DO YOU FIRESTOP BOTTOM OF WALL

When you have a fire rated wall, let’s say it’s a gypsum wall, and it comes under a concrete deck, we all know the building code requires us to firestop that. But what about the bottom of that wall?  Do we have to firestop THAT? 

Well, if you go to IBC 715.3 it says joints installed in or between fire-resistance rated walls, floors or floor/ceiling assemblies…shall be protected by an approved fire-resistant-joint system…. 

It gives a bunch of exceptions, but the bottom of wall is not one of them.  I have heard valid arguments that suggest bottom of wall should be added to this list, but shaft walls would of course be the exception to this. Check in tomorrow and I will share a discussion about