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Domestic Structural Fire Protection Material
Regulations
PAGE INDEX:
- Approval Guidance
- International Structural Fire Protection Materials
- Related Fire Protection Materials
- Accepted Independent Laboratory Search Engine (This link will take you to another USCG website). Use this link to find the Accepted Independent Laboratories for the equipment approval categories listed below.
APPROVAL GUIDANCE: DOMESTIC
| APPROVAL CATEGORY |
EQUIPMENT |
MRA APPROVAL |
|---|---|---|
| 160.016 |
FLAME SAFETY LAMPS FOR MERCHANT VESSELS (OBSOLETE) | NO |
| 164.005 |
DECK
ASSEMBLIES |
NO |
| 164.006 |
DECK
COVERINGS |
NO |
| 164.007 |
STRUCTURAL INSULATION | NO |
| 164.008 |
BULKHEAD
PANELS |
NO |
| 164.009 |
NONCOMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS | NO |
| 164.010 |
CONTINUOUS
CEILINGS |
NO |
| 164.012 |
INTERIOR FINISH | NO |
| 164.040 |
FIBER REINFORCED PLASTIC GRATING & CABLE TRAYS | NO |
FLAME SAFETY LAMPS FOR MERCHANT VESSELS
SUBPART NUMBER: 160.016
APPROVAL GUIDANCE & INFORMATION: Coast Guard regulations require the carriage of approved flame safety lamps as part of fire man’s outfits. Flame safety lamps were type approved previously under 46 CFR 160.016, if they met Military Specification MIL L-1204, but flame safety Lamps are no longer being made.
In its place the Coast Guard will accept combination combustible gas/oxygen depletion meters which have been approved as intrinsically safe by Factory Mutual Corp. (FM) or so Listed by Underwiters Laboratories, Inc. (UL).
DECK ASSEMBLIES
SUBPART NUMBER: 164.005
APPROVAL GUIDANCE & INFORMATION: Traditionally, deck coverings on U. S. vessels have been the the oxychloride cements (magnesites), topped with tile or other overlays for finishing purposes. The traditional approval category, 46 CFR 164.006, is oriented toward the testing of A-60 insulation materials applied on top of a steel deck rather than prefabricated insulation systems such as floating floors. To accommodate floating floors providing A-60 deck protection, we have established under approval series 164.005, a separate category for deck assemblies (although there is no corresponding text in the CFRs apply criteria taken from IMO Fire Resistance Tests). Approval requirements include meeting noncombustibility criteria, as well as meeting the temperature limitation, and flame and smoke penetration criteria for A-60 boundaries as specified in the CFRs. The Coast Guard does not test materials or systems for approval but rather specifies the required test methods and minimum performance criteria for approval. The testing must be performed on the product by a Coast Guard Accepted Independent Testing Laboratory.
SUBMITTAL PACKAGE: Please submit the following information in the Submittal Package:
- A cover letter requesting Coast Guard Type Approval.
- A test report from the Accepted Independent Testing Laboratory showing compliance with the above standard.
- Evidence that an acceptable follow-up factory inspection program with the Accepted Independent Testing Laboratory is in place.
- Required plans and a copy of the installation instructions.
Commandant (CG-ENG-4)
U.S. Coast Guard
2100 Second Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20593-0001
Once the equipment has been approved by this office it will received Coast Guard Type Approval and a Certificate of Approval (COA). The COA will be issued for 5 years and will remain valid during that time period if the product meets the testing of the Quality Control Program.
DECK COVERINGS (A-60)
SUBPART NUMBER: 164.006
APPROVAL GUIDANCE & INFORMATION: Deck coverings are tested for compliance with 46 CFR 164.006, entitled "Deck Coverings for Merchant Vessels." This specification is applicable to decks where a fire resistance rating is required, such as A-15, A-30, or A-60, and the fire exposure is expected to be from below the deck. Materials approved under this specification have been mixtures such as magnesium oxychloride cements, prepared at the job site, which are held to the steel deck with welded steel clips or an adhesive material. This test does not require the materials to be noncombustible. Instead, it specifies limits on the organic carbon content, fire resistance, temperature transmission, and smoke density.
