Fire Barriers vs. Smoke Barriers
According to the International Building Code (IBC), fire barriers are designed to prevent/interrupt the spread of fire while smoke barriers are designed to prevent the spread of smoke between spaces.
Fire barriers are wall assemblies.
Smoke barriers are wall, floor, or ceiling assemblies.
Fire Doors
Fire doors and smoke resistant door assemblies are tested for specific applications. Hollow metal fire doors assemblies have 20, 45, 60, 90, and 180 minute ratings, with labels attached to the doors.
Fire door assemblies are tested and certified by accredited laboratories such the Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
It is important to remember that fire testing requires the entire assembly – wall, door, frame, glazing (if any) and hardware to be tested.
A Chain Is Only As Strong As Its Weakest Link
The overall rating of the assembly will be that of the lowest performing component. It could be the door, frame, or hardware. Each component is labeled separately.
All information comes from:
Fire-Rated Doors: Testing and Certification. Bob McClunney and Robert J. Carpenter in Life Safety Digest, Volume 6, No. 1, pages 6-9. Winter 2010.