Fire rated exterior (sheer rated) sheeting. 1

[battman]

I am working on a design of a hotel, that requires a one hour fire rating along with shear value (not yet determined) to install beneath Vinyl Siding. Drywall is out of the question because it loses it's shear value when wet. Any Suggestions?

- Thanks in advance,
Randy

 

[Ron]

You will need to use a structural sheathing such as OSB or even some of the thin fiberboards such as ThermaPly (with appropriate structural rating and nailing pattern).

 

[ishvaaag]

This kind of question reminds me one example one gave regarding competitions, where designers making entries got and get limited to do less than able to through regulations: draw on a foot with a hand behind.

Normally one (if only from geographical location, or indication of someone with authority) wants a solution which is far from whatever a structural designer would commend, and not that price is (at least always) the prime consideration, even within solutions in the range of cost, but merely the one that decides upon pride, custom wants other thing.

It is clear that to provide strauctural strength and stability, and serviceability can be made in may ways, and it is the art of the designer to select which to use; I understand that someone may want what you want, but I only in extreme circumnstances would be considering anything like that, if only because where I live we provide systematically full skeleton structure for every building at hand, so the shear wall thing -for houses or so- falls beyond the scope of things to do.

That they want a shear wall? You can do in every material, but are they going to consider...which of them? Masonries you have in every flavor. Precast you can also use. You could use sheet metal. So it is easier to ask to the onde that decides What do you want? and forfeit unfruitful considerations.

 

[Trussdoc]

There are water-resistant gypsumboard materials available; contact the Gypsum Association (202 289 5440)The GA Fire resistance Design Manual gives a number of fire resistance assemblies acceptable for exterior walls.

BOCA Building Code (1996) Table 2502.1 gives allowable shear values for Gypsum sheathing.

 

[Mattman]

There are UL designs that meet the 1 hour rating and allow the use of regular (not fire-retardant) APA rated sheathing. Look into UL Des. Nos. U344 (gyp board inside, batt insul, APA sheathing covered by gyp board outside), U356 (gyp. board inside, batts, wood sheathing covered by vinyl siding-among other choices-outside), etc. Good luck.

Oh, hey, battman. Here is a bad pun/riddle I made up:

How does Bruce Wayne keep his mansion warm?

Batt insulation!