the local FM field office. FM will not insist on code infractions, if their products were to violate code, such as plastic pipe penetrations, which are not tested to 50Pa positive pressure according to FM guidelines. The Consultant is cautioned to take the high road for each case.

.6   FM Global Approval Guide.

.7   ULI Fire Resistance Directory.

SPEC-NOTE: ASTM E814 is similar to ULC-S115. However, there are some important differences. First of all, the hose-stream test is not optional in the US. As far as the fire protection ratings, E814 offers only F and T ratings. Both include  "H" for hose-streaming. S115 differentiates between F (Flame), FT (Flame and Temperature), FH, (Fire and Hose Stream), and FTH (Fire, Temperature and Hose Stream). Both S115 and E814 now offer L ratings for leakage, which is an attempt at smoke tightness, which is ludicrous, because this is a function of the installed seal, or the workmanship. This may be better or worse on site, which is why this master specification utilises the NFPA 12A test for in-situ air leakage testing and quantification. Further differences are that Canadian requirements (as per our code and S115) mandate the use of 50Pa positive furnace pressure testing, whereas the US do not do this. Thus, a US qualified (to E814 or UL1479) pipe penetration firestop does not meet Canadian requirements. Also, E814 and UL1479 differentiate between open and closed piping systems, which means that the design team or somebody then has to decide what to use where. This notion was soundly defeated twice in ULC hearings on the matter (Task Group 21). In the US, it is permissible to cap the pipe in the test sample on the unexposed side. This makes it easy to pass the test as the air has nowhere to go and makes a poor conductor. In Canada, we do not permit this. Thus all firestops qualified to S115 are tested with bottom (exposed side) caps on the piping, which is a more severe case. For this purpose, one can basically trust all ULC listings but one must carefully scrutinise everything else. UL publishes cUL listings, like a dual directory to their regular directory, which indicates ratings per S115. It is inadvisable to look far beyond UL and ULC. Stick with what works.

.9   ASTM E814, Fire Tests of Through Penetration Firestops.

SPEC-NOTE: E84 is the Steiner Tunnel Test. The Canadian version is S102, as mentioned above. There is a significant difference between the two. S102 is more severe due to the sample mounting location. In some cases, systems qualified to E84 would have no chance of passing S102 testing. There is no way to rectify this apart from testing to both standards. Many US manufacturers test to E84 and presume that this passes in Canada. It does not necessarily. Use of products qualified to E84 must be cleared with the AHJ prior to installation.

.10   ASTM E84, Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials.

1.4   SYSTEM DESCRIPTION

SPEC-NOTE: The Consultant must provide a building code evaluation, part of which shall be a separate set of drawings indicating the path and rating of all assemblies required to have a fire-resistance rating. Fire walls and occupancy separations must be identified significantly differently from other wall or floor assemblies required to have a fire-resistance rating because different systems will be installed in them and this must be clearly communicated pre-tender. The code evaluation drawings, which indicate the path and ratings of all fire resistive assemblies shall be used by mechanical and electrical consultants as the baseline drawings, over which mechanical and electrical systems are overlaid. This includes partial floor plans utilising larger scales for mechanical and electrical work. Otherwise, it becomes extremely tedious to identify which penetrations and joints must be firestopped how and consequently errors can result, which jeopardise the overall fire safety concept.

.1   Firestopping: materials and/or systems intended to act as a firestop and smoke seal within fire resistive wall and floor assemblies such as fire-resistance rated concrete, masonry or gypsum wallboard, for any through-penetrating items, poke-through termination devices, electrical outlet boxes or any unpenetrated openings or joints, including openings and spaces at perimeter edge conditions. Testing of service penetrations shall be in accordance with ULC-S115. Testing of architectural joints shall be in accordance with ANSI/UL 2079 Tests for Fire Resistance of Building Joint Systems. All joints must be certified to dynamic conditions, exhibition motion compensation not less than 15%. Plastic pipe penetration firestops must have been tested and certified in 50Pa positive furnace pressure conditions during the fire exposure. Through penetrations in fire walls and occupancy separations must be FT rated per ULC-S115, with the fire protection rating of the firestop being equivalent to the fire-resistance rating of the fire wall and/or the occupancy separation. Firestop installations must be bounded by certification listings, as per Ontario Building Code.

