General

NYC Admin. Code tit. 27, ch. 1, subch. 5, art. 1

in effect

NYC Admin. Code § 27-318 Scope.

§ 27-318 Scope. The provisions of this subchapter shall govern the use and assembly of all materials of construction with respect to fire resistance, flame spread resistance, and smoke and toxic fume limitation. The provisions shall also control the location and function of integral structural and fire protective elements of buildings, and provide for the installation of safeguards against the spread of fire within buildings and between buildings.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-319 Standards.

§ 27-319 Standards. The provisions of the reference standard RS-5 shall be a part of this subchapter.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-320 Definitions.

§ 27-320 Definitions. For definitions to be used in the interpretation of this subchapter, see subchapter two of this chapter.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-321 Use of combustibles.

§ 27-321 Use of combustibles. The use of combustible component materials in units or assemblies shall be limited to construction group II, except as hereinafter expressly permitted in construction group I. Combustible aggregates may be integrated with other materials to form a noncombustible material provided that the entire mixture, in the form in which it is to be used in construction, meets the requirement of this code for noncombustibility.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-322 Tests.

§ 27-322 Tests. Samples of all materials or assemblies of materials required by this code to have a fire-resistance rating, fire-protection rating, or flame spread rating, or required to be noncombustible, fire-retardant treated, or slow burning, shall be tested under the applicable test procedures specified herein, in accordance with the acceptance requirements of section 27-131 of article seven of subchapter one of this chapter. The fire-resistance rating of materials and assemblies listed in reference standard RS 5-1 may be used to determine conformance with the fire resistance requirements of this code. In addition to the performance results, test reports shall give all technical data pertaining to the nature of the constituent materials, such as the physical properties, chemical composition and properties, coefficient of expansion, thicknesses of materials, etc. Except as listed in reference standard RS 5-1, any assembly using a component having a structural base of noncombustible material covered with an integrally manufactured combustible surfacing material, shall be approved for fire-resistance rating.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-323 Requirements for structural members and assemblies.

§ 27-323 Requirements for structural members and assemblies. The fire-resistance rating of construction assemblies and the protection of structural members shall comply with the requirements of table 3-4, based on the test procedures of reference standard RS 5-2, and their materials or combinations of materials shall be in accordance with the specifications of materials used in the test.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-324 Protection of structural members.

