Wikimedia Commons

Firestop

fire protection system made of components used to seal openings

Drawings

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Firestop Drawings

Equipment

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Firestop installation equipment

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    Positive displacement mixer/feeder firestop mortar pump. The premixed dry powder is dumped into the hopper and fed by a screw towards a rotor/stator assembly. In front of the assembly it is mixed with water, then squeezed through the assembly and into the hose.
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    Firestop mortar being dumped into trash bin for mixing with water, using drill and mudwhip. Larger installations use mixer/feeder pumps, but small firestop jobs use drill and paddle.
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    20kg bags of firestop mortar are mixed at once for immediate installation.

Installations

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Firestops being installed

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    Firestop installation at St. Mary's Pulp and Paper, a paper mill in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.
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    Fire-retardant, foamed plastic being used as a temporary dam for firestop mortar in a cable penetration in a pulp and paper mill on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.
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    Copper piping system in a building with intumescent firestop being installed by an insulator, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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    "Canned" Service Penetration about to be firestopped.
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    "Canned" Penetration receiving "packing", made of fibreglass, to hold up intumescent firestop caulking.
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    "Canned" Penetration, having been "packed", being sealed off with intumescent firestop caulking.
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    Firestopped service penetration tagged, identifying the installer, the materials and the certification listing used to bound the opening to facilitate proper maintenance.
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    "HOW" (Head Of Wall) Building Joint with incomplete firestop, made of rockwool packing, which still requires topcaulking.
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    Self-levelling Silicone Firestop Installation

Bad examples (Building and Fire Code Violations)

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Building code violations

No firestop at all

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Unfirestopped openings

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    Improper breach of fire-resistance rated drywall assembly, August 2000, Cambrian College, Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.
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    Fireproofing applied at the wrong time, avoiding code compliance with firestops. The steel beam is also a penetrant and its transit through this wall needs to be firestopped properly, as does the HOW joint, none of which happened here, at Cambrian College, Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, August 2000.
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    Missing firestops at Cambrian College, Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, August 2000.
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    Missing firestops at Cambrian College, Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, August 2000.
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    Missing firestops at Cambrian College, Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, August 2000.
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    Missing firestops at Cambrian College, Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, August 2000.
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    Missing firestops at Cambrian College, Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, August 2000.
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    Missing firestops at Cambrian College, Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, August 2000.
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    Missing firestops at Cambrian College, Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, August 2000.
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    Missing firestops at Cambrian College, Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, August 2000.
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    Missing firestops at Cambrian College, Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, August 2000.
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    Missing firestops at Cambrian College], Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, August 2000.
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    Missing firestops at Cambrian College, Greater Sudbury,e caused significant damage to the station. This picture was taken in a power plant in Nova Scotia, where it was subsequently removed and replaced with firestop mortar. The Browns Ferry fire caused significant remedial work to be conducted with all Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensees.
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    Improper "firestop" being removed. Flammable polyurethane foam was used to seal this cable tray penetration.
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    Illegal firestop made of common concrete with no testing back-up or certification listing, purely as a cost-cutting measure, revealing major faults - now hard to fix.
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    Illegal "firestop", made of crud, bits of polyurethane foam and old rubber boots shoved in the hole. A true fire protection classic from the Canadian Maritimes.
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    Illegal "firestop", made of stuffed fibreglass, which would rapidly melt and fall out in a real fire.
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    Illegal stuffed rockwool "firestop", not approved for this application as a stand-alone product.
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    Improper Firestop and Fireproofing interface, August 2000, Cambrian College, Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
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    Homemade firestop, made in Nova Scotia, Canada, in a coal fired power plant, in the 1980s. Not exactly up to code.
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    The "I-was-there-first-scenario", resulting in improper drywall firestops with plastic piping. The floor penetrations are proper. The drywall penetrations are being set up to be done by only drywall mud. That is not proper because drywall mud will not choke off the plastic pipes when they melt in a fire.

Certified Products But Wrong Installation

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Certified products, wrong installation

Re-entered but not properly resealed

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Re-entered but not resealed firestops

Improper and Unenforced Specifications (No speciality subcontractor = up to 15 trades doing firestopping on one site)

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Broken firestop workscope

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    Too many trades doing the work:The plumber hangs a pointless sleeve, which is an unnecessary heatsink. The insulator caulks the hole for the plumber. Then there's a mess AROUND the sleeve, which is yet another penetrant reequiring firestopping. Each trade absolves itself of responsibility for the mess by having followed instructions, instead of having one firestop speciality subcontractor so the result meets the code.
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    Another example: Same scenario as the foregoing example, in the making. A code infraction pre-determined to happen by breaking up the firestop workscope among many trades.
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    Combination Mechanical and Electrical Through Penetration highlighting the fact that openings are often shared, meaning one firestop should be applied by one party that bounds the entire installed configuration.
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    Improper Firestop and Fireproofing interface, August 2000, Cambrian College], Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada

