11/14/2024: LIVE INTERACTIVE WEBINAR, Structural Fire Protection - Rectification of Restrained vs. Unrestrained, Thursday, November 14, 2024, 12pm - 1pm

When incorporating fire resistant assemblies into structural systems, project stakeholders must judge whether a “restrained” or “unrestrained” classification is appropriate for the application. It is critical that this assumption be carefully considered and understood, as many qualified listings permit a lesser thickness of applied fire protection for steel structures (or less concrete cover for concrete structures) to achieve a certain fire resistance rating if a “restrained” classification is confirmed, as compared to an “unrestrained” classification. The "restrained vs. unrestrained" paradigm remains one of the most controversial and often confused aspects of structural fire protection design. This presentation will examine this paradigm in terms of its paradoxical nature and its controversial impact on the industry. Also, potential solutions toward industry rectification of this controversial paradigm will be discussed in the context of contemporary industry standards.