FCIA’s Standards Committee continues work at ASTM E-05, Fire Standards and E-06, Performance of Buildings Committees, UL’s Standards Technical Panel and ULC’s Standards Technical Panels. Additionally, the group works with the American Society of Sanitary Engineers, International Accreditation Services, NFPA, The International Standards Organization, and other leading Standards Development Organizations. In each group, FCIA brings the real world perspective to the standards development process.
The committee attended ASTM E-06 Meetings where Bill McHugh, FCIA Executive Director, is Chair of the Working Group that meets to discuss ASTM E 2174 and ASTM E 2393 for possible ballot items. Also at ASTM, the group is working on standards for movement of penetrating items or the assembly, performance of firestop materials as they age, engineering judgements, and more.
There is a lot going on at the FCIA Standards Committee. Watch FCIA’s Enewsletters and Life Safety Digest for updates.
Committee News February 28, 2010
FCIA’s Standards Committee has been working on a standard process for survey of existing building firestop conditions. FCIA also has participated at UL’s Standards Technical Panel, ASTM’s Process, the International Accreditation Services AC 291 together with FCIA’s Accreditation Committee, dealing with important industry issues.
Committee News Feb. 15, 2009
FCIA’s Standards Committee visited with the Chair of NFPA 80, the standard for Installation, Inspection and Maintenance of Swinging and Rolling Fire Rated Doors, Fire Dampers, Fire Rated Glazing and other features of fire resistance. The intent was to see if Firestopping could be added to NFPA 80, to complete the Compartmentation Features in one place, with one standard. The issue has been forwarded to NFPA’s Standards Council for decision. Stay tuned as we await answers from NFPA’s Standards Council, due to meet in March, 2009. Download this document to review what we drafted so far.
Committee News January 10, 2009
At ASTM E06, FCIA is working on putting mandatory language into the ASTM E 2174 & ASTM E 2393 Standards where it belongs, and removing where it shouldn’t be, to make the standards more suitable for code adaption. The committee believes the standards are excellent and specified widely in North America. We hope the building officials will vote positively for acceptance in code, but don’t expect a mandate.
Watch for more at the FCIA Education and Committee Action Conference in April/May.
Be a part of the Standards Committee, contact the Chair!
Information Updated on Feb. 15, 2008
The Standards Subcommittee is responsible for maintaining standards developed by FCIA, submitting new standards, and for bringing the contractor perspective to the standards development process.
ASTM Standards
Inspector Qualification & ASTM E 2174 and ASTM E 2393 Meetings – FCIA attended ASTM Meetings in Tampa, October 29, 2007. Bill Weber of Multicon Fire Containment joined Bill McHugh for discussion s about inspector qualification. FCIA’s intent to insert qualifications either into the ASTM E 2174 & ASTM E 2393 Standards, or create a new ‘qualification document’ that compliments the standards that brings an inspector that understands firestopping to the project to oversee important fire and life safety work.
UL Standard – Firestopping around Plastic Pipes inside walls
UL 1479 was updated to remove ‘caulk and walk’ firestop systems for inside separation walls, to bring the focus of fire resistance back to the floor membrane. FCIA was successful working with UL’s Rich Walke and IFC to change the view of Columbus, OH building officials’ that fireblocking should be used instead of firestop systems (collars) on ‘chase wall’ caulk and walk systems.
UL Standards Technical Panel
FCIA submitted several proposals to add movement, moisture exposure after movement and aging, chemical, biological and radiation resistance, washout testing, and other properties to have testing reflect actual field conditions. Dan Ryan, STP Chair scheduled a meeting to discuss these and other changes further January 10, 2008 to get more info about our requests.
As a result of that meeting, three study groups were formed to review movement, exposure and labeling of firestop systems as installed in the field, to bring actual job site conditions to the standard used to test the products for suitability for use in specific applications. These groups will meet at the FCIA Education and Committee Action Conference, Seattle, WA to get the studies moving.
Contact Randy Bosscawen if you’d like to join the group in this important effort.
