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Glossary of Terms
A
- Annular Space - The gap between the penetrating item and the edge of the hole. In a given penetration, the measurement from the outside diameter (O.D.) of the pipe to the inside diameter (I.D.) of the hole.
- ASTM - American Society for Testing and Materials
- ASTM E 84 - Standard Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials
- ASTM E 119 - Tests the performance of walls, columns, floors, and other building components under fire exposure conditions
- ASTM E 814 - The method applicable to "through penetration" firestops of various materials and construction. Firestops are tested, and intended for use, in openings in fire-resistive walls and floors
- ASTM E 2336 - Standard Test Methods for Fire Resistive Grease Duct Enclosure Systems
- Backing Material (Foam Backer Rod or Mineral Wool) - Combustible or noncombustible material used to provide support for gunned or troweled fire stop sealant within walls or floors.
- Ceiling Radiation Damper - A listed device installed in a ceiling membrane of a fire-resistance-rated floor/ceiling or roof/ceiling assembly to limit automatically the radiative heat transfer through an air inlet/outlet opening
- CMU - Concrete Masonry Unit. Usually hollow, pre-cast concrete blocks used to construct walls
- Combustible Construction - That type of construction that does not meet the requirement for noncombustible construction (usually wood). Combustible means that a material fails to meet the acceptable criteria of ASTM E 136 (Standard Method of Test for Determination of Non-Combustibility in Building Materials).
- Combustible Penetrants - Pipes, cables, or other penetrants that may burn or melt out during a fire.
- Concentric - Having a common center like a penetrating item centered in the middle of a through-penetration hole.
- CPVC Pipe - High-grade plastic (Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride) pipe commonly used for hot/cold water distribution, fire sprinkler piping, and some chemicals.
- Curtain Wall Joint - Perimeter gap between the concrete floor slabs and the exterior wall construction (usually of metal or glass) in high rise buildings.
- Draftstop - A material, device or construction installed to restrict the movement of air within open spaces of concealed areas of building components such as crawl spaces, floor/ceiling assemblies, roof/ceiling assemblies and attics.
E
- Eccentric - Penetrating item that is offset to 1 side of a through-penetration hole such that the annulus varies around the penetrating item.
- Elastomeric - A material having characteristics which allow it to expand or contract its shape and still return to its original dimensions without losing stability.
- EMT (Electrical Metal Tubing) - A thin wall galvanized steel pipe used to house electrical wiring or other types of conductive cables. Also commonly known as conduit.
- Endothermic - A chemical reaction that allows materials to absorb heat.
- F Rating - The time in hours that a fire-stop system will prevent the passage of flames through an opening, remain in place,and not permit the projection of a water stream through a fire-rated assembly as determined by standard test methods ASTM E 814 or UL 1479.
- Fire Area - The aggregate floor area enclosed and bounded by fire walls, fire barriers, exterior walls or fire-resistance-rated horizontal assemblies of a building.
- Fire Barrier - A fire-resistance-rated wall assembly of materials designed to restrict the spread of fire in which continuity is maintained.
- Fire Damper - A listed device installed in ducts and air transfer openings designed to close automatically upon detection of heat and resist the passage of flame. Fire dampers are classified for use in either static systems that will automatically shut down in the event of a fire, or in dynamic systems that continue to operate during a fire. A dynamic fire damper is tested and rated for closure under elevated temperature airflow.
- Fire Door - The door component of a fire door assembly.
- Fire Door Assembly - Any combination of a fire door, frame, hardware, and other accessories that together provide a specific degree of fire protection to the opening.
- Fire Partition - A vertical assembly of materials designed to restrict the spread of fire in which openings are protected.
- Fire-Resistance Rating - The period of time a building element, component or assembly maintains the ability to confine a fire, continues to perform a given structural function, or both, as determined by the tests, or the methods based on tests prescribed in Section 703 of the Indiana Building Code.
- Fire Resistant Joint System - An assemblage of specific materials or products that are designed, tested, and fire-resistance rated in accordance with either ASTM E 1966 or UL 2079 to resist for a prescribed period of time the passage of fire through joints made in or between fire-resistance-rated assemblies. 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 Wall - A fire-resistance-rated wall having protected openings, which restricts the spread of fire and extends continuously from the foundation to or through the roof, with sufficient structural stability under fire conditions to allow collapse of construction on either side without collapse of the wall.
- Fire Blocking - Building materials installed to resist the free passage of flame to other areas of the building through concealed spaces.
- Fill Material - Fire-stopping material used to fill within the penetration.
H
- Horizontal Assembly - A fire-resistance-rated floor or roof assembly of materials designed to restrict the spread of fire in which continuity is maintained.
- Intumescence - A characteristic of certain fire barrier products that, when exposed to heat, expands to fill a void in the penetration caused by the deformation or combustion of the through penetrating item. When exposed to heat, intumescent materials expand at various rates to form a hard char to seal voids and provide hourly rated protection.
- Means of Egress - A continuous and unobstructed path of vertical and horizontal egress travel from any occupied portion of a building or structure to a public way. A means of egress consists of 3 separate and distinct parts: the exit access, the exit and the exit discharge.
- Membrane-Penetration Fire Stop - A material, device or construction installed to resist for a prescribed time period the passage of flame and heat through openings in a protective membrane in order to accommodate cables, cable trays, conduit, tubing, pipes or similar items.
- Smoke Seal - A seal that exhibits the ability to prevent passage of smoke and hot gases.
- System - The combination of the assembly, the penetrating item(s) and the fire-stop materials. All these items together constitute the system, and the system is the only basis for classification.
- T Rating - The time period that the penetration fire-stop system, including the penetrating item, limits the maximum temperature rise to 325°F (163°C) above its initial temperature through the penetration on the non-fire side when tested in accordance with ASTM E 814.
- Through-Penetration Fire-Stop System - An assemblage of specific materials or products that are designed, tested and fire-resistance rated to resist for a prescribed period of time the spread of fire through penetrations. The F and T rating criteria for penetration fire-stop systems shall be in accordance with ASTM E 814. See definitions of "F rating" and "T rating."
- Void - An opening or region of a space within a linear gap which is considered static in nature. These areas include the region within the flutes of a steel deck, the region above a steel top track, and irregularities in the gap spacing.