The test is conducted to meet A-60 criteria. The approval for A-60 applications is limited to the thickness tested as a minimum. Based on the test for A-60, a reduced thickness of the material may be applied to meet A-30 and A-15 criteria. The applicable details are contained in NVIC 9-97. The Coast Guard does not test materials or systems for approval but rather specifies the required test methods and minimum performance criteria for approval. The testing must be performed on the product by a Coast Guard Accepted Independent Testing Laboratory.
SUBMITTAL PACKAGE: Please submit the following information in the Submittal Package:
- A cover letter requesting Coast Guard Type Approval.
- A test report from the Accepted Independent Testing Laboratory showing compliance with the above standard.
- Evidence that an acceptable follow-up factory inspection program with the Accepted Independent Testing Laboratory is in place
- Required plans and a copy of the installation instructions
Commandant (CG-ENG-4)
U.S. Coast Guard
2100 Second Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20593-0001
Once the equipment has been approved by this office it will received Coast Guard Type Approval and a Certificate of Approval (COA). The COA will be issued for 5 years and will remain valid during that time period if the product meets the testing of the Quality Control Program.
STRUCTURAL INSULATION
SUBPART NUMBER: 164.007
APPROVAL GUIDANCE & INFORMATION: The approval specification for structural insulation is 46 CFR 164.007. This specification also requires compliance with the noncombustibility criteria of 46 CFR 164.009, resulting in separate fire tests for noncombustibility, and for fire resistance. Each insulation material is tested in the minimum thickness specified by the manufacturer, utilizing the method of installation recommended by the manufacturer. Typically, the insulation material is attached to a steel bulkhead with welded pins and speed clips. A joint or seam must be included in the test assembly. A set of typical installation drawings must be supplied to the testing laboratory to aid in the construction of the test sample. The drawing is to be representative of the expected installation of the insulation on ships.
The test is conducted to meet A-60 criteria. The approval for A-60 applications is limited to the thickness tested as a minimum. Based on the test for A-60, a reduced thickness of the material may be applied to meet A-30 and A-15 criteria. The applicable details are contained in NVIC 9-97.
The test specification states that the sample must be tested with the insulation facing the furnace fire, but the insulation may then be installed on a ship on either side of a steel bulkhead or under a steel deck. The Coast Guard does not test materials or systems for approval but rather specifies the required test methods and minimum performance criteria for approval. The testing must be performed on the product by a Coast Guard Accepted Independent Testing Laboratory.
SUBMITTAL PACKAGE: Please submit the following information in the Submittal Package:
- A cover letter requesting Coast Guard Type Approval of the equipment.
- A test report from the Accepted Independent Testing Laboratory showing compliance with the above standard.
- Evidence that an acceptable follow-up factory inspection program with the Accepted Independent Testing Laboratory is in place
- Required plans and a copy of the installation instructions.
Commandant (CG-ENG-4)
U.S. Coast Guard
2100 Second Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20593-0001
Once the equipment has been approved by this office it will received Coast Guard Type Approval and a Certificate of Approval (COA). The COA will be issued for 5 years and will remain valid during that time period if the product meets the testing of the Quality Control Program.
BULKHEAD PANELS
SUBPART NUMBER: 164.008
APPROVAL GUIDANCE & INFORMATION: The applicable requirements are contained in specification 46 CFR 164.008. The latter requires the panels (including any internal adhesive) to also meet the noncombustibility criteria of 46 CFR 164.009. The panels are installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommended joiner construction details, which becomes a required part of the approval of the panels.
46 CFR 164.008 does not require the use of steel bulkheads as part of the fire resistance test. Instead, the panels are tested without steel bulkheads for B-0 or B-15 classifications. Panels which successfully meet B-15 criteria and the fire resistance criteria for one hour may then be used as a component (along with other approved materials and air spaces) in A-60 bulkhead construction in accordance with the construction arrangements shown in NVIC 9-97. The Coast Guard does not test materials or systems for approval but rather specifies the required test methods and minimum performance criteria for approval. The testing must be performed on the product by a Coast Guard Accepted Independent Testing Laboratory.
If panels are to contain internal passages for electric cables or light switches, samples of such panels must included in the test assembly. Testing is conducted on unfaced panels only. Any decorative surface finishes must be approved separately under 46 CFR 164.012.
A set of joint detail and typical joiner installation drawings must be provided before the test as well as a drawing of the test specimen as it is to be installed in the test furnace. The set of typical drawings will be stamped "Approved" and will become a part of the approval data.
