Two types of fire door assemblies are now recognized in the model codes – fire-protection-rated assemblies, and fire-resistance-rated assemblies. The fire door assemblies that we are most familiar with are tested to UL 10C or NFPA 252, and have a fire-protection rating.
Opening protectives with a fire-resistance rating are tested to UL 263 or ASTM E119, which tests the assembly the way a wall, floor, ceiling, or structural component would be tested. These assemblies are typically required by the International Building Code for sidelight and transom frames with a rating of more than 45 minutes, or in a fire barrier where the percentage of openings is more than 25 percent.
Fire-resistance-rated assemblies are not as common as fire-protection-rated assemblies but it’s very important to know the difference between the two. Opening protectives with a fire-resistance rating are much more expensive than fire-protection-rated assemblies, so failing to take note of the specification requirements and estimate accordingly can be extremely costly.
Read this Decoded article to learn more about fire-protection-rated vs. fire-resistance-rated assemblies, and then proceed to the review questions below.
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Review Questions
1. Which type of opening protective is tested using UL 263 or ASTM E119?
- Fire-resistance-rated assembly
- Fire-protection-rated assembly
2. Which type of opening protective is tested using UL 10C or NFPA 252?
- Fire-resistance-rated assembly
- Fire-protection-rated assembly
3. The testing for which type of assembly limits the temperature rise on the unexposed surface to 250 degrees?
- Fire-resistance-rated assembly
- Fire-protection-rated assembly
Answers: 1 – A, 2 – B, 3 – A