Section 27-323
§ 27-323 Requirements for structural members and assemblies. The
fire-resistance rating of construction assemblies and the protection of
structural members shall comply with the requirements of table 3-4,
based on the test procedures of reference standard RS 5-2, and their
materials or combinations of materials shall be in accordance with the
specifications of materials used in the test.
Section 27-324
§ 27-324 Protection of structural members. Columns, girders, trusses,
beams, lintels, etc. that are required to be fire protected, and that
support only one floor or a roof, and/or a non-bearing wall not more
than one story high, shall be individually encased on all sides with
materials having the required fire-resistance rating; or shall be
protected by a ceiling as specified in section 27-327 of this article
having the required fire-resistance rating; or shall be protected by a
combination of both a ceiling and individual encasement which, together,
provide the required fire-resistance rating. Columns, girders, trusses,
beams, lintels, etc. that are required to be fire protected, and that
support more than one floor or support a bearing wall or wall more than
one story high, shall be individually encased on all sides for their
entire length or height with materials having the required
fire-resistance rating. Trusses that support only two stories or one
story and a roof may be fire protected by an envelope that encompasses
the entire truss with materials of the required fire-resistance rating.
(a) Embedments and enclosures. Pipes, wires, conduits, ducts, or other
service facilities shall not be embedded in the required fire protection
of a structural member that is required to be individually encased;
except that pipes, wires, and conduits may be installed in the space
between the required fire protection and the structural member
protected, provided that where such facilities pierce the required fire
protection, the area of the penetrations does not exceed two percent of
the area of the fire protection on any one face, the penetrations are
closed off with close-fitting metal escutcheons or plates and the
concealed space shall be firestopped at each story in accordance with
the provisions of section 27-345 of article five of this subchapter.
(b) Impact protection. Where the fire protective covering of a
structural member is subject to impact damage from moving vehicles, the
handling of merchandise, or other activity, the fire protective covering
shall be protected by corner guards or by a substantial jacket of metal
or other noncombustible material, to a height adequate to provide full
protection. Where applicable, such protection shall be designed in
accordance with the requirements of section 27-558 of article three of
subchapter nine of this chapter.
(c) Structural members in cavity walls. Where structural members occur
within exterior cavity walls, portions of such structural members facing
the exterior need not be individually fire protected if the outer width
of the cavity wall provides the required fire-resistance rating and is
located not more than two and one-half inches from such structural
members, and if all surfaces of the structural members are fire
protected from the interior of the building by materials having the
required fire-resistance rating.
(d) Prestressing steel. Minimum covering of prestressing steel shall
comply with the requirements of reference standard RS 5-15.
(e) Exterior Exposed Structural Members. Structural members exposed to
the outdoors on buildings that do not exceed two stories or thirty feet
in height, which are required by table 3-4 to have a fire-resistance
rating not exceeding one hour, need not be protected on any face of the
member that has an exterior separation of thirty feet or more, provided
the outdoor area within the thirty feet separation distance is not used
for storage of materials, or for motor vehicle parking.
(f) Inspection of fire protection. The installation of all required
sprayed-on fire protection of structural members except those encased in
concrete shall be subject to the controlled inspection requirements of
section 27-132 of article seven of subchapter one of this code.
(g) Inspection of existing sprayed-on fire protection during
alterations in office spaces and in occupancy group E spaces. In office
spaces and spaces classified in occupancy group E, where an alteration
exposes any required sprayed-on fire protection of structural members,
or where, pursuant to an alteration persons are required to enter or
access areas in which such sprayed-on fire protection is capable of
being observed, the existing required spray-on fire protection shall be
subject to the controlled inspection requirements of section 27-132 of
this code. Such controlled inspection shall require a determination (i)
that the existing sprayed-on fire protection as originally applied or
installed complies with the applicable requirements of this code,
including those for installation methods, materials, thickness and
coverage; and (ii) that, since its original application, the integrity
of the existing sprayed-on fire protection has not been compromised,
damaged or displaced by the current alteration or by any prior
alteration or other event.
Section 27-325
§ 27-325 Elevators. Structural members or car frames for elevators
located within shaft enclosures need not be fire protected.
Section 27-326
§ 27-326 Lintels. Lintels over openings wider than four feet in
masonry walls, other than in walls of masonry veneer on wood frame
structures, shall be fire protected as required by section 27-324 of
this article for structural members, when the full load over the opening
is not relieved by a masonry arch of required strength. The members of
an assembled metal lintel that support only outer face masonry that is
securely bonded or anchored to backing need not be fire protected,
provided that the inner members of the assembly support the full load
imposed upon the lintel and are fire protected as required for
structural members supporting masonry.
(a) Stone Lintels. The use of stone lintels on spans exceeding four
feet shall not be permitted unless supplemented by fire protected
structural members or masonry arches of the required strength to support
the superimposed loads.
Section 27-327
§ 27-327 Ceilings. (a) Ceilings that contribute to the required
fire-resistance rating of a floor or roof assembly shall be continuous
between exterior walls, vertical fire divisions, fire separations,
corridor partitions or any other partitions having at least the same
fire-resistance rating as the ceiling. All such fire-rated partitions
shall be constructed as set forth in section 27-340 or subdivision (a)
of section 27-341, as appropriate. The concealed space above such
ceiling shall be firestopped into areas not exceeding three thousand
square feet with materials listed in section 27-345 of this subchapter
for the full height of the concealed space. Access to each such
concealed space may be through one or more openings, not exceeding nine
square feet and protected by self-closing opening protectives having the
fire-protection rating required by table 5-3.
