Component Additive Method (CAM) for Calculating and

Demonstrating Assembly Fire Resistance

Wood-frame walls and floors offer designers a veloped from conducting a series of fire resistance
unique opportunity to provide structures with economy tests. The Component Additive Method (CAM) pro-
as well as proven energy performance. Where these vides for calculating the fire resistance of load bearing
assemblies are required by the building codes to and non-load bearing floor, wall, ceiling and roof
achieve a minimum fire resistance rating, a wide range assemblies. The calculated fire resistance provisions
of options for design exists. within Section 722.6 of the International Building
Code® (IBC) were developed using CAM.
Building Code Requirements

For both new and existing construction, many

building codes require structural elements such as ex-
terior walls, load bearing partitions, floor/ceiling as-
semblies and roofs to achieve a minimum fire re-
sistance rating. Historically, these assemblies have
been tested in accordance with ASTM E119 Standard
Test Methods for Fire Tests of Building Construction
and Materials or UL 263 Standard for Fire Tests of
Building Construction and Materials, and assigned an
hourly fire resistance rating based on a s s e m b l y
p e r f o r m a n c e . Many sources are available for ob-
taining information on the fire resistance of assem-
blies: The 2012 International Building Code-Table
721; the American Wood Council’s Fire Rated Wood
Floor and Wall Assemblies (DCA3), Gypsum Asso-
ciation’s GA 600 Fire Resistance Design Manual; and
Underwriters’ Laboratories ULtimate Fire Wizard, to
name a few.
Building codes include both tested assemblies as
well as methods for calculating fire resistance, de-

Copyright © 2014 American Wood Council

2 CAM FOR CALCULATING AND DEMONSTRATING ASSEMBLY FIRE RESISTANCE

Component Additive Method (CAM)

History
The original methodology for calculating fire re-
sistance ratings of assemblies by CAM was devel-
oped in the early 1960’s by the Fire Test Board of the
National Research Council of Canada (NRCC). The
methodology resulted from their detailed review of
135 standard fire test reports on wood stud walls and
73 test reports on wood-joist floor assemblies, and the
Ten Rules of Fire Endurance Rating by Tibor Har-
mathy, an eminent fire researcher from NRCC. The
“Ten Rules” provided a method for combining the
individual component contributions to obtain the fire
resistance rating of the assembly. The fire tests were
used to validate this methodology, and to derive as-
signed time values for contribution to fire resistance
ratings of each separate component of an assembly.
These tests included both load bearing and non-load
bearing assemblies with wood, gypsum wallboard and
other membranes. Fire resistance ratings ranged from
20 to 90 minutes.

The times assigned to protective wall and ceiling

coverings are given in Table 722.6.2(1) of the 2012
IBC. These times are based on the ability of the mem-
brane to remain in place during fire tests. For wall
assemblies, the membrane should be attached using
nails or drywall screws with a minimum 1.5 inch pene-
tration into the framing members, and spaced not more
than 7 inches on center. For floor/ceiling assemblies,
the ceiling membrane should be attached using nails
or drywall screws with a minimum 1 inch penetration
Use and Application into the framing members, and spaced not more than 7
inches on center. This "assigned time" should not be
In developing the methodology, the NRCC Fire confused with the "finish rating" of the membrane.
Test Board broke down the fire resistance of the as- The "finish rating" is the time it takes for the tem-
sembly into the fire resistance contribution of the ex- perature to rise an average of 250° F on the unex-
posed membrane and the framing members. As a posed surface of a material when the material is ex-
result, the calculated fire resistance would equal the posed to a heat source following the ASTM E119
sum of 1) the contribution of the fire-exposed mem- Time-Temperature curve.
brane, 2) the performance time of the framing mem-
bers, and if applicable 3) any additional protection due
to use of cavity insulation or reinforcement of the
membrane.

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 CAM FOR CALCULATING AND DEMONSTRATING ASSEMBLY FIRE RESISTANCE 3

Ten Rules of Fire Endurance (Resistance) Rating

Rule 1. The "thermal" fire endurance of a construction consisting of a number of parallel layers is greater than the
sum of the "thermal" fire endurance characteristics of the individual layers when exposed separately to fire.
Where two layers of panel materials, such as gypsum wallboard or plywood, are fastened to studs or joists separate-
ly, their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual contributions to the fire endurance rating of the
assembly.

