Page 30 - CodeWatcher Summer 2017

Product Solutions

Meet Fire Codes, Cut Costs

A new technology is helping lower the cost of meeting fire code.

BY SARAH CAPERTON

HERE’S NOW NEW TECHNOLOGY to
help builders confidently meet fire code at
a lower cost than previously possible. The
key is reducing the amount of gypsum
needed to achieve code compliance.
Gypsum panels have been used in wall
Tassemblies for more than a century. In
addition, gypsum shaft liner panels have long been a key
component of code-compliant walls used in townhome
separation walls. But shaft liner wall applications require
numerous metal components, plus a crew well-versed in
the methods of installing them. This UL-listed wall assembly uses fire-rated OSB. The panels cut
Advances in fire-resistant OSB—such as LP FlameBlock easily and no special parts are needed. Best of all, the U350
Fire-Rated OSB Sheathing—have resulted in a two-hour assembly is more than 200 pounds lighter per 4´ x 8´ area than a
fire-rated wall assembly that is easier to install than those U375 or similar wall assembly using shaft wall liner.
using shaft wall liner. eliminates the heavy, one-inch-thick gypsum and additional
parts needed for an assembly using shaft wall liner, the
Cost-Effective Alternative volunteers were able to construct the walls much faster.
Although shaft liner walls have been widely used to meet “I would say the assemblies were built probably a month
fire codes for decades, they pose many challenges. One is or two faster than shaft wall assemblies would have taken,”
weight: a 4´ x 8´ section of shaft wall can weigh more than says Allen. “If this job had used production builders, I can
630 pounds. Traditional shaft wall liner is often difficult see how this assembly would greatly affect the cost of a build
to cut and must be augmented by numerous metal parts because of time and labor savings.”
(including C-channels, H-studs and breakaway clips). Although the U350 wall assembly is not yet common in
There’s now a UL-listed wall assembly that uses fire-rated New Castle County, the code officials saw that it was a 2-hour
OSB to solve these problems. The panels cut easily and no rated UL-listed assembly for partition walls and had no
special parts are needed. Best of all, the U350 assembly is problem approving it.
more than 200 pounds lighter per 4´ x 8´ area than a U375
or similar wall assembly using shaft wall liner. Solving Labor and Material Costs
Wall assemblies like U350 that use fire-resistant OSB are
Wall Assemblies in Action helping architects and builders meet fire code while lowering
Volunteers from Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County both labor and material costs compared to assemblies
(Delaware) recently used U350 wall assemblies to build area utilizing shaft wall liner. It’s the ideal way to balance building
separation walls at nine single-family attached townhomes. safety and budget issues.
Many of the volunteers lacked building expertise and weren’t For more information on this product solution, download
able to install shaft liner wall assemblies. However, they were the pdf here. CW
able to assemble and place the U350 wall assemblies on the
ground, then raise them up for easy installation. Sarah Caperton is OSB Product Manager at
“Our volunteers range from people who have never touched Louisiana-Pacific Corporation.
a hammer to semi-professional framers,” says Sean Allen,
the organization’s director of construction and real estate.
“The typical partition wall uses a heavier material, and it’s
cumbersome and poses safety issues for our volunteers.”
Because the U350 wall assembly using fire-resistant OSB

30 CodeWatcher / Summer 2017 www.codewatcher.us