§ 27-324 Protection of structural members. Columns, girders, trusses, beams, lintels, etc. that are required to be fire protected, and that support only one floor or a roof, and/or a non-bearing wall not more than one story high, shall be individually encased on all sides with materials having the required fire-resistance rating; or shall be protected by a ceiling as specified in section 27-327 of this article having the required fire-resistance rating; or shall be protected by a combination of both a ceiling and individual encasement which, together, provide the required fire-resistance rating. Columns, girders, trusses, beams, lintels, etc. that are required to be fire protected, and that support more than one floor or support a bearing wall or wall more than one story high, shall be individually encased on all sides for their entire length or height with materials having the required fire-resistance rating. Trusses that support only two stories or one story and a roof may be fire protected by an envelope that encompasses the entire truss with materials of the required fire-resistance rating. (a) Embedments and enclosures. Pipes, wires, conduits, ducts, or other service facilities shall not be embedded in the required fire protection of a structural member that is required to be individually encased; except that pipes, wires, and conduits may be installed in the space between the required fire protection and the structural member protected, provided that where such facilities pierce the required fire protection, the area of the penetrations does not exceed two percent of the area of the fire protection on any one face, the penetrations are closed off with close-fitting metal escutcheons or plates and the concealed space shall be firestopped at each story in accordance with the provisions of section 27-345 of article five of this subchapter. (b) Impact protection. Where the fire protective covering of a structural member is subject to impact damage from moving vehicles, the handling of merchandise, or other activity, the fire protective covering shall be protected by corner guards or by a substantial jacket of metal or other noncombustible material, to a height adequate to provide full protection. Where applicable, such protection shall be designed in accordance with the requirements of section 27-558 of article three of subchapter nine of this chapter. (c) Structural members in cavity walls. Where structural members occur within exterior cavity walls, portions of such structural members facing the exterior need not be individually fire protected if the outer width of the cavity wall provides the required fire-resistance rating and is located not more than two and one-half inches from such structural members, and if all surfaces of the structural members are fire protected from the interior of the building by materials having the required fire-resistance rating. (d) Prestressing steel. Minimum covering of prestressing steel shall comply with the requirements of reference standard RS 5-15. (e) Exterior Exposed Structural Members. Structural members exposed to the outdoors on buildings that do not exceed two stories or thirty feet in height, which are required by table 3-4 to have a fire-resistance rating not exceeding one hour, need not be protected on any face of the member that has an exterior separation of thirty feet or more, provided the outdoor area within the thirty feet separation distance is not used for storage of materials, or for motor vehicle parking. (f) Inspection of fire protection. The installation of all required sprayed-on fire protection of structural members except those encased in concrete shall be subject to the controlled inspection requirements of section 27-132 of article seven of subchapter one of this code. (g) Inspection of existing sprayed-on fire protection during alterations in office spaces and in occupancy group E spaces. In office spaces and spaces classified in occupancy group E, where an alteration exposes any required sprayed-on fire protection of structural members, or where, pursuant to an alteration persons are required to enter or access areas in which such sprayed-on fire protection is capable of being observed, the existing required spray-on fire protection shall be subject to the controlled inspection requirements of section 27-132 of this code. Such controlled inspection shall require a determination (i) that the existing sprayed-on fire protection as originally applied or installed complies with the applicable requirements of this code, including those for installation methods, materials, thickness and coverage; and (ii) that, since its original application, the integrity of the existing sprayed-on fire protection has not been compromised, damaged or displaced by the current alteration or by any prior alteration or other event.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-325 Elevators.

§ 27-325 Elevators. Structural members or car frames for elevators located within shaft enclosures need not be fire protected.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-326 Lintels.

§ 27-326 Lintels. Lintels over openings wider than four feet in masonry walls, other than in walls of masonry veneer on wood frame structures, shall be fire protected as required by section 27-324 of this article for structural members, when the full load over the opening is not relieved by a masonry arch of required strength. The members of an assembled metal lintel that support only outer face masonry that is securely bonded or anchored to backing need not be fire protected, provided that the inner members of the assembly support the full load imposed upon the lintel and are fire protected as required for structural members supporting masonry. (a) Stone Lintels. The use of stone lintels on spans exceeding four feet shall not be permitted unless supplemented by fire protected structural members or masonry arches of the required strength to support the superimposed loads.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-327 Ceilings.

§ 27-327 Ceilings. (a) Ceilings that contribute to the required fire-resistance rating of a floor or roof assembly shall be continuous between exterior walls, vertical fire divisions, fire separations, corridor partitions or any other partitions having at least the same fire-resistance rating as the ceiling. All such fire-rated partitions shall be constructed as set forth in section 27-340 or subdivision (a) of section 27-341, as appropriate. The concealed space above such ceiling shall be firestopped into areas not exceeding three thousand square feet with materials listed in section 27-345 of this subchapter for the full height of the concealed space. Access to each such concealed space may be through one or more openings, not exceeding nine square feet and protected by self-closing opening protectives having the fire-protection rating required by table 5-3. (1) Firestopping shall not be required where the structural members within the concealed space are individually protected with materials having the required fire-resistance rating, or where the ceiling is not an essential part of the fire-resistive assembly; nor shall firestopping be required where a concealed space is sprinklered in accordance with the construction requirements of subchapter seventeen of this chapter. (b) Electrical and other openings in ceilings. Ceilings required to have a fire-resistance rating may be pierced to accommodate noncombustible electric outlet boxes or recessed lighting fixtures if the aggregate area of such openings does not exceed sixteen square inches in each ninety square feet of ceiling area and the electrical outlet boxes or recessed lighting fixtures are constructed of steel at least .022 inches thick and sealed tightly at the ceiling. Noncombustible pipes, ducts, and additional or larger electrical or other service facilities may pierce ceilings that are required to have a fire-resistance rating only when the type of ceiling to be used has been tested with such types of facilities installed in place and the proportionate area of openings for such facilities to be installed in the ceiling does not exceed the proportionate area of such openings in the assembly tested, and provided no opening is larger than that in the assembly tested. Protection for such openings shall be the same as provided in the test. Duct openings installed in accordance with the foregoing shall be protected by fire dampers complying with the requirements of subchapter thirteen of this chapter.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-328 Fire retardant treated wood.

