One of the more esoteric aspects of fire testing must be the hose stream requirements. Anyone who has witnessed the hose stream component of a fire test has an appreciation of how very dramatic the assault of pressurized water can be on a test specimen. The hose stream is usually the most difficult step in validating the performance of a firestop. Unfortunately,…

The 2021 International Building Code® was recently published.  Section 715 on “Joints and Voids” was refined to make it easier to understand the requirements.  Section 715.4 addresses the exterior wall/slab edge intersection. While the specific requirements are consistent with what appeared in previous versions of the IBC, the section was improved with more concise language…

As we look ahead to a return to normalcy post-COVID, Healthcare facilities are taking the lessons learned from handling this pandemic and planning for the future. We’ve discussed previously the trend of hospitals relocating services once contained in the patient room into the neighboring corridor to conserve Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (original post). Originally conceived as…

The Coronavirus pandemic may eventually cost the trade show and event industry billions, if not trillions of dollars in lost revenue. However, the effect on supporting activities such as continuing education might be even greater. Many industry trade associations require a certain number of continuing education units (CEU) to be earned over a specific period…

Customer-driven design has long been a hallmark of our approach at STI. I was explaining this to members of our team recently when I recounted the story of the “Closet Flange Firestop Gasket” and how it came to be. Back in 2006, we visited a jobsite in New Brunswick, NJ, a short distance from our corporate headquarters. The plumber on…

We are excited to announce the launch of our newly designed website, www.stifirestop.com. After months of hard work from Marketing, Engineering, Product Management, and Software Development departments, we were thrilled to have launched the new website on January 8, 2020. We strived to make the new website easier to navigate, faster, and more user-friendly. As a leader in the Firestop industry, it is important for…

Window wall systems have increased in popularity for highrise construction. They are more economical than conventional curtain wall, while emulating the aesthetic look of such systems. A window wall system sits atop the floor slab. There is not a traditional joint like that which exists with traditional curtain wall. However, there is a gap between…

Intumescent firestop products, which are those materials that when heated will swell and expand in volume, are typically the best overall performers for most applications. Plastic piping firestop systems almost universally require some form of intumescent material since the combustible pipe will soften and eventually be consumed by the fire. However, a solution exists in the form of an intumescent wrap strip, collar…