9.10.9. Fire Separations and Smoke-tight Barriers between Rooms and Spaces within Buildings

9.10.9. Fire Separations and Smoke-tight Barriers between Rooms and Spaces within Buildings
9.10.9.1. Application
  1. This Subsection applies to
    1. fire separations required between rooms and spaces in buildings, and
    2. smoke-tight barriers required in houses with a secondary suite including their common spaces.
9.10.9.2. Continuous Barrier
  1. Except as permitted in Article 9.10.9.3., a wall or floor assembly required to be a fire separation shall be constructed as a continuous barrier against the spread of fire and retard the passage of smoke.
  2. Except as permitted in Article 9.10.9.3., a wall or floor assembly required to be a smoke-tight barrier shall be constructed as a continuous barrier against the spread of smoke.
  3. The continuity of a fire separation or smoke-tight barrier shall be maintained where it abuts another fire separation or smoke-tight barrier, a floor, a ceiling, a roof, or an exterior wall assembly. (See Notes A-9.10.9.2.(3) and A-3.1.8.3.(4).)
  4. All gypsum board joints in the assemblies described in Sentences (1) and (2) shall conform to CSA A82.31-M, "Gypsum Board Application," and penetrations in these assemblies shall be sealed using flexible sealant or tape to maintain the integrity of the smoke-tight barrier over the entire surface.
9.10.9.3. Openings to be Protected with Closures
  1. Except as permitted in Articles 9.10.9.5., 9.10.9.6. and 9.10.9.7., openings in required fire separations shall be protected with closures conforming to Subsection 9.10.13.
  2. Doors in smoke-tight barriers shall
    1. be solid-core, wood doors at least 45 mm thick, and
    2. have a self-closing device. (See Note A-9.10.9.3.(2).)
9.10.9.4. Floor Assemblies
  1. Except as permitted in Sentences (2) to (4), all floor assemblies shall be constructed as fire separations.
  2. Floor assemblies contained within dwelling units and within houses with a secondary suite need not be constructed as fire separations.
  3. Floor assemblies for which no fire-resistance rating is required by Subsection 9.10.8. and floors of mezzanines not required to be counted as storeys in Articles 9.10.4.1. and 9.10.4.2. need not be constructed as fire separations.
  4. Where a crawl space is not required by Article 9.10.8.9. to be constructed as a basement, the floor above it need not be constructed as a fire separation.
9.10.9.5. Interconnected Floor Spaces
  1. Interconnected floor spaces shall conform to Subsection 3.2.8.
9.10.9.6. Penetration of Fire Separations (See Note A-3.1.9.)
  1. Piping, tubing, ducts, chimneys, wiring, conduit, electrical outlet boxes and other similar service equipment that penetrate a required fire separation shall be tightly fitted or fire stopped to maintain the integrity of the separation. (See Note A-9.10.9.6.(1).)
  2. Penetrations of a firewall shall be sealed at the penetration by a fire stop that, when subjected to the fire test method in CAN/ULC-S115, "Fire Tests of Firestop Systems," has an FT rating not less than the fire-resistance rating for the fire separation.
  3. Except as provided in Sentences (4) to (12) and Article 9.10.9.7., pipes, ducts, electrical boxes, totally enclosed raceways or other similar service equipment that partly or wholly penetrate an assembly required to have a fire-resistance rating shall be noncombustible unless the assembly has been tested incorporating such equipment. (See Note A-3.1.9.2.(1).)
  4. Electrical wires or similar wiring enclosed in noncombustible totally enclosed raceways are permitted to partly or wholly penetrate an assembly required to have a fire-resistance rating without being incorporated in the assembly at the time of testing as required in Sentence (3).
  5. Single conductor metal-sheathed cables with combustible jacketting that are more than 25 mm in overall diameter are permitted to penetrate a fire separation required to have a fire-resistance rating without being incorporated in the assembly at the time of testing as required in Sentence (3), provided the cables are not grouped and are spaced a minimum of 300 mm apart.
  6. Electrical wires or cables, single or grouped, with combustible insulation or jacketting that is not totally enclosed in raceways of noncombustible material, are permitted to partly or wholly penetrate an assembly required to have a fire-resistance rating without being incorporated in the assembly at the time of testing as required in Sentence (3), provided the overall diameter of the wiring is not more than 25 mm.
  7. Combustible totally enclosed raceways which are embedded in a concrete floor slab are permitted in an assembly required to have a fire-resistance rating without being incorporated in the assembly at the time of testing as required in Sentence (3), where the concrete provides not less than 50 mm of cover between the raceway and the bottom of the slab.
  8. Combustible outlet boxes are permitted in an assembly required to have a fire-resistance rating without being incorporated in the assembly at the time of testing as required in Sentence (3), provided the opening through the membrane into the box does not exceed 160 cm2.
  9. Combustible water distribution piping is permitted to partly or wholly penetrate a fire separation that is required to have a fire-resistance rating without being incorporated in the assembly at the time of testing as required in Sentence (3), provided the piping is protected with a fire stop in conformance with Sentence 3.1.9.5.(4).
