We're encountering an issue with how to install fire caulking on our project. We have (11) plumbing penetrations through 2 1/2" concrete in the ceiling above. Our project is on the 5th floor of a building, and the 6th floor has some plumbing fixtures being serviced by the plumbing in our ceiling space. Several of the penetrations have 2-3 pipes running through them, and although they're currently packed with mineral wool, there's no fire caulking installed on the top of the bottom of these penetrations. Our building inspector failed our ceiling inspection due to the lack of fire caulking in these locations, and we can't find a product/UL listing that indicates installing fire caulk from the bottom of the penetration is acceptable.
The UL listings we've found (such as FA 1127) indicated the fire caulking needing to be installed from the top of the penetration, flush with the floor. It seems to me at least, that installing the fire caulk to be flush with the bottom of the penetration would provide same or similar performance standards, but without a UL listing specifying that, our building inspector will not sign off.
Could you please provide confirmation on whether the fire caulking can be installed from the bottom of these penetrations, instead of the top as indicated in this UL listing? If not, is there another product that we could utilize instead? The only other alternative would be going onto the 6th floor (which is occupied) and chipping tile/removing carpet to access the penetrations and calking them there.
Gage,
Thank you for reaching out to the Hilti Fire Protection Design Team to assist you with your firestop engineering needs. Unless a system specifies that the sealant is installed at the bottom of the slab, then you cannot install the sealant on the bottom side if the sealant is being shown on the top. Because fire travels upward, moving the sealant to the bottom of the slab is often going to be a much more severe application than placing the sealant at the top of the slab, especially considering mineral wool will absorb a lot of that upward heat traveling through the opening. As such, if you don’t find a listed system specifying the underside sealant, then we can address your application through an Engineering Judgment which will be a custom detail showing your exact application with the firestop components required to maintain the stated ratings.
Hilti is proud to announce the launch of our engineering website, the HILTI CONSTRUCTION PLATFORM (HCP). This platform will be the home for all of your Fire Protection Engineering needs, including Engineering Judgment requests. You can find more information on how to access this new platform here: https://www.hilti.com/ej (US) or https://www.hilti.ca/ej (Canada.)
Along with HCP, Hilti is excited to announce our new mobile app for all your firestop needs: Hilti Firestop Selector. Using the Firestop Selector app gives you easy access to the Hilti Fire Protection Design Team from the jobsite, on the road, or in the office to request a new EJ, an EJ Revision, or ask a Question anytime, anywhere. You can download the app using the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
If you have any questions, please reach out to our customer service team at 1-800-879-8000 (US) or 1-800-363-4458 (Canada) for assistance.
Thank you,
Jessica Starks
Senior Fire Protection Engineer