ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues Fire rated recessed lights

Has anyone been required to used fire rated recessed fixtures or a product which will fire rate standard type fixtures?

It is a building code issue for fire rating between units in a 3 decker wood framed apartment building.

I have yet to see a fixture but I hear they are big $$. Are there alternate ways to fire rate the space ith the use of sheetrock?

I have heard about a box that you can mount cans in, but I too, have yet to see one. And would bet on big $ per unit!

Otherwise we have the GC make rock boxes to install the cans in. Big PITA!

On a few lucky occasions in med/high rises, they have rocked the whole envelope of each unit then just dropped the cieling. SOOOO much easier for everyone!

check out this if you haven't stumbled across it yet
https://www.electrical-contractor.net/ubb/Forum18/HTML/000025.html

That test is based on the standard time temperature curve and actual structure fires are quite a bit hotter. The curve was developed from measurements of actual fires in ordinary occupancies (masonry bearing walls with wood joists and rafters). The testing was done in the days prior to the use of large amounts of synthetic materials in the built environment. The synthetic materials cause the fires to develop faster and they give up their BTUs much more quickly. So even though the synthetics average fewer BTUs per pound by burning so much more quickly they cause a much sharper temperature rise. The standard time temperature curve is still useful in comparing materials and techniques to each other but it no longer reflects the stresses that todays fires subject the materials to.

I have seen several companies that had fire rated recess light fixtures. I think they are quite exspensive. I have also seen where the carpenter boxes the whole recess light fixture with 5/8" double sheetrock in order to maintain the fire rating and the building AHJ will accept that.