Legend tells us that Mrs. O\u2019Leary\u2019s cow knocked over a lantern in the barn on the evening of October 8, 1871, igniting the Great Chicago Fire that destroyed 3.3 square miles, killed 300 people and left another 100,000 homeless. Only a handful of structures in the path of the fire survived, and those that did were almost exclusively of masonry construction. \u00a0<\/p>\n
One of the most significant legacies of the fire, besides the O\u2019Leary family being unceasingly (and probably wrongly) blamed, is the abundance of brick structures built to replace those that were lost and to prevent another catastrophic fire in the future. The City of Chicago eventually banned wood construction, and other cities, such as Denver, Colorado, followed suit with their own \u201cinsist on brick\u201d policies after their historic fires.<\/p>\n
While brick walls are not the only ones that can satisfy the minimum fire resistance ratings mandated by today\u2019s building codes, designers and developers are beginning to demand more than simply \u201cgood enough\u201d when it comes to fire safety. The dramatic videos of wildfire destroying homes, businesses and landmarks in the western U.S. has them asking, \u201cHow do we design for a future in which wildfire and extreme weather threats are the norm?\u201d <\/p>\n
Designers and builders of commercial, office and multi-family structures carry a heavy responsibility on behalf of the public. Their structures must protect large numbers of people who had little to say about the design and construction of the buildings they occupy. And, these buildings often exist in high densities and in close proximity to each other, meaning design and construction choices impact more than just a single owner of a single property. Fire resistant structures not only minimize damage while firefighters are responding and give occupants more time to evacuate, they also slow the spread of fire from and to neighboring buildings. Even Firefighters think so<\/a>. The designer\u2019s responsibility doesn\u2019t end with protecting the structure\u2019s occupants or the owner\u2019s investment, either. There is still the challenge of doing great design work that pleases the client, contributes to the neighborhood and effectively expresses the designer\u2019s vision. A bunker may be safe, but it\u2019s not likely to be beautiful. <\/p>\n But brick\u2026brick is beautiful. With endless color, texture, size and bond pattern combinations, there is no other material with greater design flexibility. And, brick comes with superior fire resistance built right in. In fact, a simple single-wythe, solid brick wall of four inches with no additional components provides over two hours of fire resistance all by itself. Most other wall assemblies require a combination of layered materials to achieve the fire ratings mandated by building codes, and they still don\u2019t approach the bar set by brick.\u00a0<\/p>\n Combine brick with a few other components in time-tested wall assemblies, and you have lots of options for satisfying your budget and design goals without sacrificing top-notch fire protection. Here are some examples:\u00a0<\/p>\n Brick\/Concrete Masonry, Load bearing = 4hrs Note that brick\u2019s inherent fire resistance comes in lighter packages, too. Thin brick and hollow brick veneers deliver serious fire resistance with less mass. In one independent study comparing hollow brick veneer, fiber cement board and vinyl siding, only the brick assembly withstood a fire test for more than an hour. Vinyl siding failed after less than 20 minutes.\u00a0<\/p>\n In many parts of the country, fire is only an occasional threat while severe storms are frequent. Brick meets these threats with the same beauty, design flexibility and durability, shunning windblown debris that easily damages \u2014 and violently penetrates \u2014 the facade materials of occupied buildings.<\/p>\n In a study that launched wood studs at brick, fiber cement and vinyl siding wall assemblies, only the brick wall was able to turn back the 2×4 traveling at over 50 miles per hour with no damage. Watch the video<\/a>. If you think that\u2019s unrealistic, check out the aftermath<\/a> of this storm that rolled through the Midwest in 2020. <\/p>\n Responsibility comes into play here again for designers and builders of structures in the public realm. When the evening news is playing post-storm footage on an endless loop, your design can be the tattered, damaged, barely recognizable building that people fled, or the refuge that people fled to.<\/p>\n What do you want your design legacy to be?<\/p>\n This item was originally posted here: Read More<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The whole package <\/strong><\/h4>\n
\nBrick Veneer\/Wood Stud, Load bearing = 4hrs
\nBrick Veneer\/Steel Stud, Load bearing = 1hr
\nThin Brick Veneer\/Steel Stud (with fiberglass batt and gypsum board) = 1hr<\/p>\nMultiple-threat defender <\/strong><\/h4>\n