The Metal Building Manufacturers Association has announced a new fire wall listing. The intent of the test program was to develop a fire resistance-rated, non-load bearing metal building wall assembly.
The listing can be found in the UL Fire Resistance Directory as UL Design 404. This listing complements the 12 existing UL-rated assemblies already in use for metal building systems and offers building contractors a simplified construction alternative.
A new wall design includes several variations that will meet future energy codes by including a broad range of blanket and/or rigid board insulation options.
The new UL Design W404 consists of an exterior wall assembly that is constructed of the most common metal building structural components.
The exterior metal cladding and interior sides were both subjected to separate one-hour fire tests, as well as hose stream tests immediately following each burn. The fire tests determined the UL rating, or the amount of time that the assembly would hold up during a significant fire event.
The fire resistance design listings enable architects and designers to use metal buildings for higher occupancy commercial, institutional, and governmental uses and can increase allowable floor area.
The 12 existing UL-rated assemblies are explained in detail in MBMA’s Fire Resistance Design Guide for Metal Building Systems, available at www.mbma.com/bookstore.
