What does it mean to say that a particular wall or ceiling system has achieved a 1-hour fire rating?
The term “1 hour fire-rated system” is generally used to refer to a system that has been shown, in a carefully controlled laboratory setting, or by rigorous technical analysis, to be capable of limiting the transmission of high temperatures to a specified maximum, and to meet other requirements, for at least 60 minutes. The wall systems used in such tests are typically constructed with extreme precision. The carefully controlled test procedure is intended to evaluate fire resistance under specific laboratory conditions for comparison purposes, and does not guarantee that a similar system installed in a building that is exposed to actual fire conditions will perform in the same manner as the laboratory test.
