Corridor Q.

[SCBO1]

Can the back of a walk-in beer cave cooler suffice as the 1-hr corridor wall rating? The other wall is CMU. The corridor is open to the under side of the roof.

In accordance with ASTM E84 & UL 723 Class A Fire rating

My first thought is it needs to have a 1-hr wall with hard lid, getting push back on this review comment.

 

[walker.t]

Can the back of a walk-in beer cave cooler suffice as the 1-hr corridor wall rating?

Very end of this article by USG notes that the Class A fire rating is not a fire-resistance rating.

Fire Performance | USG

www.usg.com

I would have expected to see a cooler wall backed against a rated corridor wall. I doubt the cooler manufacturer can produce a tested assembly with their cooler wall in it.

My first thought is it needs to have a 1-hr wall with hard lid, getting push back on this review comment.

A rated ceiling over the corridor seems reasonable. When you say “underside of the roof” that makes it sound to me that there is not a finished ceiling, like maybe exposed bar joists and metal roof deck. The push back doesn’t sound justified.

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

ASTM E84 is surface flamespread rating, not fire resistance rating.

Unless meeting one of the exceptions, exit access corridors must be constructed as fire partitions:

1020.2 Construction. Corridors shall be fire-resistance rated
in accordance with Table 1020.2. The corridor walls required
to be fire-resistance rated shall comply with Section 708 for
fire partitions.
Exceptions:
1. A fire-resistance rating is not required for corridors
in an occupancy in Group E where each room that is
used for instruction has not less than one door opening
directly to the exterior and rooms for assembly
purposes have not less than one-half of the required
means of egress doors opening directly to the exterior.
Exterior doors specified in this exception are
required to be at ground level.
2. A fire-resistance rating is not required for corridors
contained within a dwelling unit or sleeping unit in
an occupancy in Groups I-1 and R.
3. A fire-resistance rating is not required for corridors
in open parking garages.
4. A fire-resistance rating is not required for corridors
in an occupancy in Group B that is a space requiring
only a single means of egress complying with Section
1006.2.
5. Corridors adjacent to the exterior walls of buildings
shall be permitted to have unprotected openings on
unrated exterior walls where unrated walls are permitted
by Table 705.5 and unprotected openings are
permitted by Table 705.8.

So next we look at IBC 708.

708.4 Continuity. Fire partitions shall extend from the top of
the foundation or floor/ceiling assembly below and be securely
attached to one of the following:

1. The underside of the floor or roof sheathing, deck or
slab above.
2. The underside of a floor/ceiling or roof/ceiling assembly
having a fire-resistance rating that is not less than
the fire-resistance rating of the fire partition.

Exceptions:

1. Fire partitions shall not be required to extend into a
crawl space below where the floor above the crawl
space has a minimum 1-hour fire-resistance rating.
2. Fire partitions serving as a corridor wall shall not
be required to extend above the lower membrane of
a corridor ceiling provided that the corridor ceiling
membrane is equivalent to corridor wall membrane,
and either of the following conditions is met:

2.1. The room-side membrane of the corridor
wall extends to the underside of the floor
or roof sheathing, deck or slab of a fireresistance-
rated floor or roof above.
2.2. The building is equipped with an automatic
sprinkler system installed
throughout in accordance with Section
903.3.1.1 or 903.3.1.2, including automatic
sprinklers installed in the space
between the top of the fire partition and
underside of the floor or roof sheathing,
deck or slab above.

3. Fire partitions serving as a corridor wall shall be
permitted to terminate at the upper membrane of the
corridor ceiling assembly where the corridor ceiling
is constructed as required for the corridor wall.
4. Fire partitions separating tenant spaces in a covered
or open mall building complying with Section
402.4.2.1 shall not be required to extend above the
underside of a ceiling. Such ceiling shall not be
required to be part of a fire-resistance-rated assembly,
and the attic or space above the ceiling at
tenant separation walls shall not be required to be
subdivided by fire partitions.

The beer cooler doesn't appear to qualify. IF the back corridor requires a rating.

 

[Builder Bob]

ASTM E84 is surface flamespread rating, not fire resistance rating.

Unless meeting one of the exceptions, exit access corridors must be constructed as fire partitions:



So next we look at IBC 708.



The beer cooler doesn't appear to qualify. IF the back corridor requires a rating.

Beer cooler is a foam plastic covered by al skin to meet building code requirements for fire flame spread and smoke development requirements - I am unaware of any Aluminum product that has a fire resistance rating - Low melting point - See 2603.4.1.2 and/or 2603.4.1.3.

 

[SCBO1]

Thank you for the comments, I was asked about an open-ended corridor but thought that was used when your opened to exits on each end, this design has a dead end on the interior and the other end does go to an exterior exit.

There reaching here, to save some $$. It would be a better design if they would back the cooler up against the CMU wall IMO.

I'm still waiting on the coolers size and wall information.