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<p><b>Fire blocking</b> or <b>firestopping</b> is a system of supplemental components in a wood-framed wall or ceiling, which prevents the rapid propagation of fire within a combustible framing cavity to other areas.
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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Description_and_function">Description and function</h2></div>
<p>In wood framed construction, fire blocking usually takes the form of short lengths of the same dimensional lumber used in the wall or floor/ceiling framing, installed perpendicular to the primary structural framing, completely obstructing the wall cavity. The <a href="International_Residential_Code" class="mw-redirect" title="International Residential Code">International Residential Code</a> (IRC) and <a href="International_Building_Code" class="mw-redirect" title="International Building Code">International Building Code</a> (IBC) both require fire blocking in combustible construction at transitions between horizontal and vertical framing, and in vertical cavities at intervals at no more than 10 feet (3.0 m) spacing between blocking, at the top and bottom of stair framing, and within exterior cornices.<sup id="cite_ref-irc-R302.11-2021_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-irc-R302.11-2021-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Other materials used for fireblocking may include noncombustible materials such as gypsum board, cement board, or mineral fiber insulation blankets<sup id="cite_ref-ibc-718.2.1-2021_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-ibc-718.2.1-2021-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-guertin2020_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-guertin2020-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-haughton2017_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-haughton2017-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
</p><p>Fire blocking is most critical in <a href="Framing_(construction)" title="Framing (construction)">balloon framing</a>, where a cavity may traverse multiple floors. More modern methods of platform-framing provide inherent fireblocking in most cases, since the cavity is interrupted at every floor level by top and bottom sill plates. Fire blocking may also serve as <a href="Cross_bracing" title="Cross bracing">bridging</a> between framing elements, stiffening them against lateral buckling.<sup id="cite_ref-haughton2017_4-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-haughton2017-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-bowker2015_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bowker2015-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
</p><p>Fire blocking or firestopping terminology was used interchangeably in code language from its first mention in the 1905 National Building Code (NBC), and requirements were expanded in the 1927 <a href="Uniform_Building_Code" title="Uniform Building Code">Uniform Building Code</a> (UBC). Building code terminology settled on different definitions of the terms by 2000.<sup id="cite_ref-haughton2017_4-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-haughton2017-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>
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<li id="cite_note-irc-R302.11-2021-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-irc-R302.11-2021_1-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">
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</style><cite class="citation book cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://codes.iccsafe.org/s/IRC2015/chapter-3-building-planning/IRC2015-Pt03-Ch03-SecR302.11"><i>2021 International Residential Code</i></a> (2021 ed.). ICC Digital Codes. 2021. p. R302.11. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>978-1609839574</bdi><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">16 January</span> 2024</span>.</cite></span>
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<li id="cite_note-ibc-718.2.1-2021-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-ibc-718.2.1-2021_2-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation book cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IBC2021P1/chapter-7-fire-and-smoke-protection-features#IBC2021P1_Ch07_Sec718"><i>2021 International Building Code</i></a> (2021 ed.). ICC Digital Codes. 2021. p. 718.2.1. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>978-1609839550</bdi><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">16 January</span> 2024</span>.</cite></span>
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<li id="cite_note-guertin2020-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-guertin2020_3-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite id="CITEREFGuertin2020" class="citation cs2">Guertin, Mike (December 2020), <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.finehomebuilding.com/project-guides/framing/7-common-fireblocking-locations">"7 Common Fireblocking Locations"</a>, <i>Fine Homebuilding</i><span class="reference-accessdate">, retrieved <span class="nowrap">17 January</span> 2024</span></cite></span>
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<li id="cite_note-haughton2017-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-haughton2017_4-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-haughton2017_4-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-haughton2017_4-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite id="CITEREFHaughton2017" class="citation web cs1">Haughton, Lonnie (February 2017). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://iibec.org/wp-content/uploads/2017-02-haughton.pdf">"A Brief History of Code-Required "Fireblocking" at Concealed Spaces"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. <i>Interface</i>. International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants. pp. <span class="nowrap">19–</span>27<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">17 January</span> 2024</span>.</cite></span>
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<li id="cite_note-bowker2015-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-bowker2015_5-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite id="CITEREFBowker2015" class="citation web cs1">Bowker, Gary (February 11, 2015). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.firerescue1.com/building-construction/articles/fighting-the-balloon-frame-construction-fire-r7WTUe6QEmgytrUY/">"Fighting the balloon-frame construction fire"</a>. <i>FireRescue1</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">16 January</span> 2024</span>.</cite></span>
</li>
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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2></div>
<ul><li><a href="Firestop" title="Firestop">Firestop</a>, specifically-formulated materials that prevent fire migration at joints between materials and at penetrations in building elements</li></ul></div><!--htdig_noindex--><div><div class="zim-footer">
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