Interior fire rated glazing size limitations

[Chris Sanders]

Good afternoon-

I'm working on a 1-story, 10-unit apartment building. It is fully sprinklered (13R) and corridor walls are 1/2 hr. My reading of 715.5 ex. 2 indicates that fire windows must be 1/3 hour with hose stream test.

I have a common wall between the corridor/group rooms, where glazing exceeds the 25% area indicated by 715.5.7.2. My question: Would this area limitation still apply if I upped the fire resistance of the window assembly to the same 30-minutes as required by the wall?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[RLGA]

Probably not, but you might try for a code modification if the area is only slightly over the 25% limitation (e.g. 26-30%).

If you do, I wouldn't seek a modification based on 30-minute-rated openings; I'd do it for 45-minute-rated openings, which are required for 1-hour corridors and are more common (I don't know if you can even get a 30-minute window).

 

[brudgers]

Good afternoon-I'm working on a 1-story, 10-unit apartment building. It is fully sprinklered (13R) and corridor walls are 1/2 hr. My reading of 715.5 ex. 2 indicates that fire windows must be 1/3 hour with hose stream test.

I have a common wall between the corridor/group rooms, where glazing exceeds the 25% area indicated by 715.5.7.2. My question: Would this area limitation still apply if I upped the fire resistance of the window assembly to the same 30-minutes as required by the wall?

Thanks in advance for your help.

There are fire rated glazed walls.

Designers constantly incorporate them into their designs.

Then they comply with the code for glazed opening once they find out how much the cost.