Proper Firestops

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Operable firestops

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    Fancoil unit firestop in a highrise building in Mississauga, ON, Canada.
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    Firestops below electrical panels in an electrical service room at St. Mary's Pulp and Paper, a paper mill in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.
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    Steel Gas Pipe and Copper Water Pipe Firestops.
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    Fibreglass pipe covering with interrupted vapour barrier at the firestop.
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    Rockwool stud cavity insulation inside of drywall assembly under construction, showing completed firestop made of stuffed rockwool packing topsealed with self-leveling silicone firestop caulking with teck cable penetrants leading to electrical outlet box.
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    Bus Duct Penetration in 2 hour fire-resistance rated concrete floor in a Canadian highrise building. Firestop is made of stuffed rockwool with topcoat of self-leveling silicone caulking.
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    Firestopped Cable Tray Penetration.
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    Bathtub Drain Firestop, as shown, top and bottom. This firestop consists of a firestop mortar on top and rockwool packing on the bottom. The drain pipe is made of copper.
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    Topside of firestop with penetrants consisting of electrical conduit on the left and a bus duct on the right. The firestop consists of firestop mortar on top and rockwool on the bottom, for a 2 hour fire-resistance rating
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    Electrical Conduit risers, seen inside fire-resistance rated shaft, as seen entering bottom of a firestop. The firestop is made of firestop mortar on top, rockwool on the bottom. Conduit are pipes used to protect cables from damage.
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    Firestopping the toilet flange.
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    White Pipe Through-Penetration Firestop
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    Metal and plastic pipe penetration firestops.
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    Mechanical pipe through-penetrations in 2 hour fire-resistance rated concrete floor slab with metallic piping, covered through the thickness of the firestops with 25mm thick rockwool pipe covering with foil scrim kraft facing. Running the pipe covering through the firestop maintains the vapour barrier. A weak link in the vapour barrier is the cutting and fitting required around riser clamps. Rockwool, foam glass, calcium silicate, perlite and vermiculite pipe covering can survive a fire test with a hose-stream. Foamed plastic, rubber and fibreglass require either removal or wrapping with an intumescent layer to be sure that as the pipe covering disappears during a fire, the vacated space is occupied by solid matter that can withstand the fire test and hose stream test, all subject to bounding.
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    Underside of firestop with plumbing trap.
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    Firestops being installed at Nortown Casitas, North York (Now Toronto), Ontario, Canada
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    Riser Clamp Holding Plastic Pipe, Penetrating Through 2 Hour Fire Resistance Rated Concrete Floor Slab. The Copper Pipe Penetration Penetration Is Firestopped With Firestop Mortar.
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    The "I-was-there-first-scenario", resulting in improper drywall firestops with plastic piping.The floor penetrations are proper. The drywall penetrations are being set up to be done by only drywall mud. That is not proper because drywall mud will not choke off the plastic pipes when they melt in a fire.
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    Standpipe through-penetration firestop inside a fire hose cabinet that is under construction.
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    Plastic pipe penetration with a 3M FS195 intumescent collar.

Marine firestops

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Marine firestops

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    German "Kaltvergussmasse" (Cold Casting Compound) dammed with putty inside cable penetration transit in steel bulkhead.
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    German "Kaltvergussmasse" (Cold Casting Compound) dammed with putty inside pipe penetration transit in steel bulkhead.
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    Kaltvergussmasse firestop after successful fire test in Hamburg, Germany

Building Joint Firestops Requiring Materials also tested as Penetration Seals

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Building joints

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    Fire-resistance rated mechanical shaft with HVAC sheet metal ducting and copper piping, as well as "HOW" (Head-Of-Wall) joint between top of concrete block wall and underside of concrete slab, firestopped with ceramic fibre-based firestop caulking on top of rockwool. The picture illustrates that building joints are routinely penetrated by mechanical and electrical penetrants or services, requiring joint firestops to be compatible with mechanical, electrical and structural penetrants, both in fire testing and under common operational conditions, such as expansion and contraction of mechanical systems due to temperature changes.
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    "HOW" (Head Of Wall) Building Joint: Concrete Masonry Unit Wall stopping short of the underside of a concrete slab above. The joint is penetrated both by electrical conduit (EMT = Electrical Metallic Tubing) and a steel pipe. Building joints are routinely penetrated by mechanical and electrical penetrants. For that reason, joint firestops that are also qualified to be used in mechanical, electrical and structural through-penetration firestop systems provide the best evidence of building code compliance because they have demonstrated the ability to cope with the heat that travels through to the unexposed side during an accidental or test fire exposure - without spontaneous ignition or degradation that would fail the hose-stream test or permit smoke migration.
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    "HOW" (Head Of Wall) Building Joint with incomplete firestop (topcaulking is not yet installed).
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    Suspended Precast Concrete Facade with Perimeter Slab Edge Firestop

Firestop Tags

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Firestop tags and applications

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    Firestop tag front. This identifies information necessary for proper maintanance.
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    Firestop tag back. This side of the tag permits keeping track of maintenance.

