3.1.8.7 — Location of Fire Dampers and Smoke Dampers

(1) Except as permitted by Sentences (2) and 3.1.8.14. (1), the fire-protection rating for a closure shall be determined in accordance with, (a) CAN/ULC-S104, “Fire Tests of Door Assemblies”, (b) CAN/ULC-S106, “Fire Tests of Window and Glass Block Assemblies”, or (c) CAN/ULC-S112, “Fire Test of Fire Damper Assemblies”. (2) Except as permitted by Sentence 3.1.8.10. (1), the fire-protection rating of a closure shall conform to Table 3.1.8.4. for the required fire-resistance rating of the fire separation. (3) The leakage rate of smoke dampers and combination smoke and fire dampers shall, (a) be determined in accordance with the applicable provisions in CAN/ULC-S112.1, “Leakage Rated Dampers for Use in Smoke Control Systems”, and (b) conform to Class I, II or III of that standard. (4) The leakage rate of a door assembly shall be determined in accordance with ANSI/UL-1784, “Air Leakage Tests of Door Assemblies and Other Opening Protectives”.

(1) Except as permitted in Sentence (2), the requirement for smoke dampers or combination smoke and fire dampers described in Sentence 3.1.8.7. (2) is permitted to be waived for ducts, (a) that serve commercial cooking equipment, (b) in which all inlet and outlet openings serve not more than one fire compartment, (c) that penetrate a vertical fire separation referred to in Clause 3.3.1.7. (1)(b) or in Sentence 3.3.3.5. (4), provided, (i) the movement of air is continuous, and (ii) the configuration of the air-handling system prevents the recirculation of exhaust or return air under fire emergency conditions, or (d) that penetrate a vertical fire separation not required to have a fire-resistance rating and located within the fire compartment required in Sentence 3.3.3.5. (2). (2) The requirement for smoke dampers or combination smoke and fire dampers described in Sentence 3.1.8.7. (2) is permitted to be waived for noncombustible branch ducts having a melting point above 760°C that penetrate a fire separation, (a) provided the ducts, (i) have a cross-sectional area not more than 130 cm² and serve only air-conditioning units or combined air-conditioning and heating units discharging air not more than 1.2 m above the floor, (ii) extend not less than 500 mm inside exhaust duct risers that are under negative pressure and in which the airflow is upward as required by Article 3.6.3.4., or (iii) are required to function as part of an air handling system used to provide make-up air in accordance with Sentence 3.2.6.2.(5.1), or any other system used to limit smoke movement, or, (b) provided the fire separation separates a vertical service space from the remainder of the building and provided each individual duct exhausts directly to the outdoors at the top of the vertical service space.

(1) Where smoke dampers are used as a closure in an air-transfer opening, they shall be installed in the plane of the fire separation. (2) Where combination smoke and fire dampers are used as a closure in a duct, they shall be installed within 610 mm of the plane of the fire separation, provided there is no inlet or outlet opening between the fire separation and the damper. (3) Except as required by a smoke control system, smoke dampers and combination smoke and fire dampers shall be configured so as to close automatically upon a signal from an adjacent smoke detector located as described in CAN/ULC-S524, “Installation of Fire Alarm Systems”, within 1.5 m horizontally of the duct or air-transfer opening in the fire separation, (a) on both sides of the air-transfer opening, or (b) in the duct downstream of the smoke damper or combination smoke and fire damper. (4) Smoke dampers or combination smoke and fire dampers shall be installed in the vertical or horizontal position in which they were tested. (5) A tightly fitted access door shall be installed for each smoke damper and combination smoke and fire damper to provide access for their inspection and the resetting of the release device.

(1) Except as provided in Sentences (2) and (3), every floor area above or below the first storey that has a barrier-free path of travel shall, (a) be served by an elevator, (i) conforming to Sentences 3.2.6.5. (4) to (6), (ii) protected against fire in conformance with Clause 3.2.6.5. (3)(b) or (c), and (iii) in a building over 3 storeys in building height, protected against smoke movement so that the hoistway will not contain more than 1% by volume of contaminated air from a fire floor during a period of 2 h after the start of a fire, assuming an outdoor temperature equal to the January design temperature on a 2.5% basis determined in conformance with MMAH Supplementary Standard SB-1, “Climatic and Seismic Data”, or (b) be divided into at least two zones by fire separations conforming to Sentences (4) and (5) and 3.1.8.5. (6) so that, (i) persons with physical disabilities can be accommodated in each zone, (ii) the travel distance from any point in one zone to a doorway leading to another zone shall be not more than the value for travel distance permitted by Sentence 3.4.2.5. (1) for the occupancy classification of the zone, and (iii) a barrier-free path of travel is provided to an exit. (2) In residential occupancies, the requirements of Sentence (1) are waived if a balcony conforming to Sentence (7) is provided for each suite, except for suites on the storey containing the barrier-free entrance described in Article 3.8.1.2. (3) The requirements of Sentences (1) and (2) are waived when the building is sprinklered. (4) Except as permitted by Sentence (5), the fire separations referred to in Clause (1)(b) shall have a fire-resistance rating not less than 1 h. (5) The fire-resistance rating of the fire separations referred to in Clause (1)(b) is permitted to be less than 1 h but not less than 45 min provided the fire-resistance rating required by Subsection 3.2.2. is permitted to be less than 1 h for, (a) the floor assembly above the floor area, or (b) the floor assembly below the floor area, if there is no floor assembly above. (6) Reserved (7) A balcony required by Sentence (2) shall, (a) be provided with a door way having a clear width of not less that 800 mm when the door is in the open position, (b) have no projection above the walking surface more than 13 mm, (c) be not less than 1.5 m deep from the outside face of the exterior wall to the inside edge of the balcony, and (d) provide not less than 0.5 m2 for each occupant of the suite.