Rule 2. The fire endurance of a construction does not decrease with the addition of further layers.
This is a corollary to Rule 1. The fire resistance will not decrease with the addition of layers such as wallboard or
other panel materials, regardless of how many layers are added or where they are located within the assembly.

Rule 3. The fire endurance of constructions containing continuous air gaps or cavities is greater than the fire en-
durance of similar constructions of the same weight, but containing no air gaps or cavities.
Wall and ceiling cavities formed by studs and joists protected and encased by wall coverings adds to the fire re-
sistance rating of these assemblies.

Rule 4. The farther an air gap or cavity is located from the exposed surface, the more beneficial its effect on the fire
endurance.
In cases where cavities are formed by joists or studs and protected by 2-inch-thick panel materials against fire ex-
posure, the beneficial effect of such air cavities is greater than if the protection is only 1/2 inch thick.

Rule 5. The fire endurance of an assembly cannot be increased by increasing the thickness of a completely enclosed
air layer.
An increase in the gap distance between separated layers does not change the fire resistance of an assembly.

Rule 6. Layers of materials of low thermal conductivity are better utilized on the side of the construction on which
fire is more likely to happen.
A building material having relatively low thermal conductivity, such as a wood-based material, is more beneficial to
the fire resistance of the assembly if placed on the fire-exposed side of the framing than it would be on the opposite
side.

Rule 7. The fire endurance of asymmetrical constructions depends on the direction of heat flow.
Walls which do not have the same panel materials on both faces will demonstrate different fire resistance ratings
depending upon which side is exposed to fire. This rule results as a consequence of Rules 4 and 6, which point out
the importance of location of air gaps or cavities and of the sequence of different layers of solids.

Rule 8. The presence of moisture, if it does not result in explosive spalling, increases fire resistance.
Materials having a 15 percent moisture content will have greater fire resistance than those having 4 percent mois-
ture content at the time of fire exposure.

Rule 9. Load-supporting elements, such as beams, girders and joists, yield higher fire endurance when subject to
fire endurance tests as parts of floor, roof, or ceiling assemblies than they would when tested separately.
A wood joist performs better when it is incorporated in a floor/ceiling assembly, than tested by itself under the same
load.

Rule 10. The load-supporting elements (beams, girders, joists, etc.) of a floor, roof, or ceiling assembly can be re-
placed by such other load-supporting elements which, when tested separately, yielded fire endurance not less than
that of the assembly.
A joist in a floor assembly may be replaced by another type of joist having a fire resistance rating not less than that
of the assembly.

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4 CAM FOR CALCULATING AND DEMONSTRATING ASSEMBLY FIRE RESISTANCE

The times assigned to wood studs and joists were Roofs and Floor/Ceiling Assemblies
determined from ASTM E119 fire resistance tests, and
represent the contribution of the framing members to In the case of a roof or floor/ceiling assembly, fire
the total fire resistance rating of the assembly. The testing is normally done with exposure from below the
times assigned to framing members are given in Table assembly. To comply with this calculation methodolo-
722.6.2(2) of the 2012 IBC. gy, floor and roof assemblies must have a protective
These time values are, in part, the result of membrane in conformance with Table 722.6.2(1) of
full-scale tests of unprotected wood studs and floor the 2012 IBC. The upper membrane must consist of a
joists where the structural elements were loaded to subfloor or roof deck and finish in conformance with
design capacity. They apply to all framing members Table 722.6.2(4) of the 2012 IBC. Alternatively, any
and do not increase if, for example, 2x6 studs are used combination of membranes listed in Table 722.6.2(1)
rather than 2x4 studs as implied by Harmathy’s rule of the 2012 IBC, with an assigned time of at least 15
#5. It should be noted that the intent of footnote b to minutes, may be used on the unexposed (upper) side.
Table 722.6.2(2) of the 2012 IBC is not to limit the
table’s applicability to 2x4 studs only, but rather, to
require 2x4s as the minimum stud size.