.2   'Smoke Seals' (all firestops act as smoke seals): seals forming draft-tight barriers to retard the passage of smoke, flame and hose-stream. All service penetration firestops on this project must be FH or FTH rated, as per ULC-S115. F rated and FT rated firestops are not permitted without an equivalent FH rating unless specifically indicated otherwise in the contract documents. Fire resistance durations of firestops must conform to the minimum requirements of the Ontario Building Code. All cable penetration firestops must be installed in such a manner that the firestop systems are spread uniformly between all cables to ensure a continuous firestop as well as 'smoke seal' inside of all cable bundles and/or groups of cables, regardless of whether the cables are running inside or outside of cable trays and/or wire ways.

.3   Firestopping and smoke seals within mechanical (i.e., inside ducts, dampers and electrical assemblies (i.e., inside bus ducts)) shall be provided as part of the work of Division 15 and 16 respectively. Firestopping and smoke seals around the outside of such mechanical and electrical assemblies, where they penetrate rated fire separations, shall be part of the work of this Section.

.4   Installed service penetration and joint firestop configurations must be bounded by certification listings of certification organisations bearing the accreditation of the Standards Council of Canada for testing and certifying firestops as per ULC-S115. Deviations from any third party firestop listings, whether for service penetrations or joint treatments, must be approved by the Consultant prior to installation.

1.5 DESIGN REQUIREMENTS (NON-FIRE RELATED)

.1 Demonstrate suitability of firestops to accommodate operational motion of the structure, and/or penetrants, as well as fire induced motion of cable trays by means of on site samples, and/or mock-ups, at the option of the firestop sub-contractor.

1.6 SUBMITTALS

.1    Manufacturer's literature and installation instructions.

.2   Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).

.3   Copies of applicable current certification listings and proof of certification labelling.

.4   Shop drawings (complete architectural floor plans) showing location of all seals covered under this section including numbered index of seals, indicating applicable certification system number(s). These plans must show all walls, yet highlight fire walls, occupancy separations and walls required to have a fire-resistance rating. Shop drawings must show penetrations by means of small, numbered circles in their appropriate locations. Penetrants must not be shown, yet described on the above-mentioned index. Listed seal numbers on these shop drawings must correspond with printed tag numbers on each seal as well as a legal-sized print-out that shall accompany the drawings. This log is designated as pfpinventory.xls, whereby pfp stands for passive fire protection. Each firestop shall be a line-item on the legal-sized inventory. The inventory shall contain columns, which clearly indicate the precise configuration of the opening and correspond with all items shown in all listings that will be used on this project. Furthermore, each opening shall be documented in a separate Excel file, complete with record keeping provisions for future maintenance, all significant items of the original firestop installations as well as digital before and after pictures of each side of each opening. The individual opening excel files shall contain hyperlinks to the listings that bound each opening. The individual opening excel files shall also indicate the name of the installer and the lot numbers of firestop materials used in the firestop installation. The individual seal file, designated as sealfile.xls, shall consist of three pages. The first page shall include before and after pictures of each side of the individual firestop. The second page shall include automatic formulas to calculate seal areas, depths, as well as penetrant areas and descriptions. The third page shall include the work record, including authorisation numbers to be assigned by the facility manager for re-entries, repairs and new holes. For the initial seal installations, enter your purchase order number in the authorisation number cells. The proposal of the sub contractor shall include the complete record keeping format to be utilised on this project. Shop drawings under this section shall consist of a set of architectural floor plans, marked up by hand, to indicate the openings, as described herein as well as the pfpinventory.xls and sealfile.xls template files. The general index of all openings, as well as each Excel file on each opening shall be submitted electronically in MS Excel,  to the consultant, with the original firestop sub-contract proposal. The marked-up floor plans shall be submitted in hard copy, unless the firestop sub-contractor is equipped with CAD. Upon commencement of the work, the pfpinventory.xls files shall be completed for the entire building. As installations progress, the sealfile.xls files shall be completed and submitted progressively, to the satisfaction of the consultant. It is advisable to submit these files on a regular basis to avoid a large remedial effort near the end of the project, particularly as openings are concealed by finishes, which would have to be removed for inspections at the cost of the responsible party.

.5   Submit individual firestop seal details in lieu of certification system listings only where the listing's and/or material's limitations are expected to be exceeded, complete with a rationale for approving any listing deviation.

