Fire Walls, Fire Barriers

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Fire Walls, Fire Barriers Protection of
Penetrations
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Fire Separations

• Fire Walls Purpose, What, Where, Features,
  Extensions, Maintenance and the Sealing of
  Openings
• Fire Separation or Barrier Walls "Not a fire
  wall! OBC calls these Fire Partitions
• Penetration Protection What and Where

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The Purpose of Fire Walls

• Building Codes and Country Codes recommended fire
  walls for only two purposes
• To make sure that everyone can evacuate the
  building safely during a fire
• To make sure you do not affect your neighbors
  property following a fire
• Effective fire risk management recommends fire
  walls serve two additional and very important
  purposes
• To help protect business operations (production)
• To protection assets and reduce total property
  damage.

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Where are Fire Walls Provided?

• To separate production operations and reduce
  business interruption potential
• Separate manufacturing from warehousing
  operations
• Protect from external exposure
• As required by Building Codes to separate
  buildings

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Features of a Fire Wall

• Extend through all floors of a building
• 2, 3 or 4 hour rated - time/temperature curve
• Usually Masonry but may be a composite
  construction
• Stable and Strong - often "free standing", the
  wall supports itself, nothing else supports it
• Can absorb shock from collapse on either side
• No openings - or protect openings with a physical
  barrier (such as a "fire door" or a "sealing
  system").
• Parapets and Wing walls - provided when needed

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The roof is not supported by the fire wall
The bar joists are parallel to the wall or, if
perpendicular, there will be a gap to allow for
expansion due to heat.
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Fire Wall Extensions - Parapets and Wing Walls

• Parapet Wall Fire wall extension above a roof.
  
• Provided if the roof is considered combustible
  per NFPA 221 Chapter 6.
• It is to stop fire spread at the roof.
• Minimum parapet height 0.8 meters (30").
• Wing Wall Fire wall extension outside a
  building.
• Provided if the exterior walls are not
  noncombustible per NFPA 221.
• Stop fire spread around the ends of the fire
  wall.

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Fire Wall Extensions - Parapets
"Let's discuss the purpose of a parapet"
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Fire Wall Extensions - Parapets
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Fire Wall Extensions - Wing Walls
Manufacturing Area

• Wing walls are extensions to a fire wall that
  stop fire traveling around its end.
• 1 Wing walls can extend beyond a fire wall.
  This is an extension wall
• 2 Wing walls can be part of the external
  perimeter wall.
• This is an end wall (it is at the end of the
  fire wall).

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Fire in the Warehousing Area
Per NFPA 221 1 .8m (30") minimum 2 1.8 -
4.3m (6' - 14')
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Fire Wall Extensions - Wing Walls

• This wing wall projects out
• 1.2m (4') from the building.

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Fire walls provided to meet fire risk management
goals
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Fire Separation or Barrier Walls

• A wall that is designed to limit the spread of
  fire and smoke from a controlled fire.
• Usually rated a maximum of 1 to 2 hours
• May be masonry or protected steel frame walls
• Does not extend through all floors
• Divides floors into areas - "fire areas
• Used for shafts
• Usually do not have parapet or wing walls
• Openings are protected - but they are not as
  important as fire wall openings

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Testing for Fire Protection Fire Endurance

• "What is a "4 hour rating"?
• See the next slide for the "Time - Temperature
  Curve"

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Testing for Fire Protection Fire Endurance

• The temperature during a fire test is increased
  in accord with this curve.
• After 5 minutes the temperature is 538oC
  (1000oF).
• After 4 hours the temperature is 1093oC (2000oF).

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Openings in Fire Walls

• The only true fire wall is a fire wall with no
  openings but few of these exists.
• The number and size of openings should be limited
  as much as possible.
• All fire wall openings big and small must be
  protected.
• That includes opening such as pedestrian
  openings, truck doors, conveyors, duct
  penetrations, pipe and cable penetrations, etc.
• Fire wall maintenance includes sealing all
  openings!