Walls

Additional fire resistance can be provided to wall

assemblies by the use of specific insulation materials,
as described in IBC Table 722.6.2(5). For a wall or
partition where only plywood is used as the membrane
on the side assumed to be exposed to the fire, insula-
tion must be used within the assembly.
In developing this methodology it was also deter-
mined that the primary function of the membrane on
the unexposed side of an exterior wall is to keep the
insulation in place and prevent the transmission of
heat. Fire resistance of wall assemblies is consistently
dependent upon the fire exposed-side membrane. As a
result, it is permissible to substitute various exterior
cladding materials as the membrane on the unex-
posed side of exterior wall assemblies1. Therefore,
where a fire resistance rating for an exterior wall is
to be determined using CAM, any combination of
sheathing, paper, and exterior finish listed in IBC Ta-
ble 722.6.2(3) may be used.

1 For examples of fire-resistance-rated exterior walls see “Design for Code Acceptance No. 3: One-Hour Fire Rated Wood-Frame Wall and
Floor/Ceiling Assemblies” American Wood Council, 2013.
.

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 CAM FOR CALCULATING AND DEMONSTRATING ASSEMBLY FIRE RESISTANCE 5

Example Calculations to achieve a one-hour fire-resistance rating. For this

latter case, it should be noted that to achieve the as-
Example 1: Determine the fire endurance rating signed fire resistance rating for the interior side, the
of a wall assembly having one layer of 5/8 inch Type X exterior side must be protected in accordance with IBC
gypsum wallboard attached to wood studs on the fire Table 722.6.2(3) or any membrane that is assigned a
exposed side (interior, see Figure 1). time of at least 15 minutes as listed in IBC Table
Table 722.6.2(1) of the 2012 IBC shows that 5/8 722.6.2(1).
inch Type X gypsum wallboard has an assigned time If wall cavities between studs had been filled with
of 40 minutes. IBC Table 722.6.2(2) shows that mineral wool insulation, which has an assigned time of
wood studs spaced no more than 16 inches on cen- 15 minutes as noted in IBC Table 722.6.2(5), the 5/8
ter have an assigned time of 20 minutes. Thus, the inch Type X gypsum wallboard could be replaced by
combined fire resistance rating of the assembly is 60 1/2 inch Type X gypsum wallboard. Thus, adding the
minutes. (Adding additional membranes to the fram- assigned times for the 1/2 inch gypsum wallboard,
ing would also be permitted according to Harmathy’s wood studs, and insulation (25 minutes + 20 minutes +
rule #2.) 15 minutes) the resultant fire resistance rating for the
If the wall is assumed to be exposed to fire from wall would also equal 60 minutes.
both sides (e.g., for interior fire rated partitions and
exterior walls with a fire separation distance of 10 feet
or less), each surface of the framing member would WOOD STUD (2x4 MINIMUM)
be required to be fire protected with a membrane or
combination of membranes having an assigned time of
at least 40 minutes, as shown in the example, in order
to achieve a one-hour fire-resistance rating from either 16 MAXIMUM
side. If the proposed wall is assumed to be exposed to
fire from one side only, as is required of an exterior
wall having a fire separation distance greater than 10 5/8 inch Type X gypsum wallboard = 40 minutes
feet, the fire exposure is assumed to be from the inte- Wood studs = 20 minutes
rior, which would require protection on the interior Combined Assembly Fire Resistance Rating = 60 minutes
side with a membrane or combination of membranes
Figure 1 Interior Wall
having an assigned time of at least 40 minutes in order

Example 2: Determine the fire resistance rating

of a floor/ceiling assembly having wood joists spaced
16 inches on center and protected on the bottom side
(ceiling side) with two layers of 1/2 inch Type X gyp-
sum wallboard and having a 1/2 inch plywood sub- WOOD JOIST
floor on the upper side (floor side). 1/2” TYPE X GYPSUM
IBC Table 722.6.2(1) shows that the assigned WALLBOARD (2 LAYERS)
time for each layer of 1/2 inch Type X gypsum wall-
board is 25 minutes. The time assigned for wood
joists, as shown in IBC Table 722.6.2(2), is 10
minutes.
Adding the assigned times of two layers of gyp-
sum wallboard and wood joists, a fire resistance rating 1/2 inch Type X Gypsum wallboard = 25 minutes
of 60 minutes or one hour is calculated. 1/2 inch Type X Gypsum wallboard = 25 minutes
Wood joists = 10 minutes
Combined Assembly Fire Resistance Rating = 60 minutes
Figure 2 Floor/Ceiling Assembly