.6   Provide electronic maintenance manuals as part of the Owner training session, including literature, installation instructions and MSDS.

1.7   DATA SUBMISSION SCHEDULE

SPEC NOTE: Consult project schedule to adjust timing requirements for submittals.

.1   Literature and Installation Instructions: Before procurement, and within 50 Days following award of Contract. Electronic submissions, including weblinks to product and safety data sheets, as well as certification listings via e-mail are acceptable. Acceptable formats are html, Winword and Excel files.

.2   Material Safety Data Sheets: Within 50 Days from award of Contract.

.3   Certification Listings: Within 50 Days from award of Contract.

SPEC-NOTE: Alter the following paragraph, depending upon whether or not you succeed in ensuring that the mechanical and electrical engineers will actually draw all penetrants. If you permit conceptual or schematic drawings, where the actual conduit and/or cabling and sprinkler branch lines or vent piping, or any sort of penetrants are omitted from the drawing by the mechanical or electrical engineer (CHECK ON THIS!), then the firestop sub-contractor must depend on shop drawings from the mechanical and electrical sub-contractors in order to produce his or her shop drawings. Bear in mind that without this information, the building has ZERO chances of being and remaining in compliance with the Ontario Fire Code because otherwise no one will know what is in which hole, whether or not it is bounded etc. If you want the owner to have a fighting chance at keeping up with firestops and their maintenance (maintenance means keeping holes properly sealed against re-entries and damage, not the firestop's disintegration or decomposition), you require proper documentation. If you can make sure that mechanical and electrical engineers draw all penetrants, the firestop sub-contractor can pull together all the openings and give you the required numbering and/or tracking and tagging system. But you must set out pre-tender who does what. In low-cost projects, it is quite common (cost issue) to leave a great deal of the actual penetrants to the imagination of the successful mechanical and electrical sub-contractors. This can only be termed negligent to anyone familiar with this topic. A myriad of claptrap excuses accompany this practice but those are all (very politely) bunk. Whoever tells you otherwise is lying. As for the electrical penetrants, it is common for the single line diagram to show what wiring connects which pieces of equipment. Then, the sub-contractor connects to his or her liking, meaning the shortest possible routing in order to conserve cost. The more penetrants you cast in place, the fewer the firestops, the cheaper typically. It does not take a brain-surgeon to figure out the shortest route. Your engineers can do this, even if they may pretend that this is beneath them. Just draw it! Similarly, and again mostly in low cost/class projects, engineers often leave out vent piping or don't put in enough of them. Some mechanical contractors think that certain engineers don't know the plumbing code well enough. Well, the plumbing code is a public document. If a plumber 'gets it', so can the engineer. Draw the penetrants. Sprinkler branch lines are often left out. This is in the well-nursed illusion that making the contractor design the system as per NFPA13 is cheaper because then the engineer won't have to. That is (politely) nonsense. Regardless who does this, he or she will charge for it and mark it up. So pay your engineers and get the results blessed by their stamps. You need to know where the penetrants are. If your project is one of those, where you start building before most of the drawings are done, first of all, if you're doing this voluntarily instead of being forced into it by someone who knows no better and won't listen to reason, get your head checked out by a qualified psychiatrist. You need serious help! Fast! Secondly, inevitably, you are heading for certain disaster if you can't turn over drawings at the end of the job, which show what is actually there. But look at the alternative: Between both the electrical and mechanical engineers, you can come up with more excuses not to draw all penetrants than a convict has about going to jail. And this should be seen on the same level as the aforementioned example. It all relates to money - false economies in fact. Now take the perspective of the owner's pocketbook and the fire victims that can result from these practices. Without proper firestops, documented, nailed down, numbered and maintained, you have no fire separations. You have illusions only. If the owner is forced to come into compliance after the fact, you will never get another job from this client again, because it will be obvious that an ounce of prevention early on can prevent untold remedial action after the fact. So draw the penetrants and draw all things mechanical and electrical on floor plans, which show what is rated, how, and where. The excuses not to do this all dwindle in comparison to consequential damage claims as well as coming into compliance post commissioning courtesy of an order-to-comply or a hotshot lawyer representing the victims.

