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Chapter 7 — FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES

Section 711

California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2) · 2022 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 509.1 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

FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES

sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1.

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. Appendix N — REPLICABLE
  6. Appendix O — PERFORMANCE-BASED
  7. Chapter 1 — SCOPE AND ADMINISTRATION
  8. Chapter 3 — OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION AND USE
  9. Chapter 4 — SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED ON OCCUPANCY A…
  10. Chapter 5 — GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS
  11. Chapter 6 — TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION
  12. ▸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
  13. Chapter 7A — MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION
  14. Chapter 8 — INTERIOR FINISHES
  15. Chapter 9 — FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS
  16. Chapter 10 — MEANS OF EGRESS
  17. Chapter 11A — HOUSING ACCESSIBILITY
  18. Chapter 11B — ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PUBLIC ACCOMM…
  19. Chapter 12 — INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT
  20. Chapter 14 — EXTERIOR WALLS
  21. Chapter 15 — ROOF ASSEMBLIES AND ROOFTOP STRUCTURES
  22. Chapter 16 — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  23. Chapter 16A — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  24. Chapter 17 — SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS
  25. Chapter 18 — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
  26. Chapter 19 — CONCRETE
  27. Chapter 20 — ALUMINUM
  28. Chapter 21 — MASONRY
  29. Chapter 22 — STEEL
  30. Chapter 23 — WOOD
  31. Chapter 24 — GLASS AND GLAZING
  32. Chapter 25 — GYPSUM BOARD, GYPSUM PANEL PRODUCTS AND PLASTER
  33. Chapter 26 — PLASTIC
  34. Chapter 27 — ELECTRICAL
  35. Chapter 28 — MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
  36. Chapter 30 — ELEVATORS AND CONVEYING SYSTEMS
  37. Chapter 31 — SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION
  38. Chapter 31B — PUBLIC POOLS
  39. Chapter 31C — RADIATION
  40. Chapter 31D — FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
  41. Chapter 31F — MARINE OIL TERMINALS
  42. Chapter 32 — ENCROACHMENTS INTO THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
  43. Chapter 33 — SAFEGUARDS DURING CONSTRUCTION
  44. Chapter 35 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  45. Appendix A — EMPLOYEE QUALIFICATIONS
  46. Appendix B — BOARD OF APPEALS
  47. Appendix C — GROUP U – AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS
  48. Appendix D — FIRE DISTRICTS
  49. Appendix F — RODENTPROOFING
  50. Appendix H — SIGNS
  51. Appendix I — PATIO COVERS
  52. Appendix J — GRADING
  53. Appendix K — GROUP R-3 AND GROUP R-3.1 OCCUPANCIES
  54. Appendix P — EMERGENCY HOUSING

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