Two-piece track system
A fire-rated receiver channel includes at least one intumescent or other fire-resistant material strip. The receiver channel can nest with a framing member, such as metal tracks, headers, header tracks, sill plates, bottom tracks, metal studs, wood studs or wall partitions, and placed at a perimeter of a wall assembly to create a fire block arrangement. In other arrangements, a track assembly includes two nested tracks, an inner track and outer track. The assembly is designed so that the outside width of the outer track is equal to or less than the outside width of the inner track to present a substantially flush external surface for attachment of exterior sheathing elements when the assembly is used in an external wall.
1. A cap for a two-piece fire-rated track assembly for a linear wall gap, the assembly including a header track extending in a lengthwise direction of the assembly, the header track comprising a web, a first flange and a second flange, the first and second flanges extending downwardly from the web, each of the web, the header track defining a substantially U-shaped cross section having a maximum external width dimension, a bottom track extending in the lengthwise direction and having a web, a first flange and a second flange, the first and second flanges extending upwardly from the web, a plurality of studs each having an upper end and a lower end, the lower end of each stud received within and secured to the bottom track and the upper end of each stud received within the header track, and at least one wallboard coupled to the plurality of studs, wherein the wallboard overlaps at least a portion of one of the first flange and the second flange of the header track, the cap comprising:
a receiving member that has a web, a first side portion and a second side portion, wherein the web has a first side edge and a second side edge, the first side portion and the second side portion extend in the same direction from the first and second side edges, respectively, wherein the receiving member defines a substantially U-shaped cross section, each of the first and second side portions has a free end opposite a respective one of the first side edge and second side edge, wherein the first and second side portion of the receiving member define a minimum internal width that is greater than the maximum external width dimension of the header track;
fire-retardant material attached to the receiving member and extending lengthwise along a surface of one of the first and second side portion of the receiving member, the fire-retardant material comprising a portion that extends past an outer surface of the web of the receiving member;
wherein the receiving member is configured to receive the header track between the first and second side portion of the receiving member such that the first side portion of the receiving member contacts the first flange of the header track and the second side portion of the receiving member contacts the second flange of the header track and the web of the receiving member contacts the web of the header track.
2. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the fire-retardant material extends along and is attached to a portion of the web of the receiving member, and contacts an adjacent structure when the two-piece track assembly is assembled to the adjacent structure.
3. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the fire-retardant material defines a total length in a cross-sectional direction, wherein a portion of the total length located on the side portion is at least three times greater than a portion of the total length on the web.
4. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the surface of one of the first and second side portions is an outer surface, and the fire-retardant material covers a substantial entirety of the outer surface of a respective said side portion.
5. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the fire-retardant material comprises a first fire-retardant strip and a second fire-retardant strip on the first and second side portion, respectively.
6. The cap of claim 1 , wherein each of the free ends of the receiving member defines a kick-out portion that extends downwardly away from the web, in a lateral direction opposite the web and away from the other kick-out portion.
7. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the fire-retardant material comprises heat expandable intumescent material.
8. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the web of the header track overlaps at least a portion of the fire-retardant material.
9. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the fire-retardant material is disposed between the one of the first and second side portions and the wallboard.
10. The cap of claim 9 , wherein the wallboard overlaps at least a portion of the fire-retardant material.
11. A method of assembling a fire-rated wall having a linear wall gap, comprising:
attaching a footer track to a horizontal floor element;
providing a cap member, the cap member comprising a web, a first side portion and a second side portion, wherein the web has a first side edge and a second side edge, the first side portion and the second side portion extend in the same direction from the first and second side edges, respectively, wherein the cap member defines a substantially U-shaped cross section, each of the first and second side portions has a free end opposite a respective one of the first side edge and second side edge, the cap member having a minimum internal width, the cap member having fire-retardant material attached thereto such that the fire-retardant material extends lengthwise along at least a part of a surface of the cap member;
positioning an inner track within the cap member, the inner track comprising a web, a first flange and a second flange, wherein the web has a first side edge and a second side edge, the first flange and the second flange extend in the same direction from the first and second side edges, respectively, wherein the inner track defines a substantially U-shaped cross section, such that the cap member and the inner track are aligned with one another in the same direction, the inner track having a maximum external width smaller than the minimum external width of the cap member such that the inner track is nested within the cap member;
attaching the cap member and the inner track to a horizontal ceiling element with the cap member between the inner track and the horizontal ceiling element;
positioning a plurality of studs between the footer track and the inner track and attaching each of the studs to at least one of the footer track and the inner track; and
attaching at least one piece of wallboard to the plurality of studs.