.4   Shop Drawings: 10 Working Days after receipt by Firestop Subcontractor of Division 15 & 16 Shop Drawings by this Section.

.5   Special Details: 5 Working Days prior to installation.

.6   Maintenance Manuals: 30 days prior to commissioning of the Work.

1.8   MAINTENANCE TRAINING SEMINAR

.1 At the time of commissioning, provide a minimum 2-hour comprehensive seminar to the Owner's maintenance and electrical staff on the purpose and nature of the firestop system used.

.2 Materials: In the event of damaged or missing certification labels on any quantities of system components, the firestopping subcontractor shall, upon request, obtain the manufacturer's certificate of conformance stating the project name, batch number, manufacturing date and name of the firestop subcontractor.

1.9   TAGS

.1   Mark both sides of all service penetrations and every 3.0m of joint with printed Du Pont et Nemours Tyvec tags complete with stainless wires, held in metallic eyes at the short end of each tag. Tags shall be sized minimum 3.0 in² or 19cm² and indicate name and telephone number of Subcontractor and the following statement on the front of the tag:

CAUTION! FIRESTOP:  DO NOT RE-ENTER, PUNCTURE OR DESTROY WITHOUT AN AUTHORISATION NUMBER. UNSEALED BREACHES OF FIRESTOPS CONSTITUTE BUILDING AND FIRE CODE VIOLATIONS AND ARE SUBJECT TO LEGAL CONSEQUENCES. FIRESTOPS ARE NOT EVALUATED FOR LOAD-BEARING PROPERTIES. AVOID FOOT TRAFFIC OR OTHER LOADING ON FIRESTOPS!

PROJECT_______________________FLOOR____________________

INSTALLED BY___________________HOLE#____________________

SYSTEM #_______________________

CONTACT: [Enter Name, Address, Telephone #, Fax #, E-mail and URL of Firestop Subcontractor]"

The back of the tag shall show a table permitting room to indicate as line items the following information per breach and repair: Date of breach and date of repair and authorisation number covering each seal alteration.

1.10   QUALIFICATIONS

.1   Manufacturer: Company specialising in passive fire protection with minimum 5 years experience.

1.11 PRE-INSTALLATION CONFERENCE

.1   Convene a meeting between related sections five (5) weeks prior to commencing work of this section to discuss all applicable interactions such as staging, penetration, sizing, boxing of drywall penetrations by others, etc., under provisions of Section [01200.] [01210.]

1.12   DELIVERY, STORAGE AND HANDLING

.1   Deliver all materials and store in their original, unopened containers, with certification labels and seals intact.

.2   Protect from damage and environmental conditions as noted under the manufacturer's recommendations.

1.13   ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

.1   Temporary Lighting: Minimum 100 W bulb per room for each 30m² of floor area by others.

.2   Temporary Heat: Minimum 10°C for all cable and cable tray penetration firestop areas by others.

.3   Electrical Power: 120 V [and 220 V, 3-phase] power for [all cable and cable tray penetration firestop] areas by others.

.4   Work Area: Frost free penetrations and joints, free of running and/or standing water by others.

2   Products

2.1   FIRESTOP MANUFACTURERS

.1   3M Canada Company, P.O. Box 5757, London, ON N6A 4T1, Tel.: 1-800-265-1840 URL: http://www.mmm.com/firestop.

.2   MCT Brattberg AB (http://www.mctbrattberg.se/), distributed by Wieland Electric Inc., 2889 Brighton Road, Oakville, Ontario L6H 6C9, CANADA, Tel: +1-905 829 8414, Fax: +1-905 829 8413, Contact person: Mr Doug Wright, e-mail: dwright@wielandinc.com

.3   Nelson Firestop Products, P.O. Box: 726, Tulsa, OK 74101, Tel.: 1-800-331-7325, Fax: 918-627-2941 URL: http://www.nelsonfirestop.com/

.4   Substitutions: Pre-tender approved alternate with minimum 5 years firestop experience.

SPEC-NOTE: Pipe Covering and jacketing are requirements specific to firestop installations for mechanical and electrical through penetrations in occupancy separations and fire walls. The Consultant must decide which Section shall be indicated for installation of this insulation, which is specific to firestopping requirements only.

