ULtimate Fire Wizard Hits UL.comSimplifying fire-resistance design searches by Rich Walke

(continued on page 6)

2010 ISSUe 3

The ULtimate Fire Wizard, an Internet-based tool that is designed to allow users to quickly identify fire-resistance-rated designs that meet their project specifica-tions has recently been launched on the UL website.

For nearly 60 years, architects, designers and code authorities have relied on UL fire-resistance-rated wall, floor-ceiling, roof-ceiling, column and beam designs for code-compliant installations. Nearly 2000 designs are currently available

through UL’s Fire Resistance Directory or Online Certifications Directory.

“We recognized that the designs took a lot of time to locate and the search could become a daunting task for less

In this issue: 2 New Year Resolutions for Do-It-Yourselfers

4 Duct Tape3 UL.com Building

Code Authorities Page Launched

7 Questions & Answers6 ULC’s

Jack Robertson retires

2010 Issue 3

02The Code Authority

UL-eseDefinitions of terms frequently used at UL

Code Correlation Database

An application on UL.com

that covers more than 20

editions of various model

codes. The database

identifies the correlation

between particular model

code section numbers and

UL Product Category Codes.

The database also provides

hyperlinks to the UL Guide

Information and other

specific information pertain-

ing to each Category Code.

The database is simple to

use, and accommodates

two distinct searches:

Identifying UL Product

Category Guide Information

that corresponds to a

particular code section, and

identifying code sections

that correspond to a

particular Product Category.

The Code Correlation

Database can be found at

www.ul.com/codelink.

www.ul.com/tca UL

New Year Resolutions for Do-It-YourselfersEvery January, many of us will commit to New Year resolutions, and many of these include home fix-up projects. It’s a good idea to keep safety in mind when using power tools on these projects.Some of the safety tips UL recommends for do-it-yourselfers using power tools include the following:

•Wear safety glasses to protect from debris.

•Don’t wear loose fitting watches, bracelets and long sleeves as they can get caught in moving parts.

•When operating a loud power tool, wear earplugs to minimize damage to your ears.

•Follow instructions, not intuition. As with any household appliance, power tools need to be maintained and used in accordance with the manufacturer’s warnings, precautions and instructions.

•Be sure to check the switch on a power tool or garden appliance to make sure it’s “OFF” before you plug it in.

•Never leave an active power tool unattended. Unplug power tools before leaving the room and store them out of children’s reach.

•Periodically inspect your power tools for frayed power cords and cracked or broken casings. If the product is damaged, have it repaired by a qualified technician, or replace it.

•Never carry tools by the cord and never yank the cord when removing it from a receptacle. When disconnecting the cord, always grasp the plug, not the wire.

•Look for the UL Mark when purchasing power tools, gardening appliances and electrical products. The UL Mark means representative samples of that product have been tested to stringent safety standards to reduce the risk of fire, electric shock and personal injury hazards.

For more UL safety tips for do-it-yourselfers, go to the UL.com Consumers perspective and look for the link on the seasonal safety tips. Good luck completing all of your New Year resolutions and stay safe.

Managing Editor

2010 Issue 3

03The Code Authority UL

Building and life safety codes rely on the use of tested and certified products to meet safety and performance objectives. Code authorities rely on UL to provide world-class safety certifications, standards and technical information on products regulated by these codes. In an effort to make this technical information more accessible to building officials, a suite of Building Code Authorities pages were added to the UL.com Code Authorities perspective.

This new content is designed to provide technical information that is easy to locate, and in a format that coordinates with building code requirements. The Building Code Authorities home page can be found at www.ul.com/buildingcode. It includes content and links to pages that focus on the following building code related topics.

Contractor Certification Programs — UL programs that certify qualified contractors for applying spray applied fire-resistive materials and through-penetration firestop, joint, and perimeter fire containment systems.

exterior walls — UL certifications that are used on exterior wall constructions, including information on fire-resistance ratings, exterior wall coverings, metal composite materials and external insula-tion and finish systems (EIFS).

Fire protection systems — UL certified products used in automatic sprinkler, standpipe and other extinguishing systems; portable fire extinguishers; fire detection and annunciation systems; smoke control systems; and systems designed to assist emergency responders.

Fire-resistance and smoke protection features — UL evaluated materials, systems and assemblies used for structural fire resistance and fire-resistance-rated construc-tion separation of adjacent spaces to safeguard against the spread of fire and smoke within a building and the spread of fire to or from buildings.

