Jason Shaw
Masters Project Proposal
Architectural expansion joint gaps are used in large buildings and are designed to permit the building to
move due to seasonal weather changes or ground movement (i.e., settlement or earthquakes). This
prevents the building faces and concrete slabs from cracking as a result of this movement. Often times,
building codes require that these gaps include a fire barrier to prevent fire and smoke from rising from
one floor of the building to another through these gaps. These fire barriers must be capable of moving
with the structure and preventing heat and smoke from rising. The fire barriers are tested to ASTM
E1966, UL2079, and ULCS115.
Using COMSOL Multiphysics, this project will simulate a fire underneath an architectural expansion joint
with a fire barrier. This model will be used to assess the feasibility of a fire barrier design using various
fire retardant materials. The fire barrier design that will be modeled in this project is shown below.