User Guide

Plumbing Design Assistance Manual l Chapter 3 – Fire-resistant construction l 29
ASTM E84
— surface
burning
characteristics
As dened by the International
Building Code (IBC),
combustible piping may be
installed in areas required
to be of noncombustible
construction, provided the
piping is installed in a wall or
concrete-oor slab or the pipe
has a ame-spread (FS) index
rating of not more than 25
and a smoke-developed (SD)
index rating of not more than
50 when tested in accordance
with ASTM E84.
Uponor PEX-a piping systems
comprised of Uponor PEX-a
piping, Uponor ProPEX rings,
Uponor EP ttings, Uponor
LF brass ttings and Uponor
PEX-a Pipe Support products
are listed for installation in
return-air plenums as tested in
accordance with ASTM E84.
The below listings apply to
Uponor PEX-a piping systems
installed in either horizontal
or vertical orientations in the
eld. Refer to Table 3-3 for
installation requirements.
QAI P321-1
½" to ¾" Uponor PEX-a
(uninsulated)
Adjacent runs of uninsulated
½" to ¾" Uponor PEX-a piping
in a return-air plenum must be
separated by 18".
QAI P321-2
Up to and Including 3"
Uponor PEX-a Supported
with Uponor PEX-a Pipe
Support
See Chapter 6 for installation
details. Uponor PEX-a piping
manufactured with a maximum
nominal outside diameter
(OD) of 3" and supported with
Uponor PEX-a Pipe Support.
Pipe or tting sections without
PEX-a Pipe Support must be
covered with a rated insulation
per Table 3-5. There is no
minimum length of PEX-a
Pipe Support segments.
There are also no spacing
limitations between adjacent
runs of this pipe.
QAI P321-1
Up to and Including 3"
Uponor PEX-a (insulated)
Uponor PEX-a piping
manufactured with a maximum
nominal OD of 3" and
encased in a minimum ½"
thick insulation in accordance
with Table 3-5 shall have no
limitation on spacing.
Table 3-3: Uponor AquaPEX ASTM E84 requirements
Classified as to surface burning characteristics
ASTM E84 Flame spread Smoke developed Limitations
Nominal ½" to ¾" size 25 or less 50 or less Adjacent pipe runs shall be
located at least 18" apart.
3" maximum nominal size Uponor
PEX-a Supported with Uponor
PEX-a Pipe Support
25 or less 50 or less Pipe or fitting sections without
PEX-a Pipe Support must be
covered with a rated insulation per
Table 3-5. There is no minimum
length of PEX-a Pipe Support
segments.
3" maximum nominal size Uponor
PEX-a with ½" insulation
25 or less 50 or less ½" minimum thickness insulation
as specified in Table 3-5.