Firestop to Foam or not to Foam
Let’s talk about the Firestop to Foam or not to Foam and the difference between all these foams on the market.
This post was content created for Adhesives.org in 2018/19. It was paid content, therefore the post below belongs to the organization. It is being reposted here because the original post is no longer available on line and we wanted to share this information with people.
Firestop to Foam or not to Foam is an ever-evolving industry. New materials are coming out regularly and new uses for existing materials are as well. Our discussion today is about foams. Some materials help stop the movement of smoke, while others prevent the spread of fire. Then others have the potential to be accelerants, meaning they would help the spread of a fire rather than slow it.
Clearly you want to know that the right material is being used in a fire rated assembly. This discussion will help shed some light on what you need to look for to ensure you are using the right materials for the right applications.
The foam that contractors use in residential construction to help fill the gaps around windows and doors works great to keep the hot summer and the cold winters on the outside of your house. They are often not appropriate materials in other types of construction. For example, if you are building an apartment building, hospital, or other types of construction, you cannot use materials that lack testing to ASTM E84 and do not meet specific flame spread and smoke development standards. We talked about this in our discussion about fireblocking. You may review that here. http://www.adhesives.org/resources/knowledge-center/aggregate-single/fireproofing-firestopping-and-fireblocking-part-4-of-4
We test fireblocking material to ensure it does not promote the spread of smoke and fire. It has any number of great uses, but firestopping is NOT one of them. As we discussed in these two blog posts, we test firestop assemblies to a very different standard than fireblocking: http://www.adhesives.org/resources/knowledge-center/aggregate-single/fireproofing-firestopping-and-fireblocking-part-3-of-4
So let’s look at a few of the foam products out there. Great Stuff offers a product tested to ASTM E84, and the paperwork states it meets a modified ASTM E814 standard. Please be careful with this. Just because a material displays ASTM E814 doesn’t mean you can use it for firestopping. This material is only for use as a fireblock. Firestop applications undergo testing to ASTM E814 and include paperwork that specifies how to install them, the types of assemblies they can penetrate, the penetrations allowed, the size of the gaps around those penetrations, and the various materials needed to create the firestop application, among other details. The paperwork is more than just paperwork. It outlines exacly how the installation needs to be completed in order to perform as expected.
A perfect example is ABESCO foam. This material works well for fireblocking applications and has undergone testing for several ASTM E814 applications, so you can use it as a firestop material. Let’s be very clear on this however. This material has significant limitations on its use. You can use it for 15 different firestop applications, which you can find here: http://productspec.ul.com/search.php?type=system&print=true&firestoptype=&item=&rating=&manufacturer=abesco&keyword=FP+200+FR&form=http%3A%2F%2Fproductspec.ul.com%2Findex.php%3Ftype%3Dfirestop%26form%3Dfull
Let’s distill this information. You can use the Abesco FP200 FR Foam only with cables and metal pipes; it cannot work with plastic or insulated pipes. How do I know this? There are no listed details for those applications.
If you are working on a wood-framed project, there are two details for using FP200 FR Foam when cables run through the floor-ceiling assembly. However, there are no details for any penetrations other than cable applications. Floors require sleeves to ensure that installers use the appropriate amount of material.
Walls tell a different story. We have listed details for various cables and metal pipes. Be careful to ensure that installations conform to these details. Some require sleeves, others need mineral wool, and some require additional materials alongside FP200 FR Foam. Like all firestop installations, you must use it in the same manner that testing demonstrated.
The next two foams we will talk about are a little more versatile, but probably more expensive too. Hilti and 3M both make a firestop foam. The materials come in a two-part container and require a mixing nozzle to properly combine part one and part two, allowing the material to expand during installation. The foams are excellent products to use in complicated installations. For example, if you encounter a bank of electrical cables or conduits where firestopping is difficult, you can use a nozzle and potentially an extension nozzle to reach areas that traditional sealant applications cannot access.
FP 200 FR Expanding Foam for use in Through-penetration Firestop System Nos. F-A-0029, F-C-3088, W-J-1192, W-J-1233, W-J-1320, W-J-3151, W-J-3201, W-J-3202, W-L-1390, W-L-1476, W-L-3291, W-L-3397, W-L-3398, W-L-1482.