Interior finish materials — UL classified interior finish materials regulated by the building code, including products certified to UL 723 (ASTM E 84), UL 1715 and NFPA 286.

Means of egress — UL certified prod-ucts used to comply with means of egress illumination, door hardware and exit signage requirements.

Plastic and foamed plastic building materials — UL certified foam plastic insulation, plastic veneer, interior plastic finish and trim and light-transmitting plastics that comply with requirements referenced in the building code.

Roof assemblies — UL certified roof assemblies, roofing materials, and roof deck constructions and materials investi-gated for fire performance, hail resistance and resistance to wind uplift.

The Building Code Authorities pages are a tool that building officials and design professionals can use to provide safe, code-compliant buildings.

by Howard Hopper

For additional information on these web pages, please contact Howard Hopper at San Jose, Calif. at Howard.D.Hopper@us.ul.com or at +1.408.754.6609.

UL.com Building Code Authorities Page LaunchedThe Code Authorities pages of UL.com have been enhanced to better meet the needs of building officials.

Helpful hint — Custom Designing Your UL.com Home Page UL’s website includes a veritable wealth of information designed to meet the needs of a wide range of stakeholders, including code authori-ties, consumers, manufacturers, and personnel in a variety of industries located around the world.

A Code Authorities perspective within UL.com consolidates information relevant to regulatory authorities and other interested industry professionals in an easy to navigate format. In order to enhance your web experience at UL.com, we recommend you designate the Code Authorities home page as your UL.com home page. This will allow your web browser to navigate to this page whenever you enter the UL.com website.

The Code Authorities home page is located at www.ul.com/codeauthori-ties. Once you are on this page, check the box on the left that indicates “Make this my Home Page”. Selecting this will automatically navigate you to this page whenever you enter www.ul.com. However, rest assured that it will NOT make this your web browser’s overall home page.

Check to make sure those tapes used in sealing Listed air ducts have been properly listed and labeled for their intended application.

Poorly performing tape can lead to a multitude of issues, for example:

•separation of ducts leading to inefficient energy use, clean air contamination or pest infiltration

•fire propagation and smoke generation hazards

•uncontrolled air flow, leading to mold and fungus growth

•premature HVAC equipment failure (due to stress on system attempting to maintain set temperatures)

•high energy cost to consumers (due to loss of heat/cooling air).

To address these potential issues, model codes require duct tape used as air duct closure systems to be labeled and listed to UL 181A (for rigid fiberglass ducts) or to UL181B (for flexible ducts). Model codes that require these labeled and listed products include:

•Model mechanical codes (such as NFPA 90A, the International Mechanical Code and the Uniform Mechanical Code)

•Key energy conservation codes (such as the International Energy Conservation Code, California Energy Commission requirements and US Department of Energy requirements)

UL 181A and UL181B were developed to specifically address concerns raised by AHJs and other professionals for this product in its expected use. Requirements for some of these tape types were originally published in a standard in 1981, with the most recent revisions published in 2008.

Testing requirements include tensile strength, various peel and shear adhesion testing, freeze/thaw testing, surface burning characteristics testing, mold growth and humidity test, temperature/pressure cycling and burning test. Samples are tested at extreme high and low conditions to most closely duplicate the environments the products may encounter in the field. The requirements in these standards are maintained through an ANSI consensus process involving stakeholders from the HVAC industry, manufacturers, government, users, standards/testing organization and authorities having jurisdiction, among others.

In addition to the duct tape, there is one more component to the air duct closures system to keep in mind for flexible ducts — the mechanical fasteners (clamps) which are also evaluated to UL181B. For proper application of the 181B-FX tapes (pressure-sensitive tapes for use with flexible air ducts), the requirement is typically two wraps with the tape and then the application of a listed and labeled mechanical fastener (clamp or draw band) identified as 181B-C to aid in ensuring that the assembly does not pull apart.

Duct tapes complying with these stan-dards are Listed under the Air Duct and Air Connector Closure Systems category (ALKW), which can be found in the Online Certifications Directory at www.ul.com/database. Products Listed under this category have been investigated for use with Listed air ducts and air connectors of the types specified in the individual Listings. They are intended for use in accordance with the installation instruc-tions provided with the Listed air ducts or air connectors.

2010 Issue 3

04The Code Authority UL

Duct Tape Adhering to the Code by Maggie Carroll

It may look like ordinary duct tape, but will it perform as intended in the code? There are many duct tape products on the market — but many can let you (and eventually the ductwork) down.

