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Fire barrier cont. through/around stairs?

Ryan Schultz

SAWHORSE
Joined
Apr 2, 2012
Messages
283
Location
Madison, WI
Let's say the blue line is a required 2hr fire barrier between to different occupancies, and the stair walls are either not required to be rated, or they are 1hr rated.

Does the 2hr wall need to continue around the stairs, like the 2nd image? Or will the approach illustrated in the first image, suffice?

2023-07-20_11-49-41_www.tldraw.com__tldraw_-_Google_Chrome_chrome.png
2023-07-20_11-54-01_www.tldraw.com__tldraw_-_Google_Chrome_chrome.png
 
Agreed, must either increase the shaft to 2-hr or wrap one side as shown in the second image.
 
It would be best to put one stair in each fire area, rather than having both on the same side of the fire barrier.
Good, better, and best...right?

I'd say that the second image, with 2-hr wall wrapping around the same side of the stairs is "good" and meets code minimum.
Putting one stairway on each side of the 2-hr fire barrier (as you suggested) is better.
But best option is to build the stairwells as 2-hr as well.

That said, code is a minimum standard and not best practice. Any of the above options work sufficently.
 
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