A column is a vertical building element that provides structural support by carrying a load in compression. Columns, one of the oldest designed structural elements, were used by the Greeks and Romans to construct massive temples and bridges.
One of the most basic
principles of fire-rated assembly application is addressed in the Fire
Resistance Design Manual (GA-600) with a simple phrase: “systems tested
vertically shall not be permitted to be arbitrarily used in horizontal
orientation.”
Modern gypsum board has as its predecessor a product called "Sackett Board," a composite material that was made of layers of thin plaster placed between four plies of wool felt paper.
