Funded by the Post-Frame Market Initiative, the National Frame Building Association (NFBA) has approved funding for testing to develop a cost effective, 3-hour, fire-rated wood wall assembly for commercial post-frame buildings. Existing wood walls can be listed as 1- or 2-hour fire-rated. NFBA has already completed a report that describes a tested 1-hour fire-rated post-frame wall assembly.
Under the supervision of Dr. Robert White, small-scale testing has been completed at the Forest Products Labs to screen candidate wall constructions for full-scale testing. Utilizing the results and conclusions from the small-scale tests, a post-frame wall construction that has a high probability of passing the full-scale 3-hour fire wall test will be developed. After the full-scale fire test has been passed, an approved listing by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. or other approval agency will be provided.
This 3-hour fire wall approved listing will show that wood post-frame walls, constructed as tested, can be used in several building occupancy types (described in the International Building Code) in which post-frame was previously not allowed. The projected completion date for the final assembly listing by an approved listing agency is December 2011.
Source: Post-Frame Initiative, National Frame Building Association
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