Information updated on Feb 15, 2007
2006 Standards Committee – Randy Bossscawen, 2006 & 2007 ChairFCIA Standards Committee has worked with the American Society of Testing and Materials, (ASTM) to develop and maintain standards for the firestopping and effective compartmentation industry for the quality process.
ASTM Standards
ASTM E 2174 & ASTM E 2393 Inspection Standards
FCIA Contractor, Associate and Manufacturer Members, and the International Firestop Council worked together to develop ASTM E 2174 & ASTM E 2393, Standards for the Inspection of Penetration (2174) and Joint (2393) Firestop Systems. FCIA continues to maintain these documents in the ASTM Process providing the marketplace with a uniform process that can be used in firestop inspection.
Inspector Qualification
FCIA Contractor, Associate and Manufacturer members have also been active developing an Inspector Qualification Standard. It was found that while there are some highly educated inspectors who understand the firestopping quality protocol, others were uneducated in evaluating firestop systems installations creating a fire and life safety risk in buildings.
FCIA met with the ASTM Committee twice in 2006 to work on the qualification standard. A decision was made in October, 2006, to move the qualification for firestop inspectors into the ASTM E 2174 & ASTM E 2393 Standards.
UL Standards
UL 1479 / UL 2079 Standards Technical Panel
FCIA has participated in the UL Standards Technical Panel process with FCIA Manufacturer Members for the past few years. Issues brought by FCIA to the STP Process are mainly in adding practical, field oriented situations to the testing standards. FCIA believes that testing standards must reflect real world conditions as they exist in the contractors’ every day operations at project sites.
FCIA Standards Committee Goals for 2007 include
– ASTM – Move forward with inspector qualifications at ASTM in ASTM E 2174 & ASTM E 2393.
– UL & ASTM – Bring real world conditions into the test laboratory.
FCIA Standards Committee 2005 Results – Randy Bosscawen, FCIA 2005 Standards Task Group Chair
FCIA Standards Committee Works with ASTM for Inspection Processes and Inspector Qualifications
FCIA Standards Committee Submits Draft ASTM Inspector Firm Qualification Standard for ballot
FCIA Standards Committee submitted a draft standard to an ASTM Committee, chaired by Richard Licht, to start discussion about the qualifications of a firestopping inspector. ASTM’s ASTM E 2174 and ASTM E 2393 are being specified and used more in the field. To be effective, inspectors need to understand what to look for when inspecting a firestopping project.
FCIA Standards Committee works to maintain ASTM Inspection Standards
ASTM E 2174 & ASTM E 2393 Inspection Standards
In addition to maintaining ASTM E 2174-04, Standard for the Inspection of Through Penetration Firestops, the committee, with the help of the International Firestop Council (IFC) and other ASTM Committee Members, developed a standard for the Inspection of Joint Systems, ASTM E 2393. Both standards, used together with FM 4991, Standard for the Approval of Firestopping Contractors, complete the Firestopping Quality Process.
The Firestopping Quality Process consists of Tested and Listed Firestop Systems supplied by FCIA Member Manufacturers, installed by FCIA Member, FM 4991 Approved Contractors, Inspected to ASTM E 2174 & ASTM E 2393 Inspection Standards, and Maintained by FCIA Member Contractors.
Inspection Standards Introduced
In 2004, the ASTM E 2393, “Standards for On-Site Inspection of Installed Joint Systems”, was granted status as an ASTM Standard. This standard, coupled with ASTM E 2174, sets a standard protocol for inspection of firestopping penetrations and joint systems in a very systematic method.
Chair Don Sabrsula reports that the standard proposed by this committee, with input from the industry including the International Firestop Council, (IFC), has received American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) approval, and is now known as “ASTM E 2174-01.” This standard, can be used by either local building officals and fire marshals or private independent inspection personnel as the basis for the Firestop Inspection portion of the Firestopping Quality Process.
Additionally, ASTM E 2174-01 has also been submitted by FCIA’s and the International Firestop Council’s Code Committees for inclusion in the International Building Code.
ASTM E2174 – This new ASTM Standard for “On Site Inspection of Installed Firestops” is available at: ASTM Website list.