• Welcome to the new and improved Building Code Forum. We appreciate you being here and hope that you are getting the information that you need concerning all codes of the building trades. This is a free forum to the public due to the generosity of the Sawhorses, Corporate Supporters and Supporters who have upgraded their accounts. If you would like to have improved access to the forum please upgrade to Sawhorse by first logging in then clicking here: Upgrades

Fire Dampers Requirements

kopplin

Registered User
Joined
May 10, 2021
Messages
6
Location
Arlington, TX
Assisted Living Building - 79,499 SF 2 -Story
Building Occupancy Type I-2
NFPA 101 Chapter 18 - New Health Care Occupancy
Type II-A Non-Combustible Construction
Fully Sprinklered.

Questions:

1. Are Fire Dampers Required in 1-Hour Rate Partitions?

2. Are Smoke Dampers Required toilet exhaust duct that penetrates Corridor Walls?

Thank you.
 
Welcome

Do you have to meet NFPA standards only

Or IBC/IMC also???

Great state of Texas use to be confusing.
 
NFPA 90A - 5.3.1 where this states that that FD's are required in partitions that are 2-hour rated are more.

Is paragraph 5.4.1 only apply WHEN you have dampers in a rated wall less than 3-hours?
 
Welcome

Do you have to meet NFPA standards only

Or IBC/IMC also???

Great state of Texas use to be confusing.
Most likely we will only need to meet NFPA 101 Requirements as we are in unincorporated Harris County where they do no inspect the buildings. The governing agency is HHSC in this case.
 
Most likely we will only need to meet NFPA 101 Requirements as we are in unincorporated Harris County where they do no inspect the buildings. The governing agency is HHSC in this case.


OK, I do not speak NFPA, a little foriegn,, but


these come out of 2015 90A

Looks like only needed in two hour or more, per NFPA.

Not sure on IBC.


5.3.5.2
Where penetration of a smoke barrier is required to be provided with a fire damper, a combination fire and smoke damper equipped and arranged to be both smoke responsive and heat responsive shall be permitted.

To me 5.4.1 just tells how to install, not when required.
 
OK, I do not speak NFPA, a little foriegn,, but


these come out of 2015 90A

Looks like only needed in two hour or more, per NFPA.

Not sure on IBC.


5.3.5.2
Where penetration of a smoke barrier is required to be provided with a fire damper, a combination fire and smoke damper equipped and arranged to be both smoke responsive and heat responsive shall be permitted.

To me 5.4.1 just tells how to install, not when required.
Thank you.
 
Where are the rated walls that will be penetrated???

What are they there for??
 
Commentary out of 101 2018

In referencing 9.2.1for the protection of openings in fire barriers for air-handling ductwork or air movement, 8.3.4.8 mandates that the requirements of NFPA 90A,Standard for the Installation of Air-Conditioning and Ventilating Systems,30 and not the usual Life Safety Coderequirements for opening protectives (contained in 8.3.3), apply to heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system penetrations of fire barriers. NFPA 90A requires that approved fire dampers be provided in all air-transfer openings in barriers that are required to have a fire resistance rating. It also requires that approved fire dampers be provided where ducts penetrate barriers that are required to have a fire resistance rating of 2 hours or more. Thus, although any air-transfer opening would have to be provided with a fire damper in a required fire barrier of any rating, penetrations by ducts would not have to be provided with fire dampers if the required rating of the fire barrier were less than 2 hours. These requirements are depicted in Exhibit 8.11.
 
These are public area HVAC supply/return air ducts. We have an interstitial space below the floor/ceiling assembly where the split air handlers are located. Some of the duct supply/returns penetrate 1-hour rated fire partitions, (walls around storage closets, laundry rooms, etc that are required to have a 1-hour wall per NFPA.) All are ducted, no air transfers openings.

We also have a central toilet exhaust system with a duct that penetrates the Corridor Smoke Barrier, assuming smoke dampers might be required here?
 
These are public area HVAC supply/return air ducts. We have an interstitial space below the floor/ceiling assembly where the split air handlers are located. Some of the duct supply/returns penetrate 1-hour rated fire partitions, (walls around storage closets, laundry rooms, etc that are required to have a 1-hour wall per NFPA.) All are ducted, no air transfers openings.

We also have a central toilet exhaust system with a duct that penetrates the Corridor Smoke Barrier, assuming smoke dampers might be required here?


Like I said NFPA is not my area, and not friendly,



Commentary again::

101 2018:::


Dampers are not required in ducted penetrations of smoke barriers in new health care occupancies, as addressed in 18.3.7.3(2). This exemption anticipates that automatic sprinklers will limit fire size and that duct systems will also inhibit the transfer of smoke. This exemption does not prohibit the installation of smoke dampers, nor does it permit the omission of the smoke damper if the damper is required for other reasons. For example, if the building has a smoke control system that needs a smoke damper at the smoke barrier, such a damper must be installed. An automatic-closing damper, activated by a smoke detector, would be required to protect a transfer grille. Note also that 18.3.7.3(3) exempts the smoke barrier from having to meet the through-penetration firestop system requirements of 8.5.6.5 (new to the 2018 edition of the Code) and exempts the smoke barrier from having to meet the joint protection system requirements of 8.5.7.2 (also new to the 2018 edition of theCode). Experience has shown that health care smoke barriers without specialized through-penetration firestop systems and joint protection systems have served adequately to accomplish the defend-in-place strategy employed by the provisions of Chapter 18/19.
 
Top