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NZ Building Code · Fire & Acoustic

Fire-Rated Penetrations: fire-stop every hole

Every pipe, cable, duct or recessed fitting through a fire-rated wall or floor needs a tested fire-stop system to keep the element’s FRR.

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Every pipe, cable, duct or recessed fitting that passes through a fire-rated wall or floor is a hole in your fire barrier. To keep the element’s FRR you have to fire-stop each one with a tested system rated to match — and a guessed dab of sealant is not compliant.

What the system has to prove

The fire-stop must be a tested system for that exact penetration type, service and substrate — proven in an AS 1530.4 test. It also has to be rated to the wall’s FRR (for example, -/60/60).

Common fire-stop systems

Different services need different systems. Match the one that suits the opening:

Match the system, document it, don’t improvise

The firestop must be a tested system for that service and wall type, rated to the wall’s FRR (e.g. -/60/60). Mixing brands or substituting products voids the test. One untreated penetration voids the whole element’s rating — the inspector will fail it, and it’s a real safety gap.

Best practice

Route services to avoid fire-rated separating walls where you can — fewer penetrations means fewer ways to get it wrong. The relevant reference is NZBC C — Protection from Fire (building.govt.nz).

Plain-English guide, not advice. This page helps you understand and navigate the rules — it is general information, not design, engineering or consent advice, and it does not reproduce the copyrighted tables of NZS 3604 or any Standard. Always check the current Standard or Acceptable Solution and your BCA, and use a suitably qualified LBP, engineer or QS where it matters.

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Common questions

What counts as a penetration in a fire-rated element?

Every pipe, cable, duct or recessed fitting that passes through a fire-rated wall or floor. Each one is a hole in your fire barrier, so each one has to be fire-stopped to keep the element’s FRR.

Can I just use a dab of sealant to fire-stop a penetration?

No. A guessed dab of sealant is not compliant. The fire-stop must be a tested system — proven in an AS 1530.4 test for that exact penetration type, service and substrate, and rated to the wall’s FRR.

Which fire-stop system suits a plastic (combustible) pipe?

Pipe collars or wraps. The intumescent material expands and crushes the softening pipe shut so flame and smoke can’t follow the bore. Intumescent sealant suits small gaps around metal pipes and cables, cable transit blocks or coated batt suit cable bundles and mixed openings, and fire-rated mortar or boards suit big openings and cable trays.

Why does mixing brands or leaving one penetration untreated matter?

Mixing brands or substituting products voids the test. One untreated penetration voids the whole element’s rating — the inspector will fail it, and it’s a real safety gap. Keep the manufacturer’s installation detail and record what went where (photos help) for the producer statement / PS3.

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