Fire tests

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Fire testing

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    Inorganic firestop used in marine and offshore applications after passing fire test in Germany
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    Cable tray Cross Barrier Fire test Per DIN4102
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    Fire test of firestop in Tulsa, Oklahoma
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    Private fire test furnace in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. This furnace is used primarily for internal Research and Development but may also be used for third party testing, if the test is witnessed by Underwriters Laboratories. There is an adjustable opening on this furnace that can be used for 4' x 4' as well as 6' x 6' slabs. The furnace can also be tilted 90° to be able to test either wall assemblies or floor assemblies. The laboratory is also equipped with a full 30PSI hose stream capability.
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    Fire test preparation for proven re-entry procedure with firestop mortar.
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    Fire test preperation with re-entry of firestop mortar, re-sealing using intumescent firestop caulking for fire-test-proven compatibility between mortar and caulking in the same certification listing.
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    Fire test preparation: reentry of firestop mortar with cable and re-sealing with intumescent firestop putty for fire-test-proven compatibility between mortar and putty.
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    Fire test assembly leading to UL certification listing C-AJ-8073.
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    Fire test assembly leading to UL certification listing C-AJ-8073.
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    Fire test assembly leading to UL certification listing C-AJ-8073.
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    Fire test penetrant preparation including foamed glass pipe covering for UL certification listing C-AJ-8073.
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    Fire test preparation, leading to UL certification listing C-AJ-8073.
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    Fire test preparation leading to UL firestop listing C-AJ-8073. Firestop mortar is first applied in the hardest to reach area: between the cables inside the cable tray.
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    Fire test preparation leading to UL certification listing C-AJ-8073
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    Fire test preparation leading to UL Firestop Certification listing C-AJ-8073. Piping penetrations, top and bottom.
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    Post fire test pictures showing how 3/4 in. thick acrylonitrile butadiene/polyvinyl chloride (AB/PVC) flexible foam pipe covering can go through the seal unhindered. It was wrapped inside the mortar with an intumescent wrap strip, which stopped the fire. There was no autoignition of the insulation due to flame retardants inherent in its organic composition.
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    Intumescent repair: Cable was pulled from the fire test assembly after it has passed the fire and hose stream tests. This is proven compatibility between the original seal and the repair method. This formed part of UL Firestop Certification Listing C-AJ-8073 Configuration E.
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    Firestop mortar re-entries, underside, after 2 hour fire test with 30PSI hose-stream, leading to UL Firestop Certification Listing C-AJ-8073.
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    Underside of Assembly for UL certification listing C-AJ-8073 Configuration D, the mortar is intact, the fibreglass has disappeared and the intumescent wrap strip has occupied the space formerly held by the insulation.
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    Underside of cable tray penetration after fire and hose stream testing leading to UL Firestop Certification Listing C-AJ-8073.
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    Fire test assembly after having passed fire and hose stream testing to achieve listing status under UL Certification Listing C-AJ-8073.
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    Coreslab frame being readied.
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    Penetrants being hung.
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    Penetrants have been hung.
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    Firestop mortar being pumped into place.
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    Material test on firestop mortar.
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    Firestop mortar is in, ready to be smoothed up.
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    Furnace used in fire testing. Bottom pipes are gas jets. Middle row of pipes are shield for thermocouples.
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    Fire test assembly is ready, thermocouples are in place. Time to switch on the fire.
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    Ignition has occurred.
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    Fire test is in full swing. Test sponsors nervously pace up and down, looking and listening for hot spots.
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    The 3 hour fire endurance has passed successfully. No openings developed, not too much heat went through. Ready for the hose stream test.
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    Hosers eh?!
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    30PSI hose first hits.
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    30PSI hose continues.
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    30PSI hose continues.
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    30PSI hose continues.
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    The hose stream passed except for two locations where the water came through, making a fire-resistance rating impossible in the US, but not in Canada. The two penetrations shown were filled with intumescent laced rockwool, sealed on top with silicone caulking. The caulking let go from the sleeves during the hose.

Also see

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