2.2   PIPE COVERING AND JACKETING MANUFACTURERS

.1   ROCKWOOL PIPE COVERING

.1.1   Roxul Inc., 551 Harrop Dr., Milton, ON L9T 3H3, Tel.: 905-878-8474, Fax: 905-821-7257, URL: http://www.roxul.com/, Attn.: Mr. John Evans

.1.2   Fibrex Insulations Inc., P.O. Box 2079, 561 Scott Rd., Sarnia, ON, Canada . N7T 7L4, Customer Service: 1-800-265-7514, Customer Service Fax: 1-800-363-4440, Phone: 1-519-336-7770, Technical Assistance: 1-800-585-8857, E-mail:mailto:jeff@fibrex.org, Attn.: Mr. Jeff Goodison

.2   MINERAL BLOCK PIPE COVERING

.2.1 Johns Manville, 717 17th Street, Denver, Colorado 80202  USA, Tel.: 303-978-4655           Fax:  303-978-2627,  Type T12 Calcium Silicate

.2.1 Knauff Fiber Glass GmbH, One Knauf Drive,Shelbyville Plant I, IN 46176, Tel.: 317-398-4434, Fax: 317-3983675, URL:                                          http://www.knauffiberglas.com/ E-mail: mailto:ad1@knauffiberglas.com  Temperlite® 1200°F

Note: Apart from pipe covering, Temperlite may also be used for soft spots up to 100cm² within 3M Fire Barrier Mortar firestops.

2.2.2   JACKETING AND JACKETING FASTENERS

.1   Childers Products Company, Ltd., 7305 Torbram Rd., Mississauga, ON L4T 1G8, Tel.: 905-676-1444 or 1-800-387-6818, Fax: 905-676-0059, Attn.: Mr. Pjeter Skrelji.

2.2   APPLICATORS

SPEC-NOTE: Check with manufacturers for list of licensed applicators. Not all manufacturers approve applicators in writing. One potential source of contractors is this trade association: http://www.fcia.org/. Another potential source is http://www.cssiweb.com/.

.1   [__________]

.2   [__________].

.3   [__________].

.4   Pretender approved alternate with minimum 5 years experience in firestopping.

2.3   FIRESTOP PRODUCTS

.1   Mechanical through penetrations: use approved, flexible or sliding systems to permit operational penetrant motion.

.2   Cable tray and wireway through penetrations: Use 3M Fire Barrier Mortar or Nelson CMP complete with ULC listed repair procedures or Multi Cable Transits by Wieland Electric or Nelson Firestop Products. This Section to co-ordinate with Division 16 to terminate cable trays and wireways to permit usage of MCTs.

.3   Architectural Joints in horizontal and vertical fire separations, use approved, flexible systems to permit operational penetrant motion, UL or ULC certified to minimum 15% operational motion.

SPEC-NOTE: Delete the following paragraph if you do not intend to install openings for future use. You must co-ordinate this with the client as well as the Electrical Engineer, to determine what is required where, and how large any such openings should be. They must be clearly marked and sized on the drawings.

.4   Openings and sleeves installed for future use through assemblies required to have a fire-resistance rating. Use approved firestop mortars.

SPEC-NOTE: Theoretically, there should be no back to back electrical outlet boxes in fire separations. However, sometimes electrical engineers insist on this. The intumescent padding alleviates the code violation somewhat. But it is best to run this past the building official pre-tender. Single electrical outlet boxes also decimate the rating of fire-separations, because they represent a thermal bridge. Inclusion of these boxes, however, is grandfathered and as such acceptable practice. You can improve your due diligence by adding the pads generally within all fire separations. The cost is not typically enormous. They are a standard commodity at this point.

.5   Intumescent padding around electrical outlet boxes within fire resistance rated gypsum wallboard and concrete block wall assemblies. Use 3M or Nelson intumescent putty pads.

2.4   PIPE COVERING PRODUCTS

.1   Mechanical and Electrical through penetration firestops in fire walls and occupancy separations must be FTH rated such that the fire protection rating of the firestop is equivalent to the fire-resistance rating of the fire wall(s) and/or occupancy separation(s). Thus FTH rated firestops depend on pipe covering around metallic electrical conduit and metallic mechanical piping to be continuous for each entire run throughout the penetrated fire compartments on both sides of penetrated and fire-resistance rated occupancy separations and fire walls. This provision applies, whether or not metallic mechanical piping is required to be insulated for purposes other than to obtain, maintain or restore fire-resistance ratings.

