Find every joint at the edge of a rated wall or floor, including head-of-wall, wall-to-wall, floor-to-floor, and the perimeter at a curtain wall, then check that a tested system is assigned and that it covers the joint width, movement, and assemblies shown. ASTM E1966 and UL 2079 test joint systems; ASTM E2307 tests perimeter fire barriers. AI can flag conflicts; the designers and code official decide compliance.
What do ASTM E1966 and UL 2079 cover?
ASTM describes E1966 as measuring the performance of joint systems designed for use with fire-rated floors and walls during a fire endurance test. UL describes UL 2079, Tests for Fire Resistance of Building Joint Systems, as applicable to joint systems for linear openings between adjacent fire-resistive structures. ASTM E2307 separately measures how a perimeter fire barrier keeps its seal while the exterior wall and floor deform during a fire test.
ASTM’s store shows E1966-24 as active, and E2307-25b as the active perimeter fire barrier test. UL Standards & Engagement lists UL 2079 as active, Edition 5, last revised and ANSI approved June 23, 2025. Checked October 14, 2026.
The rated walls and floors themselves are reviewed in the ASTM E119 and UL 263 guide, and the exterior wall in the IBC Chapter 14 guide. Penetrations through the same assemblies follow the ASTM E814 and UL 1479 guide.
Gather the joints and the systems assigned to them
Collect the life safety plans with rated walls and floors, the wall types and head-of-wall details, the structural deck and deflection criteria, the curtain wall or exterior wall details at each floor edge, the firestopping, joint sealant, and curtain wall specification sections, and the listing pages or submittals for each joint system.
Head-of-wall joints depend on how much the structure above is expected to move. Look for a stated deflection allowance, since a joint system is tested for a stated movement.
Match each joint to a tested system
| Review question | Sources to compare | Decision to record |
|---|---|---|
| Joint locations | Life safety plans, wall types, sections | List rated wall heads, wall intersections, and floor edges that need a joint system. |
| System assigned | Details, firestop schedule, specifications | Identify joints with no system or a generic sealant note. |
| Width and movement | Details, structural notes, listing | Compare the drawn joint width and stated movement with the system’s tested range. |
| Assemblies on each side | Wall types, deck details, listing | Check the system was tested with the same wall and deck or floor types. |
| Perimeter at the curtain wall | Curtain wall details, floor edge sections, listing | Confirm a perimeter fire barrier system is shown at each floor edge. |
| Rating carried | Life safety plans, listing | Check the joint system’s rating is not less than the assemblies it joins. |
The contract requirements continue in the firestopping, joint sealant, and curtain wall specifications guides.
Example: a deflection head with no tested joint
Hypothetical example. A rated corridor wall type shows a slotted deflection track at the head under a steel deck. The structural notes state a deflection allowance, but the detail shows only sealant at the head with no joint system named, and the firestopping specification lists penetration systems only.
The rated wall head at the steel deck is detailed with a deflection track and sealant, but no fire-resistive joint system is named in the detail or the firestopping specification. Assign a tested head-of-wall system that covers the stated movement and the deck profile.
The architect assigns the system or delegates it with clear criteria. The finding is that the joint has no tested system on the documents.
Review fire-resistive joints 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 the test standards only from copies you are licensed to upload. See how Groundbook works with local and licensed codes.
Compare the rated walls and floors with the head-of-wall details, wall intersections, floor edge and curtain wall sections, structural deflection notes, firestopping and joint sealant specifications, and the joint systems provided. Flag joints with no tested system and systems that do not cover the width, movement, assemblies, or rating shown. Cite each source.
Groundbook links each potential finding to the details and system documents involved.
Document review does not select a joint system, calculate movement, or replace the architect, structural engineer, or code official.