Verification of the proper marking (see sidebar below) will verify that the tape and mechanical fasteners used in installations have been evaluated for mechanical strength, material integrity, burning charac-teristics, and adhesion properties to ensure their proper use with the Listed air ducts. Tapes are also evaluated in accordance with UL723 (ASTM E84) for flame spread and smoke developed to comply with code requirements for uses such as in plenums.

The codes seem to agree — all duct tapes are not created equal. Look for the UL Mark to affirm compliance with the standards referenced in the Code.

You should also note that UL tests similar types of tapes, adhesives, caulking and sealants for UL 723 flame spread and smoke developed properties only, and not to the full complement of requirements

used to certify duct closure systems. These products are Listed for use in accordance with mechanical and energy conservation code requirements that require UL 181A or 181B Listing, unless they are marked with the appropriate “181A or 181B” markings.

For more information on air duct and air connector closure systems, contact Maggie Carroll in San Jose, Calif. at Marguerite.E.Carroll@us.ul.com or at +1.408.754.6560.

2010 Issue 3

05The Code Authority UL

Products that comply with these requirements can be easily

identified by their markings:

The UL Listing Mark for these prod-ucts includes the UL symbol, the word

“LISTED,” a control number assigned by UL, and one or more of the following product designations:

UL181A — UL181A, Part I covers “pressure-sensitive aluminum tapes identified as “181A-P” for use with rigid fiberglass air ducts.

UL181A, Part II covers heat-activated aluminum tapes identified as “181A-H” for use with rigid fiberglass air ducts.

For these products, the marking should be visible every 36 inches along the length of the product. The marking should also include the manufacturer’s

name or symbol, model number, and date of manufacture.

UL181A, Part III covers mastic closure systems identified as “181A-M” for use with rigid fiberglass air ducts. The marking should be visible on the container of mastic. The marking should also include the manufacturer’s name or symbol, model number, date of manufacture, minimum time set of mastic and the words “Since field temperature/humidity conditions may vary, longer set times may be required for specific installations”.

UL181B — UL181B, Part I covers pressure-sensitive tapes identified as “181B-FX” for use with flexible air ducts. The marking should be visible every 6 inches along the length of the product. The marking should also include the manufacturer’s name or symbol, model number and manufacturer’s location.

UL181B, Part II covers mastic closure systems identified as “181B-M” for use with flexible air ducts. The marking should be visible on the con-tainer of mastic. The marking should also include the manufacturer’s name or symbol, model number and date of manufacture.

UL181B, Part III covers mechanical fasteners identified as “181B-C” for use with flexible air ducts (this marking may appear on the product or the smallest unit packaging). The marking should also include the manufacturer’s name or symbol, model number, the max. diameter, the clamping tool to be used and the wording “For use with UL Non-Metallic Air Ducts and Air Connec-tors” on the smallest unit packaging.

UL Markings and Listings

experienced people just entering the profession,” said Chris Hasbrook, vice president and General Manager of UL’s Building Materials & Systems Industry. “Given the value of fire-resistance-rated designs, UL developed the Wizard as a way to help architects, designers and code authorities to leverage the information commonly found in our directories and streamline the process for identifying the designs that meet project specifications.”

The online Wizard incorporates an intuitive process for entering design parameters, and even allows comments to be embed-ded in the search summary to assist in the design and material procurement process. It uses a simple three-step process to significantly reduce the time needed to identify suitable designs. A user first enters design parameters on the Wizard’s convenient pull down menus, then views designs that meet the search parameters before selecting the designs that best meet project specifications. A search summary, identified as a design list can be viewed and printed out for future reference or as part of the construction plan package.

To access the ULtimate Fire Wizard go to www.ul.com/firewizard.

For additional information on the ULtimate Fire Wizard contact Rich Walke at Northbrook, Ill. at Richard.N.Walke@us.ul.com or at 1.847.664.3084.

ULC’s Jack Robertson retires

In October Jack Robertson retired from ULC after serving more than 10 years in the Regulatory Services department. Jack worked out of Victoria, British Columbia and provided technical support for code officials throughout western Canada.

Jack was an active participant in many Canadian code official conferences and

meetings, and worked hard to assist code officials in finding safe, code compliant solutions. Prior to joining ULC Jack served as the Director of the Building Standards Branch with the province of British Columbia.

His friends and colleagues will miss his sparkling personality and can-do attitude in helping to resolve product acceptance issues.

