In a recent Q&A on the FacilityCare website, consultant Brad Keyes answered a question about sealing penetrations in smoke barriers.
Q: Our life safety drawings identify the corridors in our hospital as smoke barriers. My question is, do wall penetrations above the dropped ceiling need to be sealed with a fire caulk like products used in one- and two-hour-rated walls?
A: It sounds to me that your corridor walls may be misidentified. What does your drawing say in describing a smoke barrier?
In a hospital, walls that are considered smoke compartment barriers are constructed of one-hour fire-resistive materials and actually subdivide a story into two or more smoke compartments where staff and patients will seek refuge when a fire breaks out in their smoke compartment.
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