  10. Combustible sprinkler piping is permitted to penetrate a fire separation provided the fire compartments on each side of the fire separation are sprinklered.
  11. Sprinklers are permitted to penetrate a fire separation or a membrane forming part of an assembly required to have a fire-resistance rating without having to meet the fire stop requirements of Sentence (1), provided the annular space created by the penetration of a fire sprinkler is covered by a metal escutcheon plate in accordance with NFPA 13, "Installation of Sprinkler Systems."
  12. Combustible piping for central vacuum systems is permitted to penetrate a fire separation provided the installation conforms to the requirements that apply to combustible drain, waste and vent piping specified in Sentences 9.10.9.7.(2) to (6).
  13. Fire dampers are permitted to penetrate a fire separation or a membrane forming part of an assembly required to have a fire-resistance rating without having to meet the fire stop requirements of Sentence (1), provided the fire damper is
    1. installed in conformance with NFPA 80, "Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives," or
    2. specifically designed with a fire stop.
9.10.9.7. Combustible Drain, Waste and Vent Piping
(See Note A-3.1.9.)
  1. Except as permitted in Sentences (2) to (6), combustible piping shall not be used in any part of a drain, waste and vent piping system where any part of that system partly or wholly penetrates a fire separation required to have a fire-resistance rating or penetrates a membrane that contributes to the required fire-resistance rating of an assembly.
  2. Combustible drain, waste and vent piping not located in a vertical shaft is permitted to penetrate a fire separation required to have a fire-resistance rating or a membrane that forms part of an assembly required to have a fire-resistance rating provided the piping is sealed at the penetration by a fire stop that has an F rating not less than the fire-resistance rating required for the fire separation.
  3. The rating referred to in Sentence (2) shall be based on CAN/ULC-S115, "Fire Tests of Firestop Systems," with a pressure differential of 50 Pa between the exposed and unexposed sides, with the higher pressure on the exposed side.
  4. Combustible drain piping is permitted to penetrate a horizontal fire separation or a membrane that contributes to the required fire-resistance rating of a horizontal fire separation, provided it leads directly from a noncombustible watercloset through a concrete floor slab.
  5. Combustible drain, waste and vent piping is permitted on one side of a vertical fire separation provided it is not located in a vertical shaft.
  6. In buildings containing 2 dwelling units only, combustible drain, waste and vent piping is permitted on one side of a horizontal fire separation.
9.10.9.8. Collapse of Combustible Construction
  1. Combustible construction that abuts on or is supported by a noncombustible fire separation shall be constructed so that its collapse under fire conditions will not cause collapse of the fire separation.
9.10.9.9. Reduction in Thickness of Fire Separation by Beams and Joists
  1. Where pockets for the support of beams or joists are formed in a masonry or concrete fire separation, the remaining total thickness of masonry and/or grout and/or concrete shall be not less than the required equivalent thickness shown for Type S monolithic concrete in Table D-2.1.1. in Appendix D for the required fire-resistance rating.
9.10.9.10. Concealed Spaces above Fire Separations
  1. Except as provided in Sentence (2), a horizontal service space or other concealed space located above a required vertical fire separation shall be divided at the fire separation by an equivalent fire separation within the space.
  2. Where a horizontal service space or other concealed space is located above a required vertical fire separation other than a vertical shaft, such space need not be divided as required in Sentence (1) provided the construction between such space and the space below is constructed as a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating not less than that required for the vertical fire separation, except that where the vertical fire separation is not required to have a fire-resistance rating greater than 45 min, the fire-resistance rating of the ceiling may be reduced to 30 min.
9.10.9.11. Separation of Residential Occupancies
  1. Except as provided in Sentence (2), residential occupancies shall be separated from all other major occupancies by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 1 h.
  2. Except as provided in Sentence (3), a major occupancy classified as a residential occupancy shall be separated from other major occupancies classified as mercantile or medium-hazard industrial occupancies by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 2 h.
  3. Where not more than 2 dwelling units are located in a building containing a mercantile occupancy, such mercantile occupancy shall be separated from the dwelling units by a fire separation having not less than 1 h fire-resistance rating.
9.10.9.12. Residential Suites in Industrial Buildings
  1. Not more than one suite of residential occupancy shall be contained within a building classified as a Group F, Division 2 major occupancy.
9.10.9.13. Separation of Suites
  1. Except as required in Article 9.10.9.14. and as permitted by Sentence (2), each suite in other than business and personal services occupancies shall be separated from adjoining suites by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 45 min.
  2. In sprinklered buildings, suites of business and personal services occupancy and mercantile occupancy that are served by public corridors conforming with Clause 3.3.1.4.(4)(b) are not required to be separated from each other by fire separations.
9.10.9.14. Separation of Residential Suites
  1. Except as provided in Sentences (2), (3) and (4) and Article 9.10.21.2., suites in residential occupancies shall be separated from adjacent rooms and suites by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 45 min.