SUBMITTAL PACKAGE: Please submit the following information in the Submittal Package:
- A letter requesting Coast Guard Type Approval of the equipment.
- A test report from the Accepted Independent Testing Laboratory showing compliance of the product or equipment with the applicable standard.
- Evidence that an acceptable follow-up factory inspection program with the Accepted Independent Testing Laboratory is in place
- Required drawings/plans of the equipment
Commandant (CG-ENG-4)
U.S. Coast Guard
2100 Second Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20593-0001
Once the equipment has approved by this office it will received Coast Guard Type Approval and a Certificate of Approval (COA). The COA will be issued for 5 years and will remain valid during that time period if product meets the testing of the Quality Control Program.
NONCOMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS
SUBPART NUMBER: 164.009
APPROVAL GUIDANCE & INFORMATION: This is the basic specification for most material approvals. Noncombustible materials may be used anywhere in vessel construction without limitation. Approval certificates are issued under this category after samples of the material successfully meet the fire test criteria. This requires inserting material samples into a small electric furnace maintained at 750 degrees C. To be considered noncombustible, the average of the samples must not exceed each of the following: a furnace temperature rise of 50 degrees C, a sample surface rise of 50 degrees C, a duration of flaming of 10 seconds, and a weight loss of 50 percent. Materials approved under this category to date are solid inorganic materials containing only small amounts of organic binder.
Some specific materials are known to be noncombustible based on their composition, and may be used in merchant vessels construction wherever noncombustible materials are required. These materials are not tested and do not receive certificates of approval. A list of these materials is contained in 46 CFR 164.009-3. For a product to be accepted as a noncombustible material not requiring tests, its manufacturer must certify that the product consists only of the materials listed in 164.009-3. All other materials must be tested. The Coast Guard does not test materials or systems for approval but rather specifies the required test methods and minimum performance criteria for approval. The testing must be performed on the product by a Coast Guard Accepted Independent Testing Laboratory.
SUBMITTAL PACKAGE: Please submit the following information in the Submittal Package:
- A cover letter requesting Coast Guard Type Approval.
- A test report from the Accepted Independent Testing Laboratory showing compliance with the above standard.
- Evidence that an acceptable follow-up factory inspection program with the Accepted Independent Testing Laboratory is in place
- Required plans and a copy of the installation instruction
Commandant (CG-ENG-4)
U.S. Coast Guard
2100 Second Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20593-0001
Once the equipment has been approved by this office it will received Coast Guard Type Approval and a Certificate of Approval (COA). The COA will be issued for 5 years and will remain valid during that time period if the product meets the testing of the Quality Control Program.
CONTINUOUS CEILINGS
SUBPART NUMBER: 164.010 .
APPROVAL GUIDANCE & INFORMATION: The Code of Federal Regulations does not require continuous (B-0 or B-15) ceiling systems, since B-0 and B-15 bulkheads are installed deck to deck to provide a continuous fire barrier. However, since the SOLAS treaty recognizes continuous ceilings in lieu of installing bulkheads deck to deck, the Coast Guard has established an approval category for continuous ceilings, and assigned it approval category 164.010. Since the CFRs contain no appropriate approval criteria, the test procedure and acceptance criteria applied were taken from IMO Resolution A.517(13).
Since they are part of a B-class partition, all ceiling materials, with the exception of decorative surface finishes, must be noncombustible per 46 CFR 164.009. Decorative surface finishes must be approved separately under 46 CFR 164.012.
For ceilings which are intended to incorporate recessed light fixtures, ventilation units (diffusers), access panels, and recessed light switches, the test assembly must include a recessed light fixture housing, a diffuser, an access panel and a light switch housing. A separate test for ceilings incorporating accessories may be required if the accessories are extensive.
Continuous ceilings may also be used to meet A-60 deck criteria when certain conditions are met. In the latter case the fire test is conducted with the ceiling suspended below a steel deck in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. The distance between the steel plate simulating a steel deck in the test furnace and the continuous ceiling below is considered to be the minimum distance for actual shipboard installation. Temperature measurements are made on top of the ceiling to determine compliance with B-15 ceiling criteria and on top of the steel deck to determine compliance with A-60 deck insulation criteria.
