Expansion Joint Fire Barriers: Code Requirements
International Building Code 2024
Section 715.1 General
The provisions of this section shall govern the materials and methods of construction used to protect joints and voids in or between horizontal and vertical assemblies.
Section 715.2 Installation
Systems or materials protecting joints and voids shall be installed in accordance with Sections 715.2.1 and 715.2.2.
715.2.1 List System Installation
Listed fire-resistant joint systems, perimeter fire containment systems and continuity head-of-wall systems shall be securely installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s installation instructions and the listing criteria in or on the joint or void for its entire length so as not to dislodge, loosen or otherwise impair its ability to accommodate expected building movements and to resist the passage of fire and hot gases.
715.2.2 Approved Materials Installation
Approved materials protecting voids shall be securely installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s installation instructions in or on the void for its entire length so as not to dislodge, loosen or otherwise impair its ability to accommodate expected building movements and to resist the passage of fire and hot gases.
Section 715.3 Fire-Resistance-Rated Assembly Intersections
Joints installed in or between fire-resistance-rated walls, floor or floor/ceiling assemblies and roofs or roof/ceiling assemblies shall be protected by an approved fire-resistant joint system designed to resist the passage of fire for a time period not less than the required fire-resistance rating of the wall, floor or roof in or between which the system is installed.
Exception: Fire-resistant joint systems shall not be required for joints in the following locations:
- Floors within a single dwelling unit.
- Floors where the joint is protected by a shaft enclosure in accordance with Section 713.
- Floors within atriums where the space adjacent to the atrium is included in the volume of the atrium for smoke control purposes.
- Floors within malls.
- Floors and ramps within parking garages or structures constructed in accordance with Sections 406.5 and 406.6.
- Mezzanine floors.
- Walls that are permitted to have unprotected openings.
- Roofs where openings are permitted.
- Control joints not exceeding a maximum width of 0.625 inch (15.9 mm) and tested in accordance with ASTM E119 or UL 263.
- The intersection of exterior curtain wall assemblies and the roof slab or roof deck.
715.3.1 Fire Test Criteria
Fire-resistant joint systems shall be tested in accordance with the requirements of either ASTM E1966 or UL 2079. Nonsymmetrical wall joint systems shall be tested with both faces exposed to the furnace, and the assigned fire-resistance rating shall be the shortest duration obtained from the two tests. Where evidence is furnished to show that the wall was tested with the least fire-resistant side exposed to the furnace, subject to acceptance of the building official, the wall need not be subjected to tests from the opposite side.
Exception: For exterior walls with a horizontal fire separation distance greater than 10 feet (3048 mm), the joint system shall be required to be tested for interior fire exposure only.
Section 715.6 Fire Barrier/Nonfire-Resistance-Rated Roof Assembly Intersections
Voids created at the intersection of a fire barrier and the underside of a nonfire-resistance-rated roof sheathing, slab or deck above shall be filled by an approved material or system to retard the passage of fire and hot gases, or shall be protected by an approved continuity head-of-wall system tested in accordance with ASTM E2837 to provide an F rating/T rating for a time period not less than the required fire-resistance rating of the fire barrier in which it is installed.
NFPA 1, Fire Code 2024
Section 12.3.2 Quality Assurance for Penetrations and Joints
A quality assurance program for the installation of devices and systems installed to protect penetrations and joints shall be prepared and monitored by the RDP responsible for design. Inspections of firestop systems and fire-resistive joint systems shall be in accordance with 12.3.2.1 and 12.3.2.2. [5000:40.9]
Section 12.3.2.2
Inspection of fire-resistive joint systems of the types tested in accordance with ASTM E1966, Standard Test Method for Fire-Resistive Joint Systems, or UL 2079, Tests for Fire Resistance of Building Joint Systems, shall be conducted in accordance with ASTM E2393, Standard Practice for On-Site Inspection of Installed Fire Resistive Joint Systems and Perimeter Fire Barriers. [5000:40.9.2]
UL 2079, Standard for Tests for Fire Resistance of Building Joint Systems
UL 2079 Overview
Combines multiple testing methodologies to simulate real-world conditions.
A three-tier testing approach replicates the effects of thermal expansion, wind sway, and seismic movement on a structure during a fire containment and occupant egress scenario—think of it as: “Shake, Burn, Run.”
- ASTM E1399 – Cyclic Movement Testing (“Shake”)
Evaluates how architectural joint systems perform under repeated movement, determining the minimum and maximum joint widths they can accommodate. - ASTM E119 – Fire Resistance Testing (“Burn”)
Assesses the fire performance of building materials and assemblies, verifying that components meet required noncombustibility and fire-resistance criteria. - ASTM E1966 – Fire-Resistive Joint System Testing (“Run / Egress”)
Validates a joint system’s ability to resist fire, limit temperature rise, and restrict smoke passage at its maximum designed width during a fire event.
