With 2012 IBC and 2013 CBC now in effect, special inspections for firestop penetrations and joints will now be required for high-rise buildings (structures greater than 75-feet above fire department access) as well as Category III or IV buildings and/or special occupancies under Chapter 17.
Special inspections will require visual and or destructive testing. Destructive testing is when the special inspector will wait until the firestop product is fully cured and then take a “coupon” (removal of field installed firestop sealant or fire spray) of the sealant/spray to verify its depth at multiple locations at the bond lines. The bond line would be either at the penetration or the perimeter joint of the substrate interface. The special inspector would need to obtain the average shrinkage value of the material; the wet thickness of the material listed in the tested listed systems and verifies that the cured depth of material at the bond line meets these parameters. Depending on the condition, multiple coupons or sample sections must be taken, inspected and then properly repaired. One area often overlooked by contractors and inspectors is that some firestopping materials can take weeks to fully cure depending on variables like the humidity and temperature causing challenges to project timelines if not properly planned for.