ASTM E814 Standard Test Method for Fire Tests of Penetration Firestop Systems

ASTM E814 applies to various materials and construction firestop systems. Fire stop systems are used in openings in fire-resistive walls and floors that are evaluated according to ASTM E119. This test method is conducted to record firestop performance during the test exposure, but as such the test cannot be used to determine the suitability of the firestop system for use after test exposure. This test method does not apply to membrane penetration of a floor ceiling assembly or roof ceiling assembly.

Test Procedure:

In ASTM E814, the initial stage time of the test is decided as per the condition or the strength of the material or device that is used to seal the opening.When assembly is built and if it can sustain the membrane penetration of both the sites on one surface of wall then only single fire test and hose stream test is permitted to conduct.A fire test is conducted until the evaluation period is completed or until the defined rating criteria. 

For the hose stream test, a duplicate specimen is subjected to a fire exposure test to a time equal to one and half the resistance period in the fire test, but not more than 60 minutes. Immediately the specimen is tested for impact test erosion and cooling effects for the hose stream as described in ASTM E226 and in accordance with the pressure and duration specified in the below table:

Video 01: Firestop through penetration

Test Specimen:

In ASTM E814, the installation of through-penetrating items is in such a way that they extend 12 ±1 inches (305± 25 mm) on the exposed side and 36 ± 1 inches (914 ± 25 mm) on the unexposed side. For wall membrane penetration tests, any linear penetrating item shall be routed vertically up from the membrane penetration. The linear penetrating item shall exit the wall cavity 9 ± 0.5 in. (229 ± 13 mm) below the top-most element of the test assembly frame through a hole in the wall surface having an annular space of 0.5 inches (13 mm) or less. The annular space of that hole shall be sealed with tightly packed ceramic fiber.

Data:

When the indicated firestop system rating period is 60 min or over, a correction shall be applied for a variation of the furnace exposure from the prescribed, and the correction can be calculated as:

Where,

C: correction in the same units as I,

I: indicated fire-resistance period, 

A: area under the curve of indicated average furnace temperature for the first three-fourths of the indicated period, 

A_s: area under the standard furnace curve for the same part of the indicated period, and

L: lag correction in the same units as A and As.

Conclusion:  

ASTM E814 provides the test method for fire tests of penetration firestop systems. It exposes the fire stop system to standard temperature-time fire and subsequent application of hose stream.