Presenter:
Dr Gabrielle Peck, Ph.D., MRSC, CChem
Technical Director, FCIA & NFCA
Agenda:
Firestopping and Inspections: From Fundamentals and Engineering Judgments to the Performance-Based Future
This session is a comprehensive technical deep dive into firestopping systems, inspections, and the engineering decision-making that keeps compartmentation effective. It will focus on core principles, test standards and firestopping concepts that underpin every rated system. We will compare common system types and go through the non-negotiable philosophies of good practice that separate compliant installations from future failures. This session also focuses on real-world inspections, the most frequent failure modes observed and best practices.
It will also cover Engineering Judgments (EJs) through fire-scenario walkthroughs to understand exactly how a firestop system and its materials behave under realistic fire exposure and discuss when and how deviations can be safely evaluated. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of the key concepts that will aid code-compliant EJs. The session will finish with an exploration into the shifting landscape within modern fire-protection practice: the growing interest in performance-based design approaches and how this affects firestopping and passive fire protection.