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6 CAM FOR CALCULATING AND DEMONSTRATING ASSEMBLY FIRE RESISTANCE

Example 3: Determine the fire resistance rating

of a floor/ceiling assembly having prefabricated
wood I-joists spaced 16 inches on center and pro-
tected on the bottom side (ceiling side) with two lay-
ers of 5/8 inch Type X gypsum wallboard and having
a 15/32 inch wood structural panel subfloor on the
upper side (floor side).
IBC Table 722.6.2(1) shows that the assigned
time for each layer of 5/8-inch Type X gypsum wall-
board is 40 minutes. IBC Table 722.6.2(2) does not
assign a time contribution for prefabricated wood I-
joists, so for the purposes of this example, no addi-
tional time is added to account for the contribution of
the I-joist framing members.
Adding the assigned times of two layers of 5/8
inch Type X gypsum wallboard yields a time of 80
minutes; however, IBC Section 722.6.1.1 limits fire 5/8 inch Type X Gypsum wallboard = 40 minutes
resistance ratings calculated in accordance with Sec- 5/8 inch Type X Gypsum wallboard = 40 minutes
tion 722.6 to one hour. Thus, a fire resistance rating of Sum of assigned component times = 80 minutes
60 minutes or one hour is calculated.
Combined Assembly Fire Resistance Rating
= 60 minutes
(limited to 1 hour per IBC 722.6.1.1)
Figure 3 Floor/Ceiling Assembly with
Prefabricated Wood I-joists

References cil of Canada, Division of Building Research. Tech-

nical Paper No. 222, Ottawa, Ontario. June 1966.
T.Z. Harmathy. “Ten Rules of Fire Endurance Rating.”
Fire Technology, Vol. 1, No. 2. May 1965, pp 93-102. Galbreath, M. “Fire Performance Rating,” Canada
Building Digest No. 71, National Research Council of
Associate Committee of the National Building Code, Canada, Division of Building Research. Ottawa, On-
National Building Code of Canada. “Minutes of the tario. November 1965.
8th Meeting Fire Test Board, Committee Paper No. 1,”
April 1964. Galbreath, M. “Estimating the Fire Endurance of Exte-
rior Stud Walls,” National Research Council of Cana-
Associate Committee of the National Building Code, da, Division of Building Research. Technical Paper
National Building Code of Canada. “Minutes of the No.335, Ottawa, Ontario. June 1961.
11th Meeting Fire Test Board, Committee Paper No.
1,” October 1964. Hall, Gavin S., et.al. “Fire Performance of Timber.”
Timber Research and Development Association, High
Galbreath, M. “Fire Endurance of Light Framed and Wycombe, England, 1974.
Miscellaneous Assemblies,” National Research Coun-

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 CAM FOR CALCULATING AND DEMONSTRATING ASSEMBLY FIRE RESISTANCE 7

Conclusion For additional information or assis-

tance contact:
Assemblies of wood construction are used increas-
ingly in architectural designs because of their adapta- American Wood Council
bility to a variety of style preferences, economies of 222 Catoctin Circle, SE, Suite 201
construction, and the energy saving performance of Leesburg, VA 20175
such systems. These assemblies can now be evaluated www.awc.org
to determine their fire resistance rating by a Compo- 202-463-2766
nent Additive Method, avoiding expensive fire testing.
Designers are also encouraged to review AWC's
online Heights and Areas Calculator2 for additional
information. Copyright © 2014 American Wood Council

The procedure described in this publication is in-

tended to assist the designer of wood-frame structures
in meeting specified fire resistance requirements. Spe-
cial effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the
information presented. However, AWC does not as-
sume responsibility for particular designs or calcula-
tions prepared from this publication.

2 Online Heights and Areas Calculator available free of charge on the American Wood Council website: www.awc.org.

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