Wood Screen in Type IIB Construction

[sussudiokim]

I am working on a tenant finish out in Texas. The local municipality is using IBC 2015. The existing shell building is type IIB construction.

I am concerned that some aspects of the design may not pass inspection. We are planning on installing a decorative screen wall at the entrance built from wood pallets. Do you think this will pass code review? The pallets will be mounted to a steel frame. The whole thing is not load bearing and self supported. We are also planning on hanging some pallets from the ceiling. From my strict interpretation of the IBC, this design may not be allowed.

I find this surprising as I have worked on tenant finish outs in similar buildings and never ran into this problem before. I have had to specify a flame retardant for curtains, but that is about it.

 

[walker.t]

We are planning on installing a decorative screen wall at the entrance built from wood pallets. Do you think this will pass code review? The pallets will be mounted to a steel frame. The whole thing is not load bearing and self supported. We are also planning on hanging some pallets from the ceiling.

Looks like you’ll need to know what the flame spread reading and smoke-development index of the pallets are, my guess is if you’re reclaiming pallet wood you’re not going to be able to find that information. Actually, maybe you will if you can figure out the species of wood used in the pallets, here’s something I just found when I searched for “flame spread rating of pallet wood”:

https://awc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/AWC-DCA1-FlameSpreadPerformance-1906.pdf

Here are some code references you might find helpful, I only have a PDF of the 2018 IBC so you’ll want to confirm these in your 2015 IBC.

Section 603 Combustible Material in Types I and II Construction
603.1 Allowable Materials.
Point 7. Interior wall and ceiling finished installed in accordance with Section 803.
Section 803 Wall and Ceiling Finishes
803.1.2 Interior Wall and Ceiling Finish Materials Tested in Accordance with ASTM E84 or UL 723. This identifies three classes for flame spread and smoke development.
Table 803.13 Interior Wall and Ceiling Finish Requirements by Occupancy. You’ll need to know the occupancy, whether the building is sprinklered, and the nature of the space with the finishes.

I am concerned that some aspects of the design may not pass inspection.

Do you really mean “inspection” or do you mean “plan review for building permit issuance”? In other words, have your plans been approved and a building permit issued and maybe the use of the pallet wood was not indicated on the drawings? If you have a building permit based on plans showing the pallet wood I wouldn’t expect you’d have problems with inspections.

 

[sussudiokim]

Thank you for the feedback.
The building is sprinklered and from my reading of the code, this installation may fall into the Class B category of Flame Spread Rating. Where I am uncertain is whether or not this screen would be classified as a wall and therefore fall into the requirements of construction in a type IIB building. Which means it would need to be built from fire retardant wood. Based on the language in Chapter 8, it is mostly concerning wall and ceiling finishes that are not furred out but directly applied. So where do decorative elements fall in the code? If I build a big floating wood light fixture, is that a Ch 8 concern?

And I do mean inspection. The project was fast tracked so the decorative elements were still in design and not presented to the city for review and compliance when the permit set was submitted.

Thank you,

 

[walker.t]

Thank you for the feedback.

You’re welcome.

Where I am uncertain is whether or not this screen would be classified as a wall and therefore fall into the requirements of construction in a type IIB building.

Wouldn’t the pallet slats be considered “interior wall and ceiling finishes”:

IBC Chapter 2 Definition of “Interior Wall and Ceiling Finish”
The exposed interior surfaces of buildings, including but not limited to: fixed or moveable 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. [emphasis added]

If that is the case, they are an allowable combustible material in Type II construction per 603.1 Point 7. And if that’s the case it doesn’t matter if this “screen” is considered a wall (bearing or non-bearing) or not. You said this wall/screen is supported by a metal frame, that’s noncombustible and would be OK in the Type II construction, no?

Based on the language in Chapter 8, it is mostly concerning wall and ceiling finishes that are not furred out but directly applied.

Considering that the slats will have gaps to create the screening effect, the frame will be exposed, I don’t think the method of attachment (direct or over furring) is going to apply.

So where do decorative elements fall in the code?

IBC 806 is “Decorative Materials and Trim.” But see 806.2, in Groups A, B, E, I, M, and R-1 “fixed or movable walls and partitions, paneling…applied for…decoration…shall be considered interior finish…and not be considered decorative materials or furnishings.”

If I build a big floating wood light fixture, is that a Ch 8 concern?

That’s a good question, I don’t know how custom light fixtures like that are handled, sorry.

And I do mean inspection. The project was fast tracked so the decorative elements were still in design and not presented to the city for review and compliance when the permit set was submitted.

OK, thanks for the clarification. I understand the concern, surprised that plan review didn’t ask for you to submit additional information for the items that were still being designed. But it is what it is and you’re obviously trying to avoid problems before they come up which is good. My experience has been that inspectors don’t want to (or are not authorized to) make approvals, they want to confirm that what was approved has been performed correctly.

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

Pallets suspended from the ceiling are not "finish," because they are not applied directly to the ceiling. They are "decorative materials." (See definitions in chapter 2.)

As decorative materials, they are regulated under IBC section 806.2. Section 806.2 then says that combustible decorative materials shall comply with section 806.4.

IBC section 806.4 requires testing under NFPA 701 or NFPA 289. NFPA 701 is a standard for fabrics, so it does not apply. The applicable test standard is thus NFPA 289. This test is a test of the heat release potential of the material. The criteria established are that the material shall not exhibit a heat release rate greater than 100 kW when tested using a 20 kW ignition source.

Good luck finding a certified NFPA 289 test on a pallet.

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

The building is sprinklered and from my reading of the code, this installation may fall into the Class B category of Flame Spread Rating.

How did you conclude that wood pallets might be Class B? Aside from the fact that I don't think you are applying the correct code section or the correct test, most wood pallets are made of oak. The reference datum for the ASTM E 84 test is that untreated Red Oak has a flame spread index of 100. That's Class C, not B.

Where I am uncertain is whether or not this screen would be classified as a wall and therefore fall into the requirements of construction in a type IIB building. Which means it would need to be built from fire retardant wood. Based on the language in Chapter 8, it is mostly concerning wall and ceiling finishes that are not furred out but directly applied. So where do decorative elements fall in the code?

Decorative elements are defined in Chapter 2 and addressed in IBC section 806.2 and 806.4.

And I do mean inspection. The project was fast tracked so the decorative elements were still in design and not presented to the city for review and compliance when the permit set was submitted.

This strikes me as a change, requiring the submission of amended construction documents for review before proceeding.

107.4 Amended construction documents. Work shall be
installed in accordance with the approved construction documents,
and any changes made during construction that are not
in compliance with the approved construction documents shall
be resubmitted for approval as an amended set of construction
documents.