Fire wall assemblies are intended to offer an effective means of slowing the spread of fire and reducing loss. NFPA 221, Standard for High Challenge Fire Walls, Fire Walls, and Fire Barrier Walls, provides AHJs, architects, engineers, and anyone involved in building construction with comprehensive criteria for the proper design and construction of these structures. The standard covers general requirements for fire resistance ratings, performance-based design, and other considerations for high challenge fire walls, fire walls, and fire barrier walls, including protection of openings and penetrations.

NFPA 221 assists in understanding and differentiating between the various kinds of walls, so you can make the right decisions to help safeguard people and property.

Significant changes to the 2024 edition include:

• Chapter 3, existing damper definitions have been changed to align with the extracted language in NFPA 90A, Standard for the Installation of Air Conditioning and Ventilating Systems.
• Requirements for fire door assemblies have been provided in 5.8.3 that build off the existing fire door requirements.
• Significant changes have been made to 6.6.1, now entitled Separation of Vertical Buildings.