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Ever ask yourself why a hollow block might be more resistance to fire than a solid (or grouted) one?

Hopefully seeing the table below, you paused and had a moment of deep, solemn reflection. Fire resistance ratings (FRR) are typically calculated using the NBCC equivalent thickness method, so less material means a lower fire rating. With that in mind, the following issue was identified internally within CMDC and corrected as of the posting of this article.

Prior to April 19th, 2024, the table accompanying the allowable height and anchor resistances which provided fire resistance ratings (FRR) and sound transmission class (STC) values had the FRR in the wrong columns, listing hollow values in the solid column, and vice versa.

Original Table:

This would have been displayed prior to April 19th, 2024.

Corrected Table:

The following is the updated table, correctly matching hollow and solid FRR values.

Be advised that use of this tool is not a substitute for a professional design and subject to terms of use, available here.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office.

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