Decorative Wood Ceiling Element In Fire-Rated Exit Corridor and Stair

[fj80]

(IBC 2012, Washington, D.C., 2-story existing building renovation, construction type 2B, Use Group B.)

I've been asked to determine if it's allowable to have a decorative wood ceiling element within a fire-rated corridor and fire-rated stair? We have a fire rated corridor on second floor, fire-rated egress stair to first floor, and a fire-rated lobby acting as the egress corridor to the exterior exit. All three of these spaces are proposed to have the decorative wood elements. For simplicity's sake picture them as wood 1x4's spanning in one direction across each space, flat side placed horizontally, spaced about 1/2" apart. Obviously fire sprinklers would need to penetrate through these. But the big question is, would this be allowed at all?

If possible please direct me to any code sections that show it being allowed or not. I'm looking at IBC 806 but it doesn't seem to directly address my condition. Thanks!

 

[steveray]

803.9......Sprinklered or non?

 

[steveray]

TABLE 803.9 INTERIOR WALL AND CEILING FINISH REQUIREMENTS BY OCCUPANCYk

[TABLE=cellpadding: 2, cellspacing: 0, width: 1]

[TR]

[TD]GROUP[/TD]

[TD=colspan: 3]SPRINKLEREDl[/TD]

[TD=colspan: 3]NONSPRINKLERED[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Interior exit stairways, interior exit ramps and exit passagewaysa, b[/TD]

[TD]Corridors and enclosure for exit access stairways and exit access ramps[/TD]

[TD]Rooms and enclosed spacesc[/TD]

[TD]Interior exit stairways, interior exit ramps and exit passagewaysa, b[/TD]

[TD]Corridors and enclosure for exit access stairways and exit access ramps[/TD]

[TD]Rooms and enclosed spacesc[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]A-1 & A-2[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[TD]A[/TD]

[TD]Ad[/TD]

[TD]Be[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]A-3f , A-4, A-5[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[TD]A[/TD]

[TD]Ad[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]B, E, M, R-1[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[TD]A[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]R-4[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[TD]A[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]F[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]H[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[TD]Cg[/TD]

[TD]A[/TD]

[TD]A[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]I-1[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[TD]A[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]I-2[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[TD]Bh, i[/TD]

[TD]A[/TD]

[TD]A[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]I-3[/TD]

[TD]A[/TD]

[TD]Aj[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[TD]A[/TD]

[TD]A[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]I-4[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[TD]Bh, i[/TD]

[TD]A[/TD]

[TD]A[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]R-2[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]R-3[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]S[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[TD]B[/TD]

[TD]C[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]U[/TD]

[TD=colspan: 3]No restrictions[/TD]

[TD=colspan: 3]No restrictions[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm, 1 square foot = 0.0929m2.

a. Class C interior finish materials shall be permitted for wainscotting or paneling of not more than 1,000 square feet of applied surface area in the grade lobby where applied directly to a noncombustible base or over furring strips applied to a noncombustible base and fireblocked as required by Section 803.11.1.

b. In other than Group I-2 occupanicies in buildings less than three stories above grade plane of other than Group I-3, Class B interior finish for nonsprinklered buildings and Class C interior finish for sprinklered buildings shall be permitted in interior exit stairways and ramps.

c. Requirements for rooms and enclosed spaces shall be based upon spaces enclosed by partitions. Where a fire-resistance rating is required for structural elements, the enclosing partitions shall extend from the floor to the ceiling. Partitions that do not comply with this shall be considered enclosing spaces and the rooms or spaces on both sides shall be considered one. In determining the applicable requirements for rooms and enclosed spaces, the specific occupancy thereof shall be the governing factor regardless of the group classification of the building or structure.

d. Lobby areas in Group A-1, A-2 and A-3 occupancies shall not be less than Class B materials.

e. Class C interior finish materials shall be permitted in places of assembly with an occupant load of 300 persons or less.

f. For places of religious worship, wood used for ornamental purposes, trusses, paneling or chancel furnishing shall be permitted.

g. Class B material is required where the building exceeds two stories.

h. Class C interior finish materials shall be permitted in administrative spaces.

i. Class C interior finish materials shall be permitted in rooms with a capacity of four persons or less.

j. Class B materials shall be permitted as wainscotting extending not more than 48 inches above the finished floor in corridors and exit access stairways and ramps.

k. Finish materials as provided for in other sections of this code.

l. Applies when protected by an automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1 or 903.3.1.2.

 

[cda]

Does not sound like it is a fire rated corridor any more!!

Would not approve it

 

[steveray]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^That did not copy well so look it up if needed^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

But it looks like class B should work.

 

[fj80]

It appears that the wood elements are allowable if they meet NFPA 701 and are no more than 10% of the wall area they're attached to (per IBC 806.1.2), and as steveray said, per Table 803.9, Group B allows Class B finish materials in interior exit stairways and exit passageways.

 

[steveray]

Bugs the heck out of me at times what is actually allowed, but THEY must know better than I...

 

[cda]

It appears that the wood elements are allowable if they meet NFPA 701 and are no more than 10% of the wall area they're attached to (per IBC 806.1.2)' date=' and as steveray said, per Table 803.9, Group B allows Class B finish materials in interior exit stairways and exit passageways.[/quote']Finish

Is something hanging down from the actual ceiling an:::;

INTERIOR FINISH. Interior finish includes interior wall and ceiling finish and interior floor finish.

This is a more general term that addresses all exposed surfaces, which includes walls, ceilings and floors. Interior finish material is exposed to the interior space enclosed by these building elements.

