
FIRESTOPPING



As a certified firestop contractor, Rolling Plains Construction can provide pre-construction consultation and design support to ensure the proper firestop systems are chosen and incorporated into the project’s life safety plans. Our team has extensive knowledge and training allowing us to provide trusted solutions to all of our client's firestopping needs. See what our satisfied clients are saying HERE. View our Certifications HERE.
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WHAT IS FIRESTOPPING?
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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 or floor assembly intended to impede the spread of fire, smoke, and toxic gases.
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Firestops prevent unprotected horizontal and vertical penetrations in a fire-resistance-rated wall or floor assembly from creating a route by which fire and smoke can spread that would otherwise have been fire-resisting construction, e.g. where a pipe passes through a firewall. Fire stopping is also to seal around gaps between fire resisting constructions, e.g. the linear gap between a wall and the floor above, in order for construction to form a complete barrier to fire, smoke, and toxic gas spread.
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Typically, a combination of active (fire sprinklers and fire alarms) and passive (firestopping and spray fireproofing) fire protection systems are necessary to meet the stringent building code requirements that govern the design, construction, and occupancy of buildings.
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Firestops are used in:
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Electrical, mechanical, & structural penetrations
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Unpenetrated openings (such as openings for future use)
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Re-entries of existing firestops
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Control or sway joints in fire-resistance-rated wall or floor assemblies
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Junctions between fire-resistance-rated wall or floor assemblies
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Head-of-wall (HOW) joints, where non-load-bearing wall assemblies meet floor assemblies
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Alphanumeric characters are used to identify what penetrant if any, can be found within the present system and help identify what UL-tested system was used.
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Rolling Plains Construction has received specialized training and certification from several leading manufacturers of firestop materials, including Hilti, STI, 3M.
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