Balco Inc.

Wood-frame construction remains the primary structural choice for multi-family projects across the United States. While podium and wood frame-style designs are now common, protecting movement gaps within these assemblies has long been a challenge. Until recently, maintaining fire-resistance continuity at linear expansion joints in wood-frame floors and walls often relied on engineering judgments or modified assemblies rather than systems tested specifically for those conditions.For many years, expansion joint fire barriers were tested almost exclusively in concrete floor and concrete or metal stud wall assemblies. When those systems were applied in wood frame buildings, project teams often relied on various engineering judgments to justify untested conditions.Wood-frame construction responds differently to fire exposure and structural movement than rigid masonry. Materials are subject to moisture variation, thermal cycling, wind loading, and seismic forces which all influence joint ...