2010 Issue 3

06The Code Authority UL

ULtimate Fire Wizard Hits UL (continued from cover)

Follow these easy steps to test drive the new ULtimate Fire Wizard.

1) Go to the Wizard home page at www.ul.com/firewizard.

2) Click on the center Search for a design that fits your needs link. A search box will open allowing you to enter design parameters, including the assembly type, construction group, protection type, hourly rating, and even keywords for design details.

3) Click the Search button and the Wizard will load the search results for your review. You can view designs by clicking on the individual Fire-resistance design numbers.

4) When the individual design opens scroll down to view the design details. If the design appears to meet your needs, you can add it to a design list of your selected designs. You can also add personalized comments on the design(s) selected, such as “This is the design used in the Main Street Mall project” or “Use for East exterior wall.” Click the Save button to save the design and any comments entered.

5) When you are finished reviewing and selecting designs, click the X in the top right portion of the screen to return to the main menu.

6) From the main menu you can print or view your selected designs along with any comments entered. You can also view and print the entire design list. The selected designs or design list may be included in the plan submittal package, or other project documentation.

Test drive the ULtimate Fire Wizard

2010 Issue 3

07The Code Authority UL

A means of egress door is required to have panic hardware that complies with section 1008.1.10.1 of the International Building Code. The hardware is required to be Listed in accordance with UL 305, and the force to unlatch the door cannot exceed 15 lbs. If panic hardware bears a UL Listing Mark, has it been tested to confirm it can unlatch with a maximum 15 lbs opening force?

Yes, UL Listed panic hardware has been subjected to tests to verify that a horizontal force of 15 lbs or less on the actuating bar will activate the latch. In fact, the Standard for Safety for Panic Hardware, UL 305, includes a variety of performance tests to evaluate the ability of the panic hardware to operate as intended.

These tests include operation before and after a 100,000 cycle endurance test, and after being conditioned at 400°F and 3°F. UL 305 also requires the actuating bar, also called the push pad or cross bar, to extend across not less than one half of the width of the door leaf. This is also consistent with Section 1008.1.10.1 requirements.

This hardware is Listed under the Panic Hardware (FVSR) category. The Listing Mark appears on the hardware and

includes the UL symbol, together with the word “LISTED,” a control number, and the product name “Panic Hardware.”

For additional information on panic hardware, contact Howard Hopper in San Jose, Calif. at Howard.D.Hopper@us.ul.com or at +1.408.754.6609.

Questions & AnswersUL engineers answer questions concerning UL and its operations, UL Standards for Safety, product certifications, and the code applications for which products are certified.

UL ConnectUL Regulatory Support Goes Mobile!UL Regulatory Services is proud to present — UL Connect for the iPhone™ and iPod touch® delivering instant access to:

Online Certification Directory

Code Correlation Database

Pocket guide to Inspections

Regulatory Support

Access to UL.com

One-Touch Access

2010 Issue 3The Code Authoritywww.ul.com/tca UL

08

The Code Authority®

Published by Regulatory Services Department of Underwriters Laboratories® Available to assist regulatory authorities

W:: ul.com/codeauthorities T:: 1.800.595.9844 E:: ULRegulatoryServices@us.ul.com

Managing Editor Howard Hopper T:: 1.408.754.6609 E:: Howard.D.Hopper@us.ul.com

Address changes and additions Diane Fonzino E:: Diane.E.Fonzino@us.ul.com

© 2010. All rights reserved. Reprints with permission of Underwriters Laboratories Inc.® BDI 101218

Calendar of eventsIf you would like The Code Authority to consider publishing your upcoming events, contact Howard Hopper by e-mail at Howard.D.Hopper@us.ul.com. Please type “TCA Calendar” in the subject line.

January 20–21, 2011Labor-Management Initiative ConferencePhoenix, AZ www.iafc.org/lmiconference

January 31–February 4, 2011educode training conferenceLas Vegas, NV www.iccsafe.org/EduCode

February 17, 2011Western Regional Fire Code Development CommitteeSan Francisco, CA www.iaei.org

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U.S. Postage

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Permit No. 1009

Northbrook, IL

333 Pfingsten Road Northbrook, IL 60062-2096United States of America

February 7–12, 2011NFPA Training Seminar WeekHouston, TX www.nfpa.org

February 22-24, 2011electric WestLong Beach, CA www.electricshow.com Visit us at booth 333

April 28-30, 2011International Sign expoLas Vegas, NV www.signexpo.org Visit us at booth 3448