Pipe fireproofing

[pop1888]

Hi,
I am seeing this in a residential condo unit and the pvc pipe is coming from the unit above and into the unit below through the concrete ceiling. It doesn't look right at all but I'm an electrical engineer and I'm looking for some info with someone who knows the fire code/plumbing better as to whether or not this is fireproofed properly and/or what fireproofing would be required to bring this to code? The blue cable is a network cable which also isn't installed properly.

Thanks.

 

[skdesigner]

If I was a betting man, I'd say the plumbers set the sleeve in the wrong location and missed the wall in the suite above that the drain needed to be installed inside. If it was an architectural change after the concrete was poured, it would just be a legitimate extra and they'd x-ray and core properly. No subcontractor is going to take a hammer drill to a slab like that unless it was their mistake.

There is no fire stopping currently installed. The thing beside the drain with the nails hanging out of it is just a sleeve that was nailed into the formwork before the concrete was poured.

The architectural drawings should show the fire stopping details, and the contractor doing the work probably hasn't gotten to that suite yet. Send these pics to the architect and let them handle it.

 

[pop1888]

Hi, Thanks for the reply. The unit already had occupants living in it for years. This was only discovered recently when the drywall ceiling was taken down. So I dont think it was cored properly. Wondering what would need to be done to get this up to code.

 

[cdafd]

Hire a company that does fire stop assemblies, and other fire stop products

And also certifies their work

Only true way that it might get fire stopped correctly.

Don’t just let them use red fire stop caulk

And No Foam!!!!

How many stories is the building!

And these are not like a townhouse??? Where one tenant occupies 2 or 3 floors?

 

[skdesigner]

My mistake. I saw the bare steel studs in the second picture and assumed that construction was ongoing.

It's hard to comment on specific building/fire/plumbing code issues if we don't know where you are or what code you're following. As an electrical engineer, your duty of care probably involves notifying the suite owner and possibly the condo board, rather than trying to figure out how to fix it yourself. The building probably isn't going to collapse from that hack job, but it still represents a fairly serious threat to life safety in terms of permitting the passage of smoke or fire through what is presumably supposed to be a rated floor assembly.

Like cdafd said above, the right way to do it is for the suite owner or condo board to hire a fire stopping company and let them figure out the means & methods. It will probably all be handled by the insurance company, who will then likely go after everyone who had a hand in designing or constructing the building. Imagine what they might find if they pull down some ceilings in some other units.

 

[pop1888]

Yeah definitely not fixing it myself but before bringing it up. Just wanted to confirm that what I thought about it not being fire stopped properly is correct so I can bring it up and let the condo have someone in to assess. Thanks.

 

[pop1888]

Condo is in Canada and I think I found the building code that refers to the fire stopping of combustible piping and from my interpretation of it, that pipe penetratiom is not up to code. I think number 3 applies to this situation, is that the right interpretation?

3.1.9.4. Combustible Piping Penetrations

(1) Except as permitted by Sentences (3) to (8), combustiblepiping shall not be used if any part of the piping system penetrates,

(a) a fire separation required to have a fire-resistance rating, or

(b) a membrane that forms part of an assembly required to have a fire-resistance rating.

(2) Combustiblepiping that is part of a system described in Sentence (1) shall not be located in a vertical service space.

(3) Except as provided by Sentences (4) to (7), combustiblepiping is permitted to penetrate a fire separationrequired to have a fire-resistance rating or is permitted to penetrate a membrane that forms part of an assembly required to have a fire-resistance rating, provided the piping is sealed at the penetration by a fire stop that has an F rating not less than the fire-resistance ratingrequired for the fire separation when subjected to the fire test method in CAN/ulc-S115, "Fire Tests of Firestop Systems", with a pressure differential of 50 Pa between the exposed and unexposed sides, with the higher pressure on the exposed side.

(4) Except as required by Sentence (7), combustibledrain piping is permitted to penetrate a horizontal fire separation, provided it leads directly from a noncombustiblewater closet through a concrete floor slab and the piping is sealed at the penetration by a fire stop in conformance with Clause 3.1.9.1.(1)(a).

(5) Except as required by Sentence (7), combustiblepiping is permitted to penetrate a vertical or horizontal fire separation, provided the fire compartmentson each side of the fire separation are sprinklered and the piping is sealed at the penetration by a fire stop in conformance with Clause 3.1.9.1.(1)(a).

(6) Except as required by Sentence (7), combustiblepiping not more than 25 mm in diameter containing chlorine gas is permitted to penetrate a fire separation between a chlorine gas service room built in conjunction with a public pool or public spa and the remainder of the building, provided the piping is sealed at the penetration by a fire stop in conformance with Clause 3.1.9.1.(1)(a).

(7) Where combustible piping penetrates a firewall or a horizontal fire separation described in Sentence 3.2.1.2.(1), the piping shall be sealed at the penetration by a fire stop that has an FT rating not less than the fire-resistance ratingrequired for the firewall or horizontal fire separation when subjected to the fire test method in CAN/ulc-S115, "Fire Tests of Firestop Systems", and,

(a) the fire stopshall have been tested with a pressure differential of 50 Pa between the exposed and unexposed sides, with the higher pressure on the exposed side, or

(b) the fire compartments on each side of the firewall or horizontal fire separation shall be sprinklered.

(8) Combustiblepiping for central vacuum cleaning systems is permitted to penetrate a fire separation, provided the installation conforms to the requirements that apply to combustible piping specified in Sentence (3).

 

[cdafd]

Post your question here also

There are some across the border people on it

https://www.thebuildingcodeforum.com/forum/forums/canada.106/