A fire separation wall is a firewall that is a separate assembly that subdivides a building or separates the adjoining buildings. The wall possesses appropriate resistance to the spread of fire that divides a story or building into a fire compartment. A firewall is commonly constructed of non-combustible materials.
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Fig.1. Concrete Masonry Firewall |
A firewall can be used as an ultimate defense against the spread of fire. The firewall withstands the impact of fire and prevents it from spreading by containing it to one side of the wall until the fire burns itself out or is extinguished.
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Fig.2 Precast Concrete Firewall Temporarily Braced During Construction |
The firewall design must not result in the collapse of the firewall which could result in total building collapse (Section 706.2 of the 2012 IBC). When a single firewall cannot guarantee the complete protection of the building against fire, the firewall needs to be constructed by two separate walls. This is called as a double firewall.
In the case of a double firewall, each wall possesses a fire-resistance rating of at least half of that required for the firewall. Double firewalls provide high fire resistance even in severe fires, that remains standing and avoid building collapse. Here, the side of the wall facing fire must only be fire-collapsed and the remaining wall on the side opposite to the fire must remain standing. (2012 IBC w.r.t NFPA 221).
The normal thickness of firewalls are 2 inches that are installed at least 3/4th of an inch away from the wood-studs or the steel-stud framing.
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Need for Firewalls
Firewalls are necessary to:
- Contain fires and limit property damage
- Protect the building occupants
Fire Rating of Firewall
The fire rating of firewall used for fire separation in structures is expressed as:
- Fire Protection Rating
- Fire Resistant Rating
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