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Chapter 7 — FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES

Section 711

California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2) · 2019 edition · updated 2026-09-12 · California

Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.

711.1 General.

Horizontal assemblies shall comply with Section 711.2. Nonfire-resistance-rated floor and roof assemblies shall comply with Section 711.3.

711.2 Horizontal assemblies.

Horizontal assemblies shall comply with Sections 711.2.1 through 711.2.6.

711.2.1 Materials. Assemblies shall be of materials permitted by the building type of construction.

711.2.2 Continuity. Assemblies shall be continuous without vertical openings, except as permitted by this section and Section 712.

711.2.3 Supporting construction. The supporting construction shall be protected to afford the required fireresistance rating of the horizontal assembly supported.

Exception: In buildings of Type IIB, IIIB or VB construction, the construction supporting the horizontal assembly is not required to be fire-resistance rated at the following:

  1. Horizontal assemblies at the separations of incidental uses as specified by Table 509 provided that the required fire-resistance rating does not exceed 1 hour.

  2. Horizontal assemblies at the separations of dwelling units and sleeping units as required by Section 420.3.

  3. Horizontal assemblies at smoke barriers constructed in accordance with Section 709.

711.2.4 Fire-resistance rating. The fire-resistance rating of horizontal assemblies shall comply with Sections 711.2.4.1 through 711.2.4.6 but shall be not less than that required by the building type of construction.

711.2.4.1 Separating mixed occupancies. Where the horizontal assembly separates mixed occupancies, the assembly shall have a fire-resistance rating of not less than that required by Section 508.4 based on the occupancies being separated.

711.2.4.2 Separating fire areas. Where the horizontal assembly separates a single occupancy into different fire areas, the assembly shall have a fire-resistance rating of not less than that required by Section 707.3.10.

711.2.4.3 Dwelling units and sleeping units. Horizontal assemblies serving as dwelling or sleeping unit separations in accordance with Section 420.3 shall be not less than 1-hour fire-resistance-rated construction.

Exception: Horizontal assemblies separating dwelling units and sleeping units shall be not less than 1 /2hour fire-resistance-rated construction in a building of Types IIB, IIIB and VB construction, where the building is equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1.

Copyright © 2019 ICC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Accessed by Kevin Day (kevin.day@dgs.ca.gov), (California Building Standards Commission) Order Number #100735044 on Jul 24, 2019 03:54 PM (PDT) pursuant to License Agreement with ICC. No further reproduction or distribution authorized. Single user only, copying and networking prohibited. ANY UNAUTHORIZED REPRODUCTION OR DISTRIBUTION IS A VIOLATION OF THE FEDERAL COPYRIGHT ACT AND THE LICENSE AGREEMENT, AND SUBJECT TO CIVIL AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES THEREUNDER.

100735044

FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES

711.2.4.4 Separating smoke compartments. Where the horizontal assembly is required to be a smoke barrier, the assembly shall comply with Section 709.

711.2.4.5 Separating incidental uses. Where the horizontal assembly separates incidental uses from the remainder of the building, the assembly shall have a fire-resistance rating of not less than that required by Section 509.

711.2.4.6 Other separations. Where a horizontal assembly is required by other sections of this code, the assembly shall have a fire-resistance rating of not less than that required by that section.

711.2.5 Ceiling panels. Where the weight of lay-in ceiling panels, used as part of fire-resistance-rated floor/ceiling or roof/ceiling assemblies, is not adequate to resist an upward force of 1 pound per square foot (48 Pa), wire or other approved devices shall be installed above the panels to prevent vertical displacement under such upward force.

711.2.6 Unusable space. In 1-hour fire-resistance-rated floor/ceiling assemblies, the ceiling membrane is not required to be installed over unusable crawl spaces. In 1hour fire-resistance-rated roof assemblies, the floor membrane is not required to be installed where unusable attic space occurs above.

711.3 Nonfire-resistance-rated floor and roof assemblies.

Nonfire-resistance-rated floor, floor/ceiling, roof and roof/ ceiling assemblies shall comply with Sections 711.3.1 and 711.3.2.

711.3.1 Materials. Assemblies shall be of materials permitted by the building type of construction.

711.3.2 Continuity. Assemblies shall be continuous without vertical openings, except as permitted by Section 712.

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▸Contents — California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
  1. Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS
  2. Appendix G — FLOOD-RESISTANT
  3. Appendix L — EARTHQUAKE RECORDING
  4. Appendix M — TSUNAMI-GENERATED
  5. Chapter 1 — SCOPE AND ADMINISTRATION
  6. Chapter 3 — OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION AND USE
  7. Chapter 4 — SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED
  8. Chapter 5 — GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS
  9. Chapter 6 — TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION
  10. ▸Chapter 7 — FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES
    Overview
    1. Section 701
    2. Section 702
    3. Section 703
    4. Section 704
    5. Section 705
    6. Section 706
    7. Section 707
    8. Section 708
    9. Section 709
    10. Section 710
    11. Section 711
    12. Section 712
    13. Section 713
    14. Section 714
    15. Section 715
    16. Section 716
    17. Section 717
    18. Section 718
    19. Section 719
    20. Section 720
    21. Section 721
    22. Section 722
  11. Chapter 7A — MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION
  12. Chapter 8 — INTERIOR FINISHES
  13. Chapter 9 — FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS
  14. Chapter 10 — MEANS OF EGRESS
  15. Chapter 11A — HOUSING ACCESSIBILITY
  16. Chapter 11B — ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PUBLIC ACCOMM…
  17. Chapter 12 — INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT
  18. Chapter 14 — EXTERIOR WALLS
  19. Chapter 15 — ROOF ASSEMBLIES AND ROOFTOP STRUCTURES
  20. Chapter 16 — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  21. Chapter 16A — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  22. Chapter 17 — SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS
  23. Chapter 18 — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
  24. Chapter 19 — CONCRETE
  25. Chapter 20 — ALUMINUM
  26. Chapter 21 — MASONRY
  27. Chapter 22 — STEEL
  28. Chapter 23 — WOOD
  29. Chapter 24 — GLASS AND GLAZING
  30. Chapter 25 — GYPSUM BOARD, GYPSUM PANEL PRODUCTS AND PLASTER
  31. Chapter 26 — PLASTIC
  32. Chapter 27 — ELECTRICAL
  33. Chapter 28 — MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
  34. Chapter 30 — ELEVATORS AND CONVEYING SYSTEMS
  35. Chapter 31 — SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION
  36. Chapter 31B — PUBLIC POOLS
  37. Chapter 31C — RADIATION
  38. Chapter 31D — FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
  39. Chapter 31F — MARINE OIL TERMINALS
  40. Chapter 32 — ENCROACHMENTS INTO THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
  41. Chapter 33 — SAFEGUARDS DURING CONSTRUCTION
  42. Chapter 35 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  43. Appendix A — EMPLOYEE QUALIFICATIONS
  44. Appendix B — BOARD OF APPEALS
  45. Appendix C — GROUP U – AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS
  46. Appendix D — FIRE DISTRICTS
  47. Appendix F — RODENTPROOFING
  48. Appendix H — SIGNS
  49. Appendix I — PATIO COVERS
  50. Appendix J — GRADING
  51. Appendix K — GROUP R-3 AND GROUP R-3.1 OCCUPANCIES
  52. Appendix N — REPLICABLE BUILDINGS
  53. Appendix O — EMERGENCY HOUSING

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