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Sealing Openings in Fire Walls
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Sealing Openings in Fire Walls
FOR PIPE OPENINGS
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Sealing Openings in Fire Walls

• A blocked up window or conveyor opening
• Using concrete block to fill old unused openings
  is efficient and relatively inexpensive.
• Be sure to fill the blocks with cement and then
  cement them in place!
• The fill must be equal in fire resistance to the
  wall.

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Dont get carried away!
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Duct Penetrations
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Penetration Protection

• Horizontal Penetrations

• Vertical Penetrations

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Penetration Protection

• Listed through penetration fires stop assemblies

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The good, the bad, . . .

• Listed assembly

• A poor attempt

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. . . And the Ugly
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Fire Doors NFPA 80

• A "fire door" is the door and the frame!
• Tested and listed to stop fire only. Smoke may
  pass around the sides of the door.
• Fire doors are rated by the number of hours of
  fire protection they provide.
• 4, 3 and 1-1/2 hour ratings are common.
• 1, 3/4 hour and 20 minute ratings are used for
  fire partitions and for life safety purposes.
• The door is matched to the wall.
• A three or four hour wall will have a three or
  four hour door.
• PG usually provides one fire door at each wall
  opening. Good maintenance is needed to ensure it
  will close if there is a fire!

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Fire Doors- Personnel Door
Listing mark on door
Listing mark on frame
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Vertical (Roll-Up) Fire Doors

• This is a motorized roll up fire door.
• Roll up fire doors are all uninsulated.
• The motor allows easy testing and resetting of
  the door.

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Vertical (Roll-Up) Fire Doors

• What can cause roll up doors to fail?
• 1. Rail damage
• 2. Fusible links (circled) painted or replaced by
  wire
• 3. Blocked open
• 4. Cover damaged
• 5. Other causes?
• Perform
• Visual Insp. - Monthly
• Test - Annually

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Vertical (Roll-Up) Fire Doors

• A damaged cover for a roll up fire door.

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Horizontal (Sliding) Fire Door

• This is a horizontal fire door.
• It is 3 hour rated and insulated.
• The weights on the right hold it open.

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Horizontal (Sliding) Fire Door
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Horizontal (Sliding) Fire Door

• Fusible link at the top of the opening for a
  doorway.
• Theoretically a fire on either side of the wall
  will operate it!
• The fusible link is 57oC (135oF) or 74oC (165oF).

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Horizontal (Sliding) Fire Door

• A horizontal fire door stay roll (roller/wedge)
  assembly pushes the door against the wall when
  the door shuts and prevents it being pushed away
  from the wall.
• Fire door binders stop the rolling door and hold
  it in place. They are also known as "doorstops".

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Fire Doors - Hidden Above False Ceilings

• This is a smoke detector that controls a fire
  door.
• The door is above the false ceiling.
• Access is through the hatch.

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Oops. . . Alwaystest on completion
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Window Openings in Fire Walls
Looks out into the manufacturing area
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Conveyor Openings in Fire Walls
Will an opening with sprinklers on each side stop
a fire?
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Conveyor Openings in Fire Walls
Fire doors above conveyors. How would they be
controlled?
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Conveyor Openings in Fire Walls
Fire doors that close down and block off the
conveyors.
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Vertical Door for a Conveyor Opening

• This door and the one on the next page contain
  fire stop material in the body of the door.
• Operates by smoke detector and manually.

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Horizontal Fire Door for a Conveyor Opening
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Conveyor Opening

• This non breakable conveyor passes through a fire
  wall.
• Sprinklers are provided on each side of the wall.
  Each is supplied from the "other" side of the
  wall.
• Is this permitted?

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Inspection, Testing Maintenance
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Proper maintenance required

• Fire walls and barriers only work when properly
  maintained.
• Protectives must be inspected, tested and
  maintained.

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• QUESTIONS