Fire Stops
• Five Reasons for Firestoping
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Save lives
Buys Time
Protects Critical Systems
Liability
Protects investments
• Designed to stop:
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Fire
Smoke
Cold gas/noxious fumes
Super heated toxic gases
Fire Walls
• When cable is to be pulled through a firewall, a
hole must be drilled through the firewall
• After the hole is drilled, the penetration is
usually sleeved
• After the cables have been pulled through the
conduit, the conduit must be sealed with an
approved fire-stop material
Copyright 2004
Panduit Network Infrastructure Essentials
Firewall
Rock wool or
mineral batting
(as required)
Sleeve or
Conduit
Flange
Intumescent
(expands when heated)
caulk or putty
Communications
Cabling
Wall to be
penetrated
Do not exceed 50% fill ratio (cable area to conduit area)
Leave 4-inches to 12-inches of conduit protruding from wall (check local codes)
Fire Stops
• Penetrations
• Through
• Membrane (i.e., metal outlet box)
• Warnings
• Firestops are tested as an assembly
• Tested as an assembly
• If not installed per manufactures specifications the testing is
invalid
• Installers may be held personally liable
• Substitute materials aren’t part of the assembly
• Types of Products
• Mechanical
• Mortar/Compounds
Fire Stops
• Types of Products
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Composite Sheets
Collar/devices
Blankets
Caulks/sealants
Putty
Wrap strips
Pillows/bags
Sprays
Example usage: Backfilling
• Backfilling is the placement of fire-stop
solution products into the penetration after the
cabling has been installed in the opening. All
openings around a conduit and holes must be
sealed completely
Fire Stops
• Fire Stop Material Traits
• Endothermic
• This trait allows a fire stopping material to emit
water vapor as it burns to cool the material
prevent the transfer of heat to the far side of the
firewall
• Intumescent
• Swells when heated
• Fills spaces around or in a penetration
• Ablative
• Develops a hard covering when heated important in resisting hose sprays of pressurized
water
Fire Stops
• Selecting Firestop Materials/Systems
• Selection Criteria
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Local authorities
Qualification Testing
Installation efficiency
Maintenance convenience
Future cable changes
• Some Electrical Apparatus are Fire-rated
• i.e., boxes, junction boxes, breaker panels,
fixtures, and poke-thrus
• Firestop all non-rated apparatus
Fire Stops
• Selecting Firestop Assembly
• Identify type of barrier to be penetrated
• Floors, Walls, combinations of walls and floors
• Construction of barrier
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Concrete
drywall
wood
etc.
Penetrating items
Size/shape of Opening
Orientation of penetrating items to the opening
Water exposure
Movement/vibration of the penetrating items
Required ratings F, H, and T
Fire Stops
• Non-mechanical Firestop Systems
• Firestop Putty (See Nelson FSP in front of Manual)
• Caulks (See Nelson CLK in front of Manual)
• Cementitious materials (See Nelson CMP in front of
Manual)
• Intumescent sheets (See Nelson CPS in front of
Manual)
• Silicon foam (See Cisco CBTs)
• Premanufactured pillows (See Nelson PLW in front
of Manual)
Fire Stops
• Non-mechanical Firestop Systems
• Prefabricated intumescent collars (See Nelson PCS
in front of Manual)
• Sprays (See Nelson FSC in front of Manual)
• Blankets (see Cisco CBTs)