Is a Terracotta block wall a fire rated wall, and if so are there UL systems for penetrations?
Robert:
Terracotta block walls are essentially an old type of CMU wall. Since terracotta and CMU walls can generically be categorized as masonry walls, it is expected that these walls will have similar fire resistive properties. Although there are no UL tested and listed systems for terracotta walls, our Fire Protection Engineers should be able to provide an engineering judgment for a penetration through a terracotta wall based on similar tested systems for concrete masonry walls.
Our Engineering Judgment (EJ) request form is available for download from our website: https://www.hilti.com/content/hilti/W1/US/en/engineering/design-centers/firestop/engineering-judgments.html If you have any questions regarding the form please contact our team of Fire Protection Engineers at usfirestopeng@hilti.com. The completed EJ form should be sent to this address for processing.
Have a great day!
Randy
Hi Robert:
I'm waiting to confer with a colleague regarding your question. In the interim, would you happen to know the UL wall designation assigned to the terracotta block wall? I'll get back to you as soon as I get a response.
Randy