3   Execution

3.1   SEQUENCE

.1   Do not proceed with installation without approval of submittals.

.2   Install floor penetration firestopping before drywall track.

.3   Install firestopping before spray applied fireproofing where bonding of firestops to metal deck is required.

SPEC-NOTE: In Section 15250, Pipe Insulation, mandating the use of rockwool based pipe covering such as Roxul or Fibrex brands for both cold water and hot water piping ensures simpler and more cost effective firestopping. Fibreglass and organic, foamed insulation, even with low flame spread ratings, all require the additional cost of intumescent wraps within the firestop, as they disappear and burn through in S115 testing. Calcium silicate, perlite and foam glass pipe covering do not typically require intumescent wraps in through penetration firestops. Calcium silicate, perlite block and foam glass are typically industrial products, whereas rockwool is used both in the commercial/residential and the industrial sector. Rockwool pipe covering exhibits the best performance in firestop and hose-stream testing and can maintain vapour barriers. The minimum pipe covering thickness shall be 25mm. This ensures greater safety through increased temperature ratings, which are mandatory for occupancy separations and fire walls. 13mm pipe coverings shall not be used. In order to meet code, all through penetrations, mechanical and electrical, in occupancy separations and fire walls must be FT rated such that the fire protection rating of the firestop is equivalent to the fire-resistance rating of the occupancy separation and/or fire wall. By code, and the available state of the art, this is exclusively accomplished by utilising FT certified firestops, which means that the pipe covering must be continuous throughout the entire run in each fire compartment on either side of the occupancy separation and/or fire wall. This includes mechanical and electrical through penetrations, regardless of the type of penetrant, with the exception of plastic piping or conduit, which can attain FT ratings without external insulation, as plastic piping does not conduct significant heat through to the unexposed side. Such full fire compartment penetrant insulation can be costly. It may be advisable to discuss the possibility of limiting said insulation to one 3' run on both sides of the opening, butting together in the middle of the seal, complete with ferrous jacketing and mechanical fasteners. This solution requires special approval by the AHJ prior to installation and preferably pre-tender. This work (of insulating mechanical and electrical penetrants in order to achieve FT ratings in occupancy separations and fire wall through-penetrations) is best accomplished by ticketed, certified insulators. It terms of trade jurisdiction, both firestops and pipe covering are the domain of the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers (Local 95 in Ontario, based on Toronto, ON). Both firestoppers and insulators can perform this work. The consultant must decide where to specify the work. If Section 07840 is responsible for this work, this master specification must be altered to reflect this additional work. If not, it has to be specified in Section 15250. Either way, co-ordination with the mechanical engineer is required prior to the issuance of tender documents.

.4   Firestopping must be preceded by mechanical pipe insulation, which must penetrate through the seal. Pipe insulation must be certified as a firestop system component. Only rockwool, calcium silicate, perlite block, vermiculite block and foamglas are permissible through penetrants. For occupancy separations and fire walls, jacketing of through penetrating pipe covering must be ferrous. Fastening systems of jacketing for through penetrating pipe covering must be ferrous. If ferrous jacketing does not protrude through the firestop in the bounding certification listing, jacketing may be butted to the firestop seal interface. In through-penetration firestops in occupancy separations and/or fire walls, jacketing shall be cut and rolled, 'O - ONE - O' galvanised mild steel or stainless. In cases of errors on the part of the pipe covering trade, this Section shall notify the Consultant prior to firestop installations. Unless specifically directed otherwise by the Consultant, pipe covering on this project is to be considered a penetrant, requiring minimum 25mm annuli (clearance to the fire separation).

3.2   EXAMINATION

.1   Verify that surfaces are free of dust, oil, rust, paint, ice, grease or other substances that may impair effective bonding.

.2   Commencement of installation implies acceptance of substrate.

3.3   PREPARATION

.1   Clean substances from dust, oil, grease and other loose substances that may impair effective bonding. Excessive contamination shall be removed by others (who caused it).

.2   Paint, rust and other items, which are the result of negligence of other related sections, must be reported as soon as possible, to effect corrections.

