A building joint is a junction where
building
A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory (although there's also portable buildings). Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and func ...
elements meet without applying a static load from one element to another. When one or more of these vertical or horizontal elements that meet are required by the local
building code
A building code (also building control or building regulations) is a set of rules that specify the standards for constructed objects such as buildings and non-building structures. Buildings must conform to the code to obtain planning permissi ...
to have a
fire-resistance rating
A fire-resistance rating typically means the duration for which a passive fire protection system can withstand a standard fire resistance test. This can be quantified simply as a measure of time, or it may entail other criteria, involving eviden ...
, the resulting opening that makes up the joint must be
firestop
A firestop or fire-stopping is a form of passive fire protection that is used to seal around openings and between joints in a fire-resistance-rated wall or floor assembly. Firestops are designed to maintain the fire-resistance rating of a wall ...
ped in order to restore the required
compartmentalisation.
Qualification requirements
Such joints are often subject to movement.
Firestop
A firestop or fire-stopping is a form of passive fire protection that is used to seal around openings and between joints in a fire-resistance-rated wall or floor assembly. Firestops are designed to maintain the fire-resistance rating of a wall ...
s must be able to demonstrate the ability to withstand operational movement prior to
fire test
A fire test is a means of determining whether fire protection products meet minimum performance criteria as set out in a building code or other applicable legislation. Successful tests in laboratories holding national accreditation for testing and ...
ing. Firestops for such building joints can be qualified t
UL 2079 -- Tests for Fire Resistance of Building Joint Systems
The joint design must consider the anticipated operational movement of each joint. Timing is also important, as freshly poured concrete shrinks
[ ] particularly during the first few months of a new building, potentially causing joint size changes.
Head-of-Wall (HOW)
Where vertical fire-resistance rated wall assemblies meet the underside of the floor slab above, a movement joint results, which can be subject to compression, as the freshly placed
concrete
Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...
cures and shrinks all over a new building. This joint must be firestopped in a flexible manner.
See also
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Concrete
Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...
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Penetration (firestop)
A penetration, in firestopping, is an ''opening'', such as one created by the use of a cast-in-place sleeve, in a wall or floor assembly required to have a fire-resistance rating, for the purpose of accommodating the passage of a mechanical, elec ...
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Sealant
Sealant is a substance used to block the passage of fluids through openings in materials, a type of mechanical seal. In building construction ''sealant'' is sometimes synonymous with '' caulking'' and also serve the purposes of blocking dust, so ...
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Firestop
A firestop or fire-stopping is a form of passive fire protection that is used to seal around openings and between joints in a fire-resistance-rated wall or floor assembly. Firestops are designed to maintain the fire-resistance rating of a wall ...
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Curtain wall
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Passive fire protection
Passive fire protection (PFP) is components or systems of a building or structure that slows or impedes the spread of the effects of fire or smoke without system activation, and usually without movement. Examples of passive systems include floo ...
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Active fire protection
Active fire protection (AFP) is an integral part of fire protection. AFP is characterized by items and/or systems, which require a certain amount of motion and response in order to work, contrary to passive fire protection.
Categories of active fi ...
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Mineral wool
Mineral wool is any fibrous material formed by spinning or drawing molten mineral or rock materials such as slag and ceramics.
Applications of mineral wool include thermal insulation (as both structural insulation and pipe insulation), filt ...
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Packing (firestopping)
Packing is the process and/or the materials used in filling both service penetrations and building joints with backer materials as approved components within a firestop.
Image:Ceramic_fibre_nelson_clk_installation.jpg, Ceramic fibre used as pac ...
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Fire sprinkler
A fire sprinkler or sprinkler head is the component of a fire sprinkler system that discharges water when the effects of a fire have been detected, such as when a predetermined temperature has been exceeded. Fire sprinklers are extensively use ...
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Articulation
References
External links
{{Commons category, Building joints, Building Joints
UL2079 Scope: Tests for Fire Resistance of Building Joint SystemsUL treatise on building joints
Building engineering
Passive fire protection
Firestops