???????

 

[JBI]

The classifications are based on flame spread (and to a lesser extent smoke developed).

Not only are some woods Class A, there are a multitude of finishes that can improve flame spread.

Since the building is sprinklered, lower classifications are permitted because the sprinklers will limit the material's exposure in a fire.

Corridors typically have lesser requirements than exit passageways as the former is a component of exit access and the latter the exit.

 

[cda]

(IBC 2012, Washington, D.C., 2-story existing building renovation, construction type 2B, Use Group B.)I've been asked to determine if it's allowable to have a decorative wood ceiling element within a fire-rated corridor and fire-rated stair? We have a fire rated corridor on second floor, fire-rated egress stair to first floor, and a fire-rated lobby acting as the egress corridor to the exterior exit. All three of these spaces are proposed to have the decorative wood elements. For simplicity's sake picture them as wood 1x4's spanning in one direction across each space, flat side placed horizontally, spaced about 1/2" apart. Obviously fire sprinklers would need to penetrate through these. But the big question is, would this be allowed at all?

If possible please direct me to any code sections that show it being allowed or not. I'm looking at IBC 806 but it doesn't seem to directly address my condition. Thanks!

What is the rating of the egress stair??

What is the rating of the fire rated lobby??

 

[fj80]

Both the egress stair and the fire rated lobby are rated 2 hours.

 

[cda]

Both the egress stair and the fire rated lobby are rated 2 hours.

I still highly wonder if it is an actual interior finish or more decoration.

I think of interior finish as be directly attached to something not hanging down.

I take it the wood burns???

Kind of like hanging pieces of carpet from the ceiling???

I do not believe I would approve it in a rated corridor let alone a two hour??

 

[cda]

1009.6 Stairway construction. All stairways shall be built of materials consistent with the types permitted for the type of construction of the building, except that wood handrails shall be permitted for all types of construction.

In keeping with the different levels of fire protection provided by each of the five basic types of construction designated in Chapter 6, the materials used for stairway construction must meet the appropriate combustibility/noncombustibility requirements indicated in Section 602 for the particular type of construction of the building in which the stairway is located. This is required whether or not the stair is part of the required means of egress. Any structure supporting the stairway and the stairway enclosure must be fire-resistance rated consistent with the construction type; however, the stairway components inside the enclosure need only comply with the material limits for the type of construction.

If desired, wood handrails may be used on the basis that the fuel load contributed by this combustible component of stairway construction is insignificant and will not pose a fire hazard.

 

[cda]

INTERIOR WALL AND CEILING FINISH. The exposed interior surfaces of buildings, including but not limited to: fixed or movable walls and partitions; toilet room privacy partitions; columns; ceilings; and interior wainscoting, paneling or other finish applied structurally or for decoration, acoustical correction, surface insulation, structural fire resistance or similar purposes, but not including trim.

A material that is applied to ceilings as well as walls, columns, partitions (including the privacy partitions in bathrooms that could pose a significant threat in larger bathrooms if unrated) and other vertical interior surfaces whether fixed or movable. The application of this material may be for structural, decorative, acoustical, structural fire resistance and other similar reasons. Trim, such as baseboard, door or window casing, is not considered interior wall and ceiling finish. Interior wall and ceiling finish is regulated by Section 803.

 

[mtlogcabin]

I still highly wonder if it is an actual interior finish or more decoration.

I think of interior finish as be directly attached to something not hanging down.

I take it the wood burns???

Kind of like hanging pieces of carpet from the ceiling???

I do not believe I would approve it in a rated corridor let alone a two hour??

See 803.11 for how finishes are to be applied to fire rated assemblies

I take it the wood burns???

Everything burns when exposed to enough heat including steel and rocks. The real questions is how much fuel loading will be in a corridor to feed a fire? In reality none or very little. The key is the specific wood species has to meet the flame spread and smoke index requirements and be attached in accordance with 803.11. If a fire breaches a corridor it is probably to late for the occupants to get out using that corridor and the interior finishes are minor at that point.

I would need more specifics before I could make a decision if the proposal is code compliant or not

 

[fj80]

I'm thinking of this ceiling element as a decorative item, not a finish, because it's located approximately 18" below the ceiling (but attached to the walls.)

That said I'm still wary that it would be approved by the local code officials, so I've convinced my boss to try using an Armstrong Woodworks Linear dropped ceiling panel system. It comes standard with Class C ASTM flame spread rating,and a Class A intumescent treatment is available. (Armstrong told me this means the finish is Class A but not necessarily the wood panel, and that local code official would have to make final decision.) Would this Armstrong product be more likely to be approved?

 

[cda]

See 803.11 for how finishes are to be applied to fire rated assemblies

Everything burns when exposed to enough heat including steel and rocks. The real questions is how much fuel loading will be in a corridor to feed a fire? In reality none or very little. The key is the specific wood species has to meet the flame spread and smoke index requirements and be attached in accordance with 803.11. If a fire breaches a corridor it is probably to late for the occupants to get out using that corridor and the interior finishes are minor at that point.

I would need more specifics before I could make a decision if the proposal is code compliant or not

Sounds like it is going to be hanging down from the actual rated ceiling

Something along this line::::

http://www.manicmaker.com/2013/01/the-basement-ceiling-saga-final-fight.html?m=1

 

[mtlogcabin]

Sounds like it is going to be hanging down from the actual rated ceiling

Something along this line::::

Agree it ain't going to fly suspended 18 inches below the rated ceiling without a being a listed assembly in accordance with Section 808.