Check that every rated wall, floor, roof, beam, and column on the drawings names a tested design, and that the wall types, sections, and specifications describe the materials and construction that design requires. ASTM E119 and UL 263 are the fire test methods behind those ratings; they do not say which rating a building needs. AI can flag conflicts; the architect and code official decide compliance.
What do ASTM E119 and UL 263 cover?
ASTM describes E119 as test methods applicable to assemblies of masonry units and to composite assemblies of structural materials for buildings, and states that its classifications are not suitability under other conditions or after fire exposure. UL 263, Fire Tests of Building Construction and Materials, has a parallel scope statement for the same kinds of assemblies.
ASTM’s store shows E119-26 as the active edition, with E119-24 marked historical. UL Standards & Engagement lists UL 263 as active, Edition 14, last revised and ANSI approved September 2, 2025. Checked October 14, 2026. Neither publisher page states which building code edition references which edition of the test; read the referenced standards chapter of the adopted code.
The building code decides which elements need a rating and how long; see the IBC Chapter 7 guide and the IBC Chapter 6 guide. Door and window ratings come from different tests, covered in the NFPA 252 and NFPA 257 guides.
Gather the rated assemblies and the designs they cite
Collect the code analysis and life safety plans showing rated walls and floors, the wall, floor, and roof type schedules, the partition and assembly details, structural fireproofing drawings and schedules, the gypsum board, fireproofing, and masonry specification sections, and the listing pages for every design number the drawings cite.
Wall type schedules often carry a design number in one column and a layer description in another. Compare both with the listing, since a substituted board, stud gauge, or insulation can fall outside the tested design.
Connect each rating to its tested design
| Review question | Sources to compare | Decision to record |
|---|---|---|
| Rating shown in every source | Life safety plans, wall types, floor plans, sections | Confirm the same rating for the same wall or floor on each sheet. |
| Design number cited | Assembly schedule, details, listing pages | Identify rated assemblies that cite no tested design, or a design that does not exist. |
| Materials match the design | Assembly details, specifications, listing | Compare board types, layers, framing, and insulation with the design. |
| Structural members | Structural plans, fireproofing schedule, specifications | Check rated beams and columns name a design and a protection product. |
| Restrained or unrestrained | Structural notes, fireproofing schedule, listing | Ask the designer to state the condition the rating relies on where the set is silent. |
| Continuity | Sections, reflected ceiling plans, roof details | Find rated walls drawn stopping at a ceiling instead of the deck or slab. |
Openings through the assembly continue in the ASTM E814 and UL 1479 firestop guide, and joints at its edges in the ASTM E1966 and UL 2079 joint guide. Board layers and partition types follow the gypsum board specifications guide, and plan check comments on rated details are explained in fire-rated assembly detail corrections.
Example: a wall type that departs from its design
Hypothetical example. A corridor wall type cites a one-hour design number. The design lists a specific type of fire-rated board on each face, but the wall type note and the gypsum board specification call for standard board on the corridor side.
Wall type W3 cites a tested fire-resistance design, but its corridor face is noted as standard gypsum board while the design and the rating require fire-rated board. Confirm the board on each face and coordinate the wall type, specification, and design.
The architect corrects the wall type or cites a design that matches it. The finding compares the drawing with the design it names; the code official decides whether the assembly is acceptable.
Review rated assemblies with Groundbook
Upload the current drawings and specifications to Groundbook, and state the edition, amendments, and review scope in your instructions. Add the listed system or design documents the drawings cite (the listing pages or manufacturer submittals), so each detail can be compared with the tested design it names. Add ASTM E119 or UL 263 only from a copy you are licensed to upload; most reviews need the listings more than the test method. See how Groundbook works with local and licensed codes.
Compare the rated walls, floors, roofs, beams, and columns on the life safety plans, assembly schedules, details, structural fireproofing schedule, and specifications with the tested designs they cite. Flag ratings that differ between sheets, assemblies that cite no design, and materials that differ from the cited design. Cite each source.
Groundbook links each potential finding to the sheets and listing pages involved. It reads the documents you supply; it does not look up listings on its own.
Document review does not determine a required rating, approve an alternative assembly, or replace the architect, fire protection engineer, or code official.