3.4   INSTALLATION

.1   Install firestopping in strict accordance with manufacturer's instructions and and such that the installed configuration is bounded by corresponding certification listings. Record keeping as per this Section must occur at the time of installation and be made available in electronic format to the Consultant in a timely manner.

.2   Provide temporary forming and packing as required.

.3   Tool or trowel exposed surfaces to a neat finish, protecting adjacent finishes.

3.5   TOLERANCES

SPEC NOTE: This article is to describe penetration sizing. It is imperative that this be coordinated with Related Sections of Work. Ideally, firestopping references with regards to sealing work, in related sections, should indicate that this work is to be "done by others, see Section 07840. Follow penetration sizing as per Section 07840. Pipe covering for metallic penetrants of Divisions 15 and 16 must be co-ordinated with Div. 15 and 16 specifications.

SPEC NOTE: For Part 9 buildings, as per the OBC (combustible construction), timber construction annuli are unique and should be investigated separately in the third party listings and compared to expected chainsaw or other cutting practices in the field. Surgical 1/8" annuli about the perimeter of penetrants may look good in the certification listings and in the manufacturer's literature, but your entire project will be out of compliance, if all the openings are square or rectangular due to cutting with chainsaws. This is a significant compliance and cost factor. Know what you're getting into! Leave it unsaid to contractors, and you will be liable - bet on it! If you decide to use systems with round and surgical annuli, your mechanical and electrical subtrades must be informed of this pre-tender or you will have a war on your hands afterwards - or worse, no-one says anything and you wind up being at least partially responsible. That would be a poor bet, particularly in a combustible Part 9 building.

.1   The following regulates forming and sizing of service penetrations to be firestopped in an effort to standardise and minimise penetration sizes (see http://www.oocities.org/danchaput2000/pensealdrw.html). Divisions 15 and 16 are responsible for maintaining all tolerances herein. Metallic sleeving shall be used only in service room floors, where their top rim is raised above the finished floor level, in order to retard water entry. Firestopping shall be flush with the top of the sleeve, even if the corresponding certification listing is based upon installation at the plane of the fire separation itself, as this represents a safer case than the actual test installation. Other round openings in cast concrete and concrete block shall be formed with disposable plastic devices. Square or rectangular openings in cast concrete and concrete block shall be formed with removable timber or sheet metal forms. Sleeving shall not be used in Gypsum Wall Board penetration firestops, unless special sleeves supplied by the firestop manufacturer are utilised in agreement between this Section and Division 15 and 16 and the Consultant. Divisions 15 and 16 shall be responsible for the removal of the forms in advance of penetrant installation.

.2   There shall be no point contact between Division 15 and/or 16 penetrants and the sides of the opening. Pipe covering shall be considered a penetrant. The minimum annulus or distance between penetrant and the inside of an opening in a through penetration which is required to be firestopped shall be 1cm.

.3   For single, circular penetrants, except in fire-resistance rated Gypsum Wall Board, round openings shall be created by Division 15 and 16 respectively. Round forms for through penetration firestops in blockwalls and cast concrete fire separations shall be based upon the NPS (Nominal Pipe Size in Inches) of the penetrant. Take the penetrant NPS (having included pipe covering if applicable) and add 2 NPS sizes for the round opening form (to be installed by Divisions 15 and 16, respectively). In case of odd numbered NPS penetrants (i.e. 5", 7", 9", 11", etc.) round up to the next highest NPS. Thus, for example, a 5" round penetrant (such as a 3" pipe with 1" thick pipe covering) requires an 8" round opening or sleeve. Pipe covering shall be made of rockwool, calcium silicate block, perlite block, vermiculite block or foamglas, minimum 25mm thickness and shall penetrate fire separations, through the firestop.

.4   The forming of multiple circular penetrations (circular penetrants maximum 100mm apart) and single penetrants in fire-resistance rated gypsum wallboard partitions, are to be created by the drywall sub-contractor, by forming an open, square or rectangular box around the multiple penetrants. Divisions 15 and 16 must inform the drywall sub-contractor of opening locations and requirements. The drywall contractor shall connect the studs, which for the through penetration openings, to the vertical studs, which form the framing of each wall. This box, or frame, shall have a 10mm to 25mm clearance around the outer penetrants. Pipe covering be considered to be a penetrant and shall be made of rockwool, calcium silicate block, perlite block, vermiculite block or foamglas, minimum 25mm thickness and shall penetrate fire separations, through the firestop.