Each approval for a continuous ceiling is an approval of a specific design, as shown on the manufacturer’s approved joint detail and typical joiner construction drawings. Extrapolations of the data for application to other designs are not made. Additional ceiling designs require additional fire tests. The construction and material combinations shown in NVIC 9-97 for constructing A-60, A-30, and A-15 bulkheads and decks do not apply to continuous ceilings. The Coast Guard does not test materials or systems for approval but rather specifies the required test methods and minimum performance criteria for approval. The testing must be performed on the product by a Coast Guard Accepted Independent Testing Laboratory.
SUBMITTAL PACKAGE: Please submit the following information in the Submittal Package:
- A cover letter requesting Coast Guard Type Approval.
- A test report from the Accepted Independent Testing Laboratory showing compliance with the above standard.
- Evidence that an acceptable follow-up factory inspection program with the Accepted Independent Testing Laboratory is in place
- Required plans and a copy of the installation instructions
Commandant (G-MSE-4)
U.S. Coast Guard
2100 Second Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20593-0001
Once the equipment has been approved by this office it will received Coast Guard Type Approval and a Certificate of Approval (COA). The COA will be issued for 5 years and will remain valid during that time period if the product meets the testing of the Quality Control Program.
INTERIOR FINISH
SUBPART NUMBER: 164.012
APPROVAL GUIDANCE & INFORMATION: The U. S. Coast Guard approval category for interior (decorative surface) finishes is 46 CFR 164.012. This specification requires decorative bulkhead and ceiling facings and coatings not exceeding 0.075 inches (1.9 mm) in thickness to meet low flame spread and smoke values. Thicker materials must be non-combustible. Any adhesives used in applying the finish must be part of the fire test, and will be specified on the certificate of approval issued for the finish. Other adhesives may not be substituted without repeating the fire test using the substitute adhesive.
The test method is ASTM E-84, and the finish must have maximum flame spread and smoke developed ratings of 20 and 10, respectively. These finishes are for surface application to noncombustible substrates only.
Approved interior finishes may then be applied as a surface finish to any other approved non-combustible material, such as bulkhead panels and ceilings, without requiring additional approvals. The process of applying approved finishes to approved construction materials does not require approval, but must be done in accordance with the finish manufacturer’s instructions. The Coast Guard does not test materials or systems for approval but rather specifies the required test methods and minimum performance criteria for approval. The testing must be performed on the product by a Coast Guard Accepted Independent Testing Laboratory.
LINKS: ASTM E-84 (This link will take you to the website for the ASTM.)
SUBMITTAL PACKAGE: Please submit the following information in the Submittal Package:
- A cover letter requesting Coast Guard Type Approval.
- A test report from the Accepted Independent Testing Laboratory showing compliance with the above standard.
- Evidence that an acceptable follow-up factory inspection program with the Accepted Independent Testing Laboratory is in place
- Required plans and a copy of the installation instruction
Commandant (CG-ENG-4)
U.S. Coast Guard
2100 Second Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20593-0001
Once the equipment has been approved by this office it will received Coast Guard Type Approval and a Certificate of Approval (COA). The COA will be issued for 5 years and will remain valid during that time period if the product meets the testing of the Quality Control Program.
FIBER REINFORCED PLASTIC GRATING & CABLE TRAYS
SUBPART NUMBER: 164.040
APPROVAL GUIDANCE & INFORMATION: See the Fiber Reinforced Plastic Grating link. The Coast Guard does not test materials or systems for approval but rather specifies the required test methods and minimum performance criteria for approval. The testing must be performed on the product by a Coast Guard Accepted Independent Testing Laboratory.
LINKS: FIBER REINFORCED PLASTIC (FRP) GRATING
SUBMITTAL PACKAGE: Please submit the following information in the Submittal Package:
- A cover letter requesting Coast Guard Type Approval
- A test report from the Accepted Independent Testing Laboratory showing compliance with the above standard
- Evidence that an acceptable follow-up factory inspection program with the Accepted Independent Testing Laboratory is in place
- Required plans and a copy of the installation instruction
Commandant (CG-ENG-4)
U.S. Coast Guard
2100 Second Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20593-0001
Once the equipment has been approved by this office it will received Coast Guard Type Approval and a Certificate of Approval (COA). The COA will be issued for 5 years and will remain valid during that time period if the product meets the testing of the Quality Control Program.
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Last Modified 5/9/2012