Find every penetration through a rated wall or floor, then check that a tested firestop system is assigned to it and that the system covers the penetrating item, the assembly, and the rating shown. ASTM E814 and UL 1479 are the test methods behind those systems. AI can flag conflicts; the architect, the trade contractor, and the code official decide compliance.
What do ASTM E814 and UL 1479 cover?
ASTM describes E814 as a test method for firestop systems intended for openings in fire-resistive walls and floors evaluated under ASTM E119. UL describes UL 1479, Fire Tests of Penetration Firestops, as covering through-penetration firestops for openings in fire-resistive wall, floor, or floor-ceiling assemblies; its March 2026 revision adds that it does not address chemical compatibility.
ASTM’s store shows E814-26 as active, last updated July 17, 2026. UL Standards & Engagement lists UL 1479 as active, Edition 4, last revised and ANSI approved March 18, 2026. Checked October 14, 2026. Because UL 1479 now states that chemical compatibility is outside its scope, check pipe and sealant compatibility separately with the manufacturers’ data.
The rated assembly being penetrated is reviewed in the ASTM E119 and UL 263 guide and the IBC Chapter 7 guide. The contract requirements for firestopping are compared with the drawings in the firestopping specifications guide.
Gather the penetrations and the systems assigned to them
Collect the life safety plans with rated walls and floors, the plumbing, mechanical, electrical, fire protection, and low-voltage plans at each rated line, the firestop schedule or matrix if the set has one, the firestopping specification section, and the listing pages or manufacturer submittals for each system it names.
Many sets assign firestopping to the contractor through the specification and show no systems on the drawings. In that case the useful review is whether the rated lines, penetrating items, and assembly types are clear enough to select systems.
Match each penetration to a tested system
| Review question | Sources to compare | Decision to record |
|---|---|---|
| Rated lines shown on MEP plans | Life safety plans, MEP plans | Confirm the trades can see where they cross a rated wall or floor. |
| System assigned | Firestop schedule, details, specifications | Identify penetrations with no system or a generic note only. |
| Penetrating item covered | MEP plans, pipe and duct materials, listing | Compare pipe material, size, insulation, and cable type with the system. |
| Assembly covered | Wall and floor types, listing | Check the system was tested in the same kind of wall or floor. |
| Rating carried | Life safety plans, listing | Confirm the system’s rating is not less than the assembly it penetrates. |
| Dampers and sleeves | Mechanical plans, damper schedule, details | Distinguish openings protected by dampers from those needing firestop systems. |
Plan check comments on penetrations are explained in rated openings, penetrations, and firestopping corrections, and the joints at the edges of rated assemblies in the ASTM E1966 and UL 2079 guide.
Example: insulated pipe through a rated corridor wall
Hypothetical example. The plumbing plan routes an insulated copper water line through a one-hour corridor wall. The firestop schedule assigns a system tested for bare metallic pipe, and the plumbing specification calls for a pipe insulation that the system does not list.
The domestic water line at the corridor wall is insulated, but the firestop system assigned in the schedule covers uninsulated metallic pipe only. Assign a system tested with the specified insulation, or confirm how the insulation is terminated at the wall.
The contractor submits a system that matches the condition, and the architect confirms it. The finding is a mismatch between documents, not a judgment about the tested system.
Review firestopping 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 standard only from a copy you are licensed to upload. See how Groundbook works with local and licensed codes.
Compare the rated walls and floors on the life safety plans with the plumbing, mechanical, electrical, fire protection, and low-voltage plans, the firestop schedule, the firestopping specification, and the listed systems. Flag penetrations with no assigned system and systems that do not cover the penetrating item, the assembly, or the rating. Cite each source.
Groundbook links each potential finding to the sheets and system documents involved. It reads the systems you upload; it does not select a system.
Document review does not select or approve a firestop system, evaluate chemical compatibility, or replace the architect, installer, or code official.