A firestop is a Passive fire protection system of various components used to seal openings, such as mechanical, electrical or structural through-penetrations as well as unpenetrated openings and building joints in fire-resistance rated wall or floor assemblies, in order to to restore their fire-resistance ratings. Firestops are subject to bounding in order to comply with the law. Rated wall and floor assemblies lose their fire-resistance ratings when through-penetrations, unpenetrated openings and building joints are not firestopped in a manner where bounding can be demonstrated.
Firestop materials include, but are not limited to the following specialised materials and products:
- intumescents [2]
- mortars [3]
- firestop caulking and paint [4],
- speciality firestop pillows [5]
- firestop devices [6]
- man-made mineral fibres [7]
When the installed configuration is not in conformance in all respects with the tolerances of the appropriate certification listing, there is no Bounding, and, therefore, the rating is ZERO, which means that the entire fire protection plan for the building that contains such a violation of codes, is compromised. For any deviations from this principle, one is required, by law, to contact the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) to gain acceptance of a suitable remedy.
In the United States, regional trade associations include:
- Firestop Contractors International Association [23]
- International Firestop Council [24]
A history of Firestops in North America
- Firestop Slide Show
