There appears to be an increasing awareness among architects and specification writers of the need to protect the public through the use of fire-rated partitions. Code officials also are more aggressively enforcing fire codes and paying closer attention to the many details that are necessary in firewall construction. They are taking these actions to ensure that fire-rated partitions perform as intended. Building codes typically require fireproof ratings of one hour, two hours, or some other time period for walls and connections between walls and the roof or other overhead structure.
A typical wall to roof connection is an inverted U-shaped longitudinal slip track which receives studs between the legs of the U-shaped track. A wall board is attached to at least one side of the studs. One of the legs of the slip track is received between the studs and the wall board. The studs and wall board are spaced from the overhead structure or roof in order to allow for settling or other movement of the overhead structure or roof with respect to the wall. A caulking is installed next to the slip track in the space between the wall board and the overhead structure. The caulking and wall board have the appropriate fire rating.
Problems with this typical connection is that not only is the caulking expensive, but it has a tendency to harden and crack during settling of the overhead structure. The caulking can then crumble away and leave voids.
USPTO Backgrounds
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