§ 27-328 Fire retardant treated wood. (a) Material. Fire-retardant treated wood shall be pressure treated with fire retardant chemicals in accordance with reference standards RS 5-3 and RS 5-4. Where used as a structural element or as furring, the material shall have a flame spread rating not greater than twenty-five when tested in accordance with reference standard RS 5-5 when exposed for a period of at least thirty minutes, with no evidence of significant progressive combustion. Where used as interior finish or trim, the material shall have a flame spread rating that meets the requirements of section 27-348 of this subchapter for the location in which it is used. Subsequent to treatment, material two inches thick or less shall be air dried or kiln dried to an average moisture content of not more than nineteen percent. (b) Label. All fire-retardant treated wood shall bear the identification of a testing laboratory or producer certifying to the performance thereof, in accordance with the acceptance requirements of section 27-131 of article seven of subchapter one of this chapter. (c) Application. Fire-retardant treated wood may not be used where exposed to the weather or in interior spaces where the relative humidity is normally eighty percent or more. There shall be no fabrication of the material after treatment, such as cutting, shaping, or grooving for splines or ring connectors so as to expose untreated surfaces, except that the material may be cut to length, shaped, or grooved if the exposed surfaces or edges are tightly butted against other material that is noncombustible or that is fire retardant treated, so that no untreated wood is left exposed to danger of ignition. Holes may be bored or cut for plumbing or heating pipes and for electric outlets only if the openings are covered with tightly-fitted noncombustible escutcheons or cover plates. The allowable working stresses of the material shall be ninety percent of the allowable stresses for untreated lumber of like classification. (d) Where permitted in construction group I. Fire-retardant treated wood may be used in buildings of construction group I in the following cases: (1) As permitted by table 3-4. (2) For interior non-bearing partitions that are not required to have a fire-resistance rating. (3) For interior furring and blocking of exterior walls, furring and blocking of interior walls and partitions, and framing of suspended ceilings provided the furring, blocking, and framing do not affect the integrity, or reduce the fire-resistance rating, of the construction element. (4) For interior finish and trim. (e) Area increase. Fire-retardant treated wood may be used in construction group II buildings in lieu of untreated wood for wall studs, bearing partition studs, columns, beams, girders, joists, rafters, trusses, sole and cap plates, subflooring and roof decks, and when so used, the area limitations of tables 4-1 and 4-2, for buildings of construction group II, may be increased by thirty-three and one-third percent.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-329 Opening protectives.

§ 27-329 Opening protectives. Opening protectives, including frames, self-closing devices, and hardware, shall be classified as to fire-protection rating in accordance with the test procedures of reference standards RS 5-6 and RS 5-7, and shall be installed, maintained, and operated in accordance with the provisions of reference standard RS 5-8. All opening protectives shall bear the identification of a testing laboratory or agency certifying to the performance rating thereof, in accordance with the acceptance requirements of section 27-131 of subchapter one of this chapter.

NYC Admin. Code § 27-330 Slow burning plastic.

§ 27-330 Slow burning plastic. Slow burning plastic shall be of a material that burns no faster than two and one-half inches per minute in sheets 0.060 in. thick when tested in accordance with reference standard RS 5-12 or that is not consumed in less than two minutes when tested in accordance with reference standard RS 5-13. The thickness of the plastic material shall be determined by method "B" of reference standard RS 5-14.

Source: City of New York, Charter, Administrative Code and Rules (American Legal Publishing XML export, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/newyorkcity/latest/NYCadmin/0-0-0-49065Fetched: 10/24/2026