Designing for fire safety can be a challenge for buildings with higher risk and higher occupancy levels, such as apartments, hospitals, schools, and warehouses. These facilities must adhere to higher fire codes and have stricter fire resistance and containment requirements.
When designers need to meet strict fire safety requirements, they look for building materials that provide inherent fire protection. To be considered fire resistant, a structural element must meet two requirements: it must have enough mass to limit heat transmission from fire and be strong enough that the elevated fire temperatures won’t cause it to collapse.
Prestressed concrete is a reliable building material that is inherently fire resistant because it does not combust or release toxic fumes in the event of a fire. The strength and durability of hollowcore plank are determined by its depth and aggregate type. Hollowcore plank can be engineered to maintain fire ratings for up to three hours.
County Prestress manufactures and tests hollowcore according to the American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM) E119, which identifies the procedures and materials used to manufacture quality, fire-resistant building components. To determine the fire resistance rating of hollowcore, refer to the International Building Code and the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute’s “Design for Fire Resistance of Precast/Prestressed Concrete.”
Design for fire resistance in your next project with County Prestress’ Hollowcore. Contact our Customer Service Team at (708) 562-7700.