.5   Create penetrations with square or rectangular penetrants in the same manner as the above mentioned multiple penetrations, except maintain clearance between penetrant and penetration of 40mm to 50mm.

.6   Fire-resistance rated (as components of certification listed service penetration firestop systems) pipe insulation, where applied, is to be considered a penetrant requiring above mentioned annuli.

.7   Exceptions: Fire dampers, requiring a design specific clearance around them, per certification listings. See http://www.oocities.org/danchaput2000/pensealdrw.html  07840.05. Fire dampers must conform to their own listings and are not part of the work of this Section.

SPEC-NOTE: Below are 3 URLs, which show generic details for building joint firestops. You can incorporate these into your project manual, either in the specifications or in the drawings. You may also simply use them as a check list of items to include in your drawings, since you must show many more things apart from that which is shown in those drawings. They are given here as a convenience to the Architect. Also, peruse the comments that accompany those details. These augment the SPEC-NOTES shown herein.

.8   Joints: See 07840.06 through 07840.21 under the following URLs:

http://www.oocities.org/danchaput2000/bldgjoints1.html

http://www.oocities.org/danchaput2000/bldgjoints2.html

http://www.oocities.org/danchaput2000/bldgjoints3.html

SPEC-NOTE: Again, check on how holes will be cut in timber floors - surgically round, expensive holes, with lots of certification listing coverage, or the cheaper method of square or rectangular chain-sawed holes, which are much cheaper to make, but have less certification listing coverage.

.9   Timber Floor Penetration Annuli:  [________].

3.6   CLEANING

.1   Mask wherever practical, including openings above dropped ceilings, and remove excess materials and debris and clean adjacent surfaces immediately after application.

.2   Remove temporary combustible damming materials after initial set of firestopping materials. Foamed plastic damming must be removed after the cure of the firestop materials, regardless of its flame-spread ratings.

3.7   SCHEDULES

SPEC-NOTE: Co-ordination with related sections is crucial to ensure proper project pricing and work flow. The structural engineer may have to be consulted on joint sizing. It is vital to determine joint sizing ahead of time and to record these results in the required spec section as well as details. There may otherwise be astonishing disagreements between architect, structural consultant and contractors as to what the deflection space and control joint sizing needs to be. A difference in 5.0mm in joint sizing may very well double the cost of the firestopping subcontract.

.1   Provide firestopping at openings and penetrations in assemblies as well as membranes of assemblies required to have a fire-resistance rating, in the following locations.

.2   Mechanical and electrical through penetrations in fire-resistance rated floor and wall assemblies including masonry, concrete and gypsum wallboard partitions and walls and/or membranes thereof.

.3   Edge of floor slabs at curtainwall and precast concrete panels. Joint size: [_____].

.4   Top of masonry and gypsum wallboard partitions required to have a fire-resistance rating. Joint size: 15-25mm[_____].

.5   Intersection of masonry and gypsum wallboard partitions required to have a fire-resistance rating. Joint size: [_____].

.6   Control and sway joints in masonry and gypsum wallboard partitions and walls required to have a fire-resistance rating. Joint size: [_____].

SPEC-NOTE: Use the following schedule item only if you have communicated with the owner's maintenance department and/or the electrical consultant about a real need for future openings, which have to be firestopped as blanks at this stage. Make a point of identifying such openings with precise sizing, number and location on the drawings, which form part of the building code evaluation.

.7   Openings and sleeves installed for future use through wall and floor assemblies, including membranes thereof, required to have a fire-resistance rating.

.8   Intumescent padding around back to back electrical outlet boxes within gypsum wallboard and concrete block wall assemblies required to have a fire-resistance rating.

3.8   TESTING

SPEC-NOTE: The following is to test for smoke penetration, as a measure of quantifying workmanship in firestops. The Consultant and authorities having jurisdiction may choose to perform random destructive tests in addition to this test to ensure correct material thicknesses, densities, etc.

.1   At the owner's cost, perform infiltrometer (door fan) test as per NFPA 12A in [the main electrical and transformer room] as well as [one typical floor electrical and/or telephone room or closet] [_____]. Advise Consultant prior to commencing test.

.2   Effect repairs and re-tests as required without additional cost to the Owner.

END OF SECTION

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