/ in.

Type X
Gypsum Wallboard
1 in. Shaft
Liner Panels
1
2
/ in. Type X
Gypsum Wallboard
2
1
4 in. Steel I Stud
Batt Insulation
Fire Exposed
Side
Batt Insulation
3 / in. Steel Stud
Two Layers Type X
/ in. Impact
Resistant Drywall
5
8
Two Layers Type X
/ in. Impact
Resistant Drywall
8
5
Assembly A
Assembly B
5
8
Figure 1Drywall ASTM E 119 Test Specimens
NCMA Fires at Gypsum Wall Assemblies and ASTM E 119
(Note: This article was published in the July 2002 edition of the NCMA Engineering and Research Report) On
April 17, 2002, NCMAs Fire Safety Promotion Subcommittee oversaw testing of two types of gypsum walls
commonly marketed as having a two-hour fire resistance rating. Omega Point Laboratories, an independent research
organization located in San Antonio, Texas, conducted this full-scale testing. Michael OHara, a consultant familiar
with fire protection engineering and the test methods of ASTM E 119 directed the construction and testing of each
wall sample to ensure compliance with testing requirements.

Each nonbearing gypsum wall assembly was constructed as follows (refer to Figure 1):
Assembly AShaft Liner Assembly
o Framing consisted of 4-inch steel I-studs.
o Fire-exposed side clad with 1-inch shaft liner panel overlaid with -inch Type X gypsum
wallboard.
o Non-fire-exposed side clad with -inch Type X gypsum wallboard.
o R-11 glass fiber batt insulation placed between the steel studs.
Assembly BImpact/Abuse Resistant Assembly
o Framing consisted of 3
5
/
8
-inch steel studs.
o Both sides clad with two layers of
5
/
8
-inch Type X impact/abuse resistant gypsum wallboard.
o R-11 glass fiber batt insulation placed between the steel studs.

The laboratory tested each wall panel in accordance with ASTM E 119, Standard Test Methods for Fire Tests of
Building Construction and Materials. The procedure used to measure the fire resistance and integrity of each wall
consisted of two-phases: a fire endurance (furnace) test, immediately followed by a water hose stream test. These
procedures are consistent with that typically used to test masonry walls using E 119, but differ from the procedures
typically used and permitted for evaluating gypsum walls. ASTM E 119 permits each phase of the test (fire
exposure/hose stream test) to be performed on a different wall sample. While the wall sample subjected to the hose
stream portion of the test must first be exposed to a test fire, this exposure is for half the time for which the wall is
fire-rated. In addition, the time the hose stream specimen is in the furnace is limited to a maximum of one hour,
regardless of the final fire rating of the assembly. Refer to this sidebar ASTM E 119 Exposed for a thorough review
of this testing procedures of ASTM E 119.

The following is a chronological documentation of the performance of the shaft liner gypsum wall (Assembly A)
and the impact/abuse resistant wall (Assembly B).








Tested Performance of Impact/Abuse Resistant Assembly (Assembly B)
Time
(min:sec)
Observation
0:00 Fire endurance test initiated.
1:50 The surface of the gypsum exposed to the fire has turned black.
2:20 The surface of the gypsum exposed to the fire intermittently flames and catches fire.
5:00
The surface of the gypsum exposed to the fire is clean and gray in color. Joints between
panels solid.
8:35 The fire-exposed joints beginning to loosen and fall.
25:00 Horizontal cracks begin to form within the fire-exposed gypsum panels.
30:00
The number of horizontal cracks in the fire-exposed gypsum panels increases and
propagates. Vertical cracks in the fire-exposed side form and open to approximately -inch
in width.
60:00 Flames are issuing from all vertical and horizontal joints and cracks.
80:00
The facing layer of the fire-exposed gypsum wallboard has fallen from the frame. Base
layer (previously unobservable) contains numerous cracks.
92:00 Base layer falls from frame. Batt insulation melts and falls from cavities.
110:00
Screw heads under the gypsum compound on the non-fire-exposed surface begin to turn
dark.
120:00
Studs on the fire-exposed side are completely exposed. The base layer of the non-exposed
gypsum panels show horizontal cracking. Furnace extinguished. The maximum average
temperature on the non-fire-exposed side was measured at 228 degrees Fahrenheit.
124:00 Hose stream test initiated.
124:10 Hose stream penetrated through the assembly.
124:58
Hose stream test terminated prematurely due to the complete disintegration of the gypsum
assembly.

Conclusions
As tested, the impact/abuse resistant assembly evaluated by Omega Laboratories failed to meet the requirements of
ASTM E 119 for a nonloadbearing fire resistance rating of 120 minutes (2 hours). This failure was a result of the
assemblys inability to withstand the pressures of the hose stream test. Refer to the sequence of testing photos in
Figures 4 through 7. However, if these tests were conducted using the duplicate hose stream specimen, which is
commonly used to evaluate gypsum wall assemblies, the results may have been different even possibly
demonstrating compliance with ASTM E 119 for a 2 hour rated assembly.

The results of this series of fire endurance testing of gypsum panels, which was co-funded by the International
Masonry Institute, were first published in a June 2002 CM News cover story, and are intended to show the
difference in the integrity of concrete masonry and gypsum wall assemblies at the end of their full fire-rated time
period. The powerful images from the tests are expected to be used in a variety of marketing and technical efforts to
influence specifers, building owners, codes and standards bodies, and the general public.

Tested Performance of Shaft Liner Assembly (Assembly A)
Time
(min:sec)
Observation
0:00 Fire endurance test initiated.
3:43 The paper on the fire-exposed surface has burned away.
4:31
Screw heads under the gypsum compound on the non-fire-exposed surface begin to turn dark
and become visible.
6:44 The tape on the fire-exposed joints beginning to delaminate.
15:00 Vertical joints on the fire-exposed gypsum panel open to approximately
1
/
8
inch.
45:00 Vertical joints on the fire-exposed gypsum panel open to approximately
1
/
4
inch.
60:00 Fire-exposed gypsum is bowing out between studs approximately 1 inch.
90:00 Vertical joints on the fire-exposed gypsum panel open to approximately
1
/
2
inch.
120:00
Vertical joints on the fire-exposed gypsum panel open to approximately 1 inch.
Approximately one-third of the middle full panel of inch gypsum wallboard has fallen.
The 1-inch backup appears to be solid. Furnace extinguished. The maximum average
temperature on the non-fire-exposed side was measured at 179 degrees Fahrenheit.
123:19 Hose stream test initiated.
123:56 Hose stream penetrated through the assembly.
124:47
Hose stream test terminated prematurely due to the complete disintegration of the gypsum
assembly.
NCMAs Fire Safety Promotion Subcommittee will be reviewing the results of this series of testing at their Midyear
meeting later this summer.


Figure 4Gypsum Assembly After Removal
from Furnace
Figure 5Gypsum Panel at the Start of the
Hose Stream Test
Figure 6Gypsum Wall Panel Approximately
10 Seconds into Hose Stream Test
Figure 7Gypsum Wall Panel After
Termination of Hose Stream Test
ASTM E 119 Exposed
(Note: This article was published in the July 2002 edition of the NCMA Engineering and Research Report) The
underlying goal of most every form of assessment testing of various construction materials is to evaluate a test
specimen that represents as close as feasibly possible the actual construction in the field. ASTM E 119 Standard
Test Methods for Fire Tests of Building Construction and Materials should be no different.

In its introductory text, ASTM E 119 states, it is necessary that the fire-resistive properties of materials and
assemblies be measured and specified according to a common standard expressed in terms that are applicable alike
to a wide variety of materials, situations, and conditions of exposure. Further, under the scope of this standard, the
following statement is given, These test methods prescribe a standard fire exposure for comparing the performance
of building construction assemblies.

When taken together, these two statements from E 119 appear to clearly assert that regardless of the type of
assembly being evaluated, the results stemming from these tests would be equally and uniformly applied to all types
of wall construction. Unfortunately, as described in the summary of the test methods below, this simply is not the
case. While NCMA is a strong advocate of fire endurance testing in accordance with ASTM E 119, the Association
does not believe that different wall assemblies intended for use in identical applications can be tested using different
protocols and still receive the same fire resistance rating.

ASTM E 119 Scope and Limitations
While the test methods of E 119 contain requirements covering numerous building elements (beams, walls, floors,
columns, roots, etc.), for walls, the prescribed testing requirements are written to provide a measurement of the
transmission of heat and hot gases through an assembly, sufficient to ignite cotton waste on the surface of the non-
exposed side of the wall. Further, when the intended application of the wall is in loadbearing construction, the tests
provide for a measurement of the load carrying ability of the test specimen during fire exposure.

Testing of wall assemblies in accordance with ASTM E 119 does not provide information relating to the following:
1. Complete information as to performance of assemblies constructed differently than those tested.
2. The degree of contribution the assembly increases the fire hazard by generation of smoke, toxic gases, or
other products of combustion.
3. The degree to which the assembly controls or limitations the passage of smoke or products of combustion.
4. A simulation of the fire behavior of joints between building elements and connections.
5. A measurement of flame spread over the surface of tested assembly.
6. The impact of conventional assembly openings (electrical outlets, plumbing, etc.) on the measured fire
endurance, unless specifically provided for in the construction tested.

While ASTM E 119 acknowledges that the test methods outlined in the standard are intended to evaluate the relative
duration for which construction assemblies contain a fire, retain their structural integrity, or both; the evaluation is
not necessarily predictive of the actual performance of such assemblies in building construction. That is, any given
assembly may or may not contain a fire or retain its structural integrity for the prescribed rating period in a real fire.
(Real fires introduce far too many variables to be feasibly tested and accounted for in design.) However, one would
expect an assembly with a higher fire rating to perform relatively better than a comparable assembly with a lower
fire rating. This concept of relative performance is easy enough to recognize, yet is commonly misunderstood or
misapplied by the design community. (For example, as manufacturers of concrete masonry, we understand that the
compressive strength of a concrete masonry unit does not equal the compressive strength of a concrete masonry wall
constructed of such units. Yet, we continuously test the compressive strength of units, in part because we recognize
the relative impact increasing or decreasing the units compressive strength has on the overall structural performance
of a wall.)

ASTM E 119 Test Methods
Because loadbearing and nonloadbearing walls serve different functions within a structure, ASTM E 119 prescribes
slightly different testing criteria for these two assemblies. These differences in testing include:
o Bearing walls are subjected to a load as near as practical to the maximum load allowed by design.
Nonbearing walls are restrained on all four edges while bearing walls have no support along their sides.

For both loadbearing and nonloadbearing walls, the
area exposed to fire is required to be at least 100
square feet (typically tested as a 10 foot by 10 foot
panel). The test specimen is instrumented with
temperature measuring devices (thermocouples) on
both the fire-exposed and non-fire-exposed sides of
the panel. While the thermocouples on the non-fire-
exposed side are in contact with the surface (refer to
Figure 2) of the specimen, the thermocouples on the
fire-exposed side are placed at least 6 inches away
from the exposed face of the sample. Once
constructed and instrumented, the assembly is then
subjected to the fire endurance test graphically
represented by the time-temperature curve shown in
Figure 3. The testing is continued until failure occurs
or until the specified time period has passed.

The standard time-temperature curve used in ASTM E
119 is considered to represent a severe building fire.
The curve was adopted in 1918 with the first
publication of these test methods. While a number of refinements have been made to the standard since that time,
several provisions, including the time-temperature curve, the testing apparatus, and the acceptance criteria remain
essentially unchanged.

ASTM E 119 Hose Stream Test
All walls and partitions that qualify for a fire endurance classification of 1 hour or more are required by ASTM E
119 to be subjected to the cooling impact and erosion effects of a stream of water. This portion of the test is
intended to evaluate the ability of the construction to resist disintegration under adverse conditions. However, at the
discretion of the submitter having the fire testing conducted, they may elect to have the hose stream test conducted
on the actual specimen immediately following the fire endurance test or on a duplicate test specimen in accordance
with the following E 119 provision:
Subject a duplicate specimen to a
fire exposure test for a period equal
to one half of that indicated as the
resistance period in the fire
endurance test, but not for more
than 1 hour, immediately after
which subject the specimen to the
impact, erosion, and cooling effects
of a hose stream

This non-mandatory option allows
submitters to choose a different
testing alternative if they feel their
product will not perform well under
the hose stream test after the full
exposure period. Hence, two
different assemblies, each afforded
the same fire resistance rating under
ASTM E 119 and used
interchangeably in the same
building application, may have been
evaluated using different criteria to
measure their relative performance.


The masonry industry has maintained for years that ASTM E 119 should evaluate and rate building assemblies in a
similar manner. Unfortunately, in an attempt to protect their market, other industries have continued to support this
alternative testing option.

Figure 2Instrumented E 119 Gypsum Test Specimen
ASTM E 119 Time-Temperature Curve
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Time (Hours)
T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
e

(
d
e
g
r
e
e

F
)
Figure 3ASTM E 119 Time-Temperature Curve
ASTM E 119 Conditions of Acceptance
To achieve a desired fire resistance rating, at the end of the prescribed fire endurance period, the following must be
complied with:
1. For bearing walls not subjected to a hose stream test, the wall shall have sustained the applied load during
the fire endurance test without passage of flame or gases hot enough to ignite cotton waste, for a period
equal to that for which classification is desired.
2. For bearing walls subjected to a hose stream test, the wall shall have sustained the applied load during the
fire endurance and hose stream test without passage of flame or gases hot enough to ignite cotton waste, or
of the hose stream for a period equal to that for which classification is desired.
3. For nonbearing walls not subjected to a hose stream test, the wall shall have withstood the fire endurance
test without passage of flame or gases hot enough to ignite cotton waste, for a period equal to that for which
classification is desired.
4. For nonbearing walls subjected to a hose stream test, the wall shall have withstood the fire endurance and
hose stream test without passage of flame or gases hot enough to ignite cotton waste, or of the hose stream
for a period equal to that for which classification is desired.
5. For all walls subjected to a hose stream test, the assembly shall be considered to have failed the hose stream
test if an opening develops that permits a projection of water from the stream beyond the unexposed surface
during the time of the hose stream test.
6. For all walls, transmission of heat through the wall during the fire endurance test shall not have been such
as to raise the temperature on its unexposed surface more than 250 degrees Fahrenheit above its initial
temperature.

ASTM E 119 has the ability to be a reflective measure of relative performance of various construction assemblies.
Unfortunately, with the continued inclusion of the duplicate hose stream specimen, relative performance remains on
optional measurement of fire endurance.