FIRE, ACOUSTIC, AND THERMAL RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION
A structure having an area separation wall including: a first building unit; a second building unit; and an area separation wall having only outer membranes. Preferably, the area separation wall is fire resistance rated. The outer membranes provide acoustic attenuation without adversely affecting the fire resistance of the area separation wall. The area separation wall provides improved thermal resistance. In one embodiment, the area separation wall includes: an interior support structure and at least one outer membrane on each side of the interior support structure. The outer membranes provide acoustic attenuation. Between the outer membranes is a substantially organic material barrier. The structure may also include a tying structure connecting the area separation wall to the first unit and the second unit.
1 . A structure having an area separation wall, said structure comprising:
(a) a first building unit;
(b) a second building unit; and
(c) an area separation wall having only outer membranes, said outer membranes also providing acoustic attenuation
whereby the area separation wall provides improved fire, thermal and acoustic resistance and combinations thereof.
2 . The structure according to claim 1 , further including a tying structure connecting said area separation wall to said first unit and said second unit.
3 . An area separation wall for a structure, said area separation wall comprising:
(a) an interior support structure;
(b) at least one outer membrane on each side of said interior support structure, said outer membranes providing acoustic attenuation; and
(c) a substantially organic material barrier between said outer membranes
whereby the area separation wall provides improved fire, thermal, and acoustic resistance and combinations thereof.
4 . The area separation wall according to claim 3 , wherein said interior support structure includes at least two structural interior support members including a plurality of spaced apart, vertical members.
5 . The area separation wall according to claim 4 , wherein said plurality of vertical members are spaced apart no more than about 24 inches.
6 . The area separation wall according to claim 4 , wherein the plurality of vertical members are 2×10 or less thickness dimension of a material selected from the group consisting of wood, metal, other building materials, and combinations thereof.
7 . The area separation wall according to claim 4 , wherein said plurality of vertical members further include cross bracing at about the mid height of said plurality of vertical members.
8 . The area separation wall according to claim 4 , further including a physical gap between said structural, interior support members.
9 . The area separation wall according to claim 3 , wherein each of said outer membranes are fire resistant wallboard.
10 . The area separation wall according to claim 9 , wherein said fire resistant wallboard is a gypsum wallboard (GWB) Type X or Type C as defined in ASTM C11 (Committee C11 on Gypsum and Related Building Materials and Systems).
11 . The area separation wall according to claim 10 , wherein said gypsum wallboard conforms to ASTM Test C-36-96.
12 . The area separation wall according to claim 3 , wherein said substantially organic material barrier is selected from the group consisting of cellulosic material, fibrous material, granular material, pellet material, aggregated material, agglomerated material, closed cell foam, open cell foam, fire retardants, binders and mixtures thereof.
13 . The area separation wall according to claim 3 , wherein said substantially organic material barrier is a natural material.
14 . The area separation wall according to claim 13 , wherein said natural material is cellulosic.
15 . The area separation wall according to claim 3 , wherein the substantially organic material barrier includes an inorganic material.
16 . The area separation wall according to claim 15 , wherein said inorganic material is selected from the group consisting of fiberglass, rock wool, pearlite, mineral wool, asbestos, cementitious materials, fire retardants, binders, and mixtures thereof.
17 . The area separation wall according to claim 3 , wherein said substantially organic material barrier is an acoustically transmission resistive material.
18 . The area separation wall according to claim 3 , wherein there are an unequal number of like outer membranes.
19 . The area separation wall according to claim 3 , wherein the outer membranes are of unequal thickness or are made of unlike materials.
20 . The area separation wall according to claim 3 , wherein the outer membranes are made of unlike materials and are of unequal thickness.
21 . A structure having an area separation wall, said structure comprising:
(a) a first building unit;
(b) a second building unit;
(c) an area separation wall; said area separation wall including: (i) an interior support structure; (ii) at least one outer membrane on each side of said interior support structure, said outer membranes providing acoustic attenuation; and (iii) a substantially organic material barrier between said outer membranes; and
(d) a tying structure connecting said area separation wall to said first unit and said second unit,
whereby the area separation wall provides improved fire, sound, or thermal resistance and combinations thereof.
22 . The structure according to claim 21 , wherein said tying structure includes a top plate attached to the top edge of said area separation wall and a bottom plate attached to the bottom edge of said area separation wall.
23 . The structure according to claim 22 , wherein said tying structure and said top plate forms a double top plate.
24 . The structure according to claim 22 , wherein said top plate and said bottom plate are less than about 10 feet apart.
25 . The structure according to claim 21 , wherein said building units is an occupiable space including residential and a town home.