Plastic Boxes in Part 3 without CAN/ULC Testing (NBC2015)

[Steve French]

Hey All,

Looking for a general consensus on the acceptability of plastic boxes being used without firestops where 3.1.9.4. (NBC2015) specifically says anything other than noncombustible boxes installed as per 3.1.9.4.(2) must be firestopped... I've got some Intertek test reports from their lab in China to say that they'll be okay for up to 2-hours in a wall assembly, but the testing standards are all UL - not ULC and not any of the UL standards noted in 1.3.1.2. - and I've refused to accept thus far unless they can give me a test report showing either noncombustible per CAN/ULC-S114 or acceptable performance in a rated wall assembly per CAN/ULC-S101.

Am I in the right here?

Thanks!
- SF

 

[Inspector Gadget]

Grab the putty packs. (You're correct.)

 

[Steve French]

Thanks IG. The supplier is fighting hard but they've not come up with anything new, just rehashing the same reports.

 

[Inspector Gadget]

Thanks IG. The supplier is fighting hard but they've not come up with anything new, just rehashing the same reports.

They have two and a half options.
1) Show how the outlet boxes are non-combustible; meaning "show us the CAN/ULC S114"
2) Fire stop with putty packs; show us the system."

3) get a fire engineer to submit an alternative solutions.

 

[tmurray]

You are correct. This section was updated in the 2020 NBC to clarify that combustible boxes are required to have a firestop system. For clarity, the system has to be FT rated, not just F, which can be challenging.

 

[Steve French]

You are correct. This section was updated in the 2020 NBC to clarify that combustible boxes are required to have a firestop system. For clarity, the system has to be FT rated, not just F, which can be challenging.

I'll post the system number once I have it, just in case anyone lands on this thread in the future looking for answers.