Essential Guide to Fire-Rated Assemblies: Top Questions Answered

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Aug 10, 2024

Fire safety is a critical aspect of building construction. Understanding fire-rated assemblies can significantly enhance safety and compliance. This blog post from National Gypsum Company, the exclusive service provider of Gold Bond Building Products, LLC, answers frequently asked questions about fire-rated assemblies, providing essential insights for architects and contractors.

Here’s a sneak peek:

I can access only one side of the wall. How do I achieve a fire rating?

Use UL design W419 for 1- through 4-hour shaftwall systems or UL design V497 for 1- and 2-hour assemblies using Type X gypsum board on one side of minimum 3 5/8” steel studs.

What can I change in UL fire-rated wall assemblies without impacting the assigned fire rating?

• Stud spacings are maximums, so you can use 16" o.c. on walls tested at 24" o.c.
• Stud dimensions are minimums, so you can always go larger. For example, you can have 6” studs in UL designs that specify 3 ⅝" studs.
• You can add wood structural panels to one side or both sides of fire-rated walls as the base layer or the face layer.
• You can always add more layers of gypsum board to any UL design.
• You can add glass fiber or mineral wool insulation to any UL fire-rated wall assembly.

Want to learn more?

Our full blog post dives deeper into these topics, offering detailed answers and expert insights. Click here to read more: https://www.nationalgypsum.com/who-we-are/blog/fire-resistance/top-questions-and-answers-about-fire-rated-assembly

@NationalGypsum #NationalGypsum #construct

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