There is for walls, but not floors. The code section below leads me to believe there are glass blocks that carry a rating. Whoever is spec'ing the glass block will need to check the listing to see if they are listed for wall or floor use.
404.6 Enclosure of atriums. Atrium spaces shall be separated from adjacent spaces by a 1-hour fire barrier constructed in accordance with Section 707 or a horizontal assembly constructed in accordance with Section 711, or both. Exception: A fire barrier is not required where a glass wall forming a smoke partition is provided. The glass wall shall comply with all of the following: 1. Automatic sprinklers are provided along both sides of the separation wall and doors, or on the room side only if there is not a walkway on the atrium side. The sprinklers shall be located between 4 inches and 12 inches (102 mm and 305 mm) away from the glass and at intervals along the glass not greater than 6 feet (1829 mm). The sprinkler system shall be designed so that the entire surface of the glass is wet upon activation of the sprinkler system without obstruction; 1.1. The glass wall shall be installed in a gasketed frame in a manner that the framing system deflects without breaking (loading) the glass before the sprinkler system operates; and 1.2. Where glass doors are provided in the glass wall, they shall be either self-closing or automatic-closing. 2. A fire barrier is not required where a glass-block wall assembly complying with Section 2110 and having a 3/4-hour fire protection rating is provided. 3. A fire barrier is not required between the atrium and the adjoining spaces of any three floors of the atrium provided such spaces are accounted for in the design of the smoke control system. Duane Johnson, PE Program Manager Division of the Fire Marshal (Support Contractor) Office of Research Services National Institutes of Health 301-496-0487 "Protecting Science - One Sprinkler at a Time" -----Original Message----- From: Dewayne Martinez [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2012 4:48 PM To: SprinklerFORUM Subject: glass block floor - 1hr rating Have a building where the architect wants to install a glass block floor in lieu of an atrium opening but the floor needs to have a 1 hr rating. Is there anywhere in the IBC/IFC/NFPA code that allows sprinkler protection to provide the 1hr rating? Thanks, Dewayne Martinez Design Build Fire Protection 262-784-7900 (w) 262-784-8401 (f) 414-349-0468 (cell) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/private/sprinklerforum/attachments/20120412/eecaefc5/attachment.html> _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list [email protected] http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum _______________________________________________ Sprinklerforum mailing list [email protected] http://fireball.firesprinkler.org/mailman/listinfo/sprinklerforum