(1) Floor areas containing patients’ or residents’ sleeping rooms in a hospital or long-term care home shall conform to Sentences (2) to (12). (2) Except as permitted by Sentence (3), a floor area containing patients’ or residents’ sleeping rooms in a hospital or long-term care home shall be divided into no fewer than two fire compartments, each not more than 1 000 m2 in area. (3) The floor area on either side of a horizontal exit conforming to Article 3.4.6.10. is permitted to be considered as a fire compartment in applying the requirements of this Article. (4) Except as permitted by Sentence (5), fire separations separating fire compartments required by Sentence (2) shall have a fire-resistance rating not less than 1 h. (5) The fire-resistance rating of a fire separation referred to in Sentence (4) is permitted to be less than 1 h but not less than 45 min provided the fire-resistance rating required by Subsection 3.2.2. is permitted to be less than 1 h for, (a) the floor assembly above the floor area, or (b) the floor assembly below the floor area, if there is no floor assembly above. (6) Reserved (7) The travel distance from any point within each fire compartment referred to in Sentence (2) to a door to an adjoining fire compartment shall be not more than 45 m. (8) Each fire compartment referred to in Sentence (2) shall be capable of accommodating, in addition to its own occupants, the occupants of the largest adjacent fire compartment based on a clear floor space of 2.5 m2 per patient or resident in the adjacent fire compartment. (9) Except as permitted by Sentences (10) and (11), walls between patients’ or residents’ sleeping rooms and the remainder of the floor area shall be constructed as fire separations but are not required to have a fire-resistance rating unless a fire-resistance rating is required by other provisions in this Part. (10) The fire separation requirements of Sentence (9) do not apply to walls within a group of intercommunicating patients’ or residents’ rooms, provided the group of rooms does not (a) contain more than five patients or residents, or (b) include storage, bathing or toilet facilities serving persons not occupying the group of rooms. (11) A door in a fire separation required by Sentence (9) is permitted to be equipped with a roller latch. (12) A fire separation required by Sentence (9) shall not contain any grilles, louvres or other openings.

(1) Floor areas containing residents’ sleeping rooms in a retirement home shall conform to Sentences (2) to (12). (2) Except as permitted by Sentence (3), a floor area containing residents’ sleeping rooms in a retirement home where sleeping accommodation is provided for more than 10 residents shall be divided into no fewer than two fire compartments, each not more than 1 000 m2 in area. (3) The floor area on either side of a horizontal exit conforming to Article 3.4.6.10. is permitted to be considered as a fire compartment in applying the requirements of this Article. (4) Except as permitted by Sentence (5), fire separations separating fire compartments required by Sentence (2) shall have a fire-resistance rating not less than 1 h. (5) The fire-resistance rating of a fire separation referred to in Sentence (4) is permitted to be less than 1 h but not less than 45 min provided the fire-resistance rating required by Subsection 3.2.2. is permitted to be less than 1 h for, (a) the floor assembly above the floor area, or (b) the floor assembly below the floor area, if there is no floor assembly above. (6) A closure in a fire separation between fire compartments referred to in Sentence (2) shall be weatherstripped or otherwise designed and installed to retard the passage of smoke. (7) The travel distance from any point within each fire compartment referred to in Sentence (2) to a door to an adjoining fire compartment shall be not more than 45 m. (8) Each fire compartment referred to in Sentence (2) shall be capable of accommodating, in addition to its own occupants, the occupants of the largest adjacent fire compartment based on a clear floor space of 1.5 m2 per resident in the adjacent fire compartment. (9) The fire separation required by Sentence 3.3.5.5. (1) between a retirement home and a repair garage shall have no openings. (10) In a retirement home, a dead end public corridor is permitted provided it is not more than 3 m long. (11) The minimum clear width of doorways serving residents in a retirement home shall be 860 mm. (12) A voice communication system conforming to Article 3.2.4.23. shall be provided in a retirement home.

(1) Except as permitted by Sentence (2), for the purposes of this Subsection, travel distance means the distance from any point in the floor area to an exit measured along the path of travel to the exit. (2) The travel distance from a suite or a room not within a suite is permitted to be measured from an egress door of the suite or room to the nearest exit provided, (a) the suite or room is separated from the remainder of the floor area by a fire separation, (i) having a fire-resistance rating not less than 45 min in a floor area that is not sprinklered, or (ii) that is not required to have a fire-resistance rating, in a floor area that is sprinklered, and (b) the egress door opens onto, (i) an exterior passageway, (ii) a corridor used by the public that is separated from the remainder of the floor area in conformance with the requirements in Article 3.3.1.4. for the separation of public corridors, or (iii) a public corridor that is separated from the remainder of the floor area in conformance with Article 3.3.1.4. (3) Travel distance to an exit shall be not more than 50 m from any point in a service space referred to in Sentence 3.2.1.1. (9). (4) If there is a firewall in an elementary or secondary school, the travel distance shall not be measured to a door in the firewall, but shall be measured to an exterior exit door or an exit door to a stairway.