(1) Firestopping shall not be required where the structural members
within the concealed space are individually protected with materials
having the required fire-resistance rating, or where the ceiling is not
an essential part of the fire-resistive assembly; nor shall firestopping
be required where a concealed space is sprinklered in accordance with
the construction requirements of subchapter seventeen of this chapter.
(b) Electrical and other openings in ceilings. Ceilings required to
have a fire-resistance rating may be pierced to accommodate
noncombustible electric outlet boxes or recessed lighting fixtures if
the aggregate area of such openings does not exceed sixteen square
inches in each ninety square feet of ceiling area and the electrical
outlet boxes or recessed lighting fixtures are constructed of steel at
least .022 inches thick and sealed tightly at the ceiling.
Noncombustible pipes, ducts, and additional or larger electrical or
other service facilities may pierce ceilings that are required to have a
fire-resistance rating only when the type of ceiling to be used has been
tested with such types of facilities installed in place and the
proportionate area of openings for such facilities to be installed in
the ceiling does not exceed the proportionate area of such openings in
the assembly tested, and provided no opening is larger than that in the
assembly tested. Protection for such openings shall be the same as
provided in the test. Duct openings installed in accordance with the
foregoing shall be protected by fire dampers complying with the
requirements of subchapter thirteen of this chapter.
Section 27-328
§ 27-328 Fire retardant treated wood. (a) Material. Fire-retardant
treated wood shall be pressure treated with fire retardant chemicals in
accordance with reference standards RS 5-3 and RS 5-4. Where used as a
structural element or as furring, the material shall have a flame spread
rating not greater than twenty-five when tested in accordance with
reference standard RS 5-5 when exposed for a period of at least thirty
minutes, with no evidence of significant progressive combustion. Where
used as interior finish or trim, the material shall have a flame spread
rating that meets the requirements of section 27-348 of this subchapter
for the location in which it is used. Subsequent to treatment, material
two inches thick or less shall be air dried or kiln dried to an average
moisture content of not more than nineteen percent.
(b) Label. All fire-retardant treated wood shall bear the
identification of a testing laboratory or producer certifying to the
performance thereof, in accordance with the acceptance requirements of
section 27-131 of article seven of subchapter one of this chapter.
(c) Application. Fire-retardant treated wood may not be used where
exposed to the weather or in interior spaces where the relative humidity
is normally eighty percent or more. There shall be no fabrication of the
material after treatment, such as cutting, shaping, or grooving for
splines or ring connectors so as to expose untreated surfaces, except
that the material may be cut to length, shaped, or grooved if the
exposed surfaces or edges are tightly butted against other material that
is noncombustible or that is fire retardant treated, so that no
untreated wood is left exposed to danger of ignition. Holes may be bored
or cut for plumbing or heating pipes and for electric outlets only if
the openings are coverd with tightly-fitted noncombustible escutcheons
or cover plates. The allowable working stresses of the material shall be
ninety percent of the allowable stresses for untreated lumber of like
classification.
(d) Where permitted in construction group I. Fire-retardant treated
wood may be used in buildings of construction group I in the following
cases:
(1) As permitted by table 3-4.
(2) For interior non-bearing partitions that are not required to have
a fire-resistance rating.
(3) For interior furring and blocking of exterior walls, furring and
blocking of interior walls and partitions, and framing of suspended
ceilings provided the furring, blocking, and framing do not affect the
integrity, or reduce the fire-resistance rating, of the construction
element.
(4) For interior finish and trim.
(e) Area increase. Fire-retardant treated wood may be used in
construction group II buildings in lieu of untreated wood for wall
studs, bearing partition studs, columns, beams, girders, joists,
rafters, trusses, sole and cap plates, subflooring and roof decks, and
when so used, the area limitations of tables 4-1 and 4-2, for buildings
of construction group II, may be increased by thirty-three and one-third
percent.
Section 27-329
§ 27-329 Opening protectives. Opening protectives, including frames,
self-closing devices, and hardware, shall be classified as to
fire-protection rating in accordance with the test procedures of
reference standards RS 5-6 and RS 5-7, and shall be installed,
maintained, and operated in accordance with the provisions of reference
standard RS 5-8. All opening protectives shall bear the identification
of a testing laboratory or agency certifying to the performance rating
thereof, in accordance with the acceptance requirements of section
27-131 of subchapter one of this chapter.
Section 27-330
§ 27-330 Slow burning plastic. Slow burning plastic shall be of a
material that burns no faster than two and one-half inches per minute in
sheets 0.060 in. thick when tested in accordance with reference standard
RS 5-12 or that is not consumed in less than two minutes when tested in
accordance with reference standard RS 5-13. The thickness of the plastic
material shall be determined by method "B" of reference standard RS
5-14.
To the extent possible under law, Friends of Devin Balkind for Public Advocate has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to New York City Administrative Code. This work is published from: United States.
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