  2. Sleeping rooms in boarding and lodging houses where sleeping accommodation is provided for not more than 8 boarders or lodgers need not be separated from the remainder of the floor area as required in Sentence (1) where the sleeping rooms form part of the proprietor's residence and do not contain cooking facilities.
  3. Except as provided in Sentence (4), dwelling units that contain 2 or more storeys including basements shall be separated from the remainder of the building by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 1 h. (See Note A-3.3.4.4.(1).)
  4. Walls and floor-ceiling framing in a house with a secondary suite that separate dwelling units from each other or dwelling units from ancillary spaces and common spaces need not comply with Sentence (1), where the walls and floor-ceiling framing are protected by a continuous smoke-tight barrier of not less than 12.7 mm thick gypsum board installed on
    1. both sides of walls, and
    2. the underside of floor-ceiling framing. (See Sentence 9.10.9.3.(2) for closures.)
9.10.9.15. Separation of Public Corridors
  1. Except as provided in Sentences (2), (3) and (4), public corridors shall be separated from the remainder of the building by a fire separation having not less than a 45 min fire-resistance rating.
  2. In other than residential occupancies, no fire-resistance rating is required for fire separations between a public corridor and the remainder of the building if
    1. the floor area is sprinklered,
    2. the sprinkler system is electrically supervised in conformance with Sentence 3.2.4.9.(3), and
    3. the operation of the sprinkler system will cause a signal to be transmitted to the fire department in conformance with Sentence 3.2.4.7.(4).
  3. In other than residential occupancies, no fire separation is required between a public corridor and the remainder of the building if
    1. the floor area is sprinklered,
    2. the sprinkler system is electrically supervised in conformance with Sentence 3.2.4.9.(3),
    3. the operation of the sprinkler system will cause a signal to be transmitted to the fire department in conformance with Sentence 3.2.4.7.(4), and
    4. the corridor exceeds 5 m in width.
  4. Where a public corridor is located in a house with a secondary suite, a continuous smoke-tight barrier of not less than 12.7 mm thick gypsum board shall be installed on
    1. both sides of walls separating the corridor from the remainder of the building, and
    2. the underside of floor-ceiling framing separating the corridor from the remainder of the building. (See Sentence 9.10.9.3.(2) for closures.)
9.10.9.16. Separation of Storage Garages
  1. Except as provided in Sentences (2) and (3), a storage garage shall be separated from other occupancies by a fire separation having not less than a 1.5 h fire-resistance rating.
  2. Except as permitted in Sentence (3), storage garages containing 5 motor vehicles or fewer shall be separated from other occupancies by a fire separation of not less than 1 h.
  3. Where a storage garage serves only the dwelling unit to which it is attached or in which it is built, it shall be considered as part of that dwelling unit and the fire separation required in Sentence (2) need not be provided between the garage and the dwelling unit.
  4. Except as provided in Sentence (5), where a storage garage is attached to or built into a building of residential occupancy,
    1. an air barrier system conforming to Subsection 9.25.3. shall be installed between the garage and the remainder of the building to provide an effective barrier to gas and exhaust fumes, and
    2. every door between the garage and the remainder of the building shall conform to Article 9.10.13.15. (See Note A-9.10.9.16.(4).)
    3. Where membrane materials are used to provide the required airtightness in the air barrier system, all joints shall be sealed and structurally supported.
9.10.9.17. Separation of Repair Garages
  1. Except as provided in Sentences (2) and (3), a repair garage shall be separated from other occupancies by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 2 h.
  2. Ancillary spaces directly serving a repair garage, including waiting rooms, reception rooms, tool and parts storage areas and supervisory office space, need not be separated from the repair garage but shall be separated from other occupancies as required in Sentence (1).
  3. The fire separation referred to in Sentence (1) shall have a fire-resistance rating of not less than 1 h, where
    1. the building is not more than one storey in building height,
    2. the building is operated as a single suite, and
    3. the only occupancy other than the repair garage is a mercantile occupancy.
  4. Except as provided in Sentence (5), where a building containing a repair garage also contains a dwelling unit, an air barrier system conforming to Subsection 9.25.3. shall be installed between the dwelling unit and the suite containing the garage to provide an effective barrier to gas and exhaust fumes. (See Note A-9.10.9.16.(4).)
  5. Where membrane materials are used to provide the required airtightness in the air barrier system, all joints shall be sealed and structurally supported.
9.10.9.18. Exhaust Ducts Serving More Than One Fire Compartment
  1. Where a vertical service space contains an exhaust duct that serves more than one fire compartment, the duct shall have a fan located at or near the exhaust outlet to ensure that the duct is under negative pressure.
  2. Individual fire compartments referred to in Sentence (1) shall not have fans that exhaust directly into the duct in the vertical service space.
9.10.9.19. Central Vacuum Systems
  1. A central vacuum system shall serve not more than one suite.

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