Find every hatch and horizontal access door in a floor or ceiling assembly that the code plan shows as rated, then check that the schedule, the details, and the specifications call for a tested horizontal fire door with a matching rating and framing. AI can flag conflicts; the architect, the supplier, and the authority having jurisdiction decide compliance.
What does NFPA 288 cover?
NFPA 288 is the Standard Methods of Fire Tests of Horizontal Fire Door Assemblies Installed in Horizontal Fire Resistance-Rated Assemblies. NFPA’s page states that the test method develops data to be used in evaluating the performance of horizontal floor fire door assemblies in fire resistance-rated horizontal assemblies.
NFPA’s official NFPA 288 page identifies the 2022 edition as current when checked on October 11, 2026. Confirm the edition, local amendments, and project scope that actually govern the work. The publisher’s newest edition does not establish local adoption.
The rating of the floor or ceiling assembly comes from the adopted building code, covered in the IBC Chapter 7 guide. Vertical fire doors are tