Handling Requirements for D-Blaze® FRTW and Plywood
- D-Blaze® FRTW must be kept dry during transit and on the jobsite by covering the top of the bundle, storing the material under shelter, elevating the bundle from ground contact, and allowing for air circulation around the wood.
- Roof sheathing should be covered as soon as practical after installation. If D-Blaze FRTW becomes wet during construction, allow to dry before enclosure or covering with roofing material to pre-installation requirements: 19 percent maximum moisture content for lumber and 15 percent for plywood.
- When installing D-Blaze FRT lumber and plywood, it is important to utilize the design value adjustments in our technical guide.
- D-Blaze® plywood should be spaced and fastened as recommended in “APA Engineered Wood Construction Guide” (Form E30), published by APA, The Engineered Wood Association.
- Cutting to length, drilling, and diagonal cuts (cross-cutting and end cuts) as well as light sanding are permitted. Exposed areas are not required to be field coated.
- Holes and joints such as tongue and groove, bevel, scarf and lap are also allowed.
- Ripping dimensional lumber is not allowed. Ripping of lumber along the length, such as ripping a 2x4 into 2x2’s is not permitted. Similarly, cutting of stair stringers after treatment should not be done because the effect is similar to ripping.
- Milling (resurfacing) of lumber is not allowed. If special shapes or thickness are required, milling should be done prior to treatment.
- Cutting of plywood in any direction is allowed without restriction.
- Light sanding of lumber or plywood is permitted to remove raised grain or to prepare for finishing.
- Resurfacing or shaping or should be done before treatment.
- End coating is not required.
- D-Blaze must not be used in ground contact applications.
- Chemicals used for FRTW are not considered hazardous materials. FRT wood can be disposed of by typical means in accordance with local waste management policies.
D-Blaze Applications
D-Blaze FRTW can be used in a variety of interior applications where the humidity is not expected to exceed 95 percent for prolonged periods and where the wood is not exposed directly to weather or used in ground contact applications.
D-Blaze surface burning characteristics provide a UL FR-S rating; or flame spread and smoke developed ratings of 25 or less in a test of 30 minutes duration in accordance with IBC section 2303.2.
Common D-Blaze FRTW applications include:
- Roof and floor trusses
- Roof decks and sheathing
- Subflooring
- Beams and purlins
- Blocking and furring
- Interior non-load bearing partitions
- Studs and joists
- Paneling
- Exterior load-bearing walls protected by weather barrier
- Architectural millwork and trim
- Interior lumber and sheathing
- Areas that fall under Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Building Code Requirements
FRTW in non-combustible applications:
- FRT wood is not classified as non-combustible; however, FRTW meets building codes with an acceptable substitute for noncombustible material often used in specific components and/or locations as an alternative.
- Limited use permitted in Type I and Type II construction.
- Model codes permit use of FRT wood where combustible materials are not permitted.
Benefits in non-combustible applications:
- Reduces sprinkler requirements
- Adds fire protection to light construction
- Keeps fire contained wihtin a unit: apartments, condos, malls
- Lower installed cost compared to non-combustible materials.
FRTW increases design flexibility:
- Using FRT panels on roof on both sides of common walls could reduce requirements of parapets, leading to a less commercial appearance and fewer roof penetrations. Parapets IBC 2018 706.6 and IRC 2018 302.2.4
- By using FRT panels in Type III, IV and V construction, walls may be permitted to terminate at the underside of combustible roof sheathing or decks, provided that roof openings are not less than four feet (1,220 mm) from each side of the fire wall. This allows for an unbroken comtinuous roof line.
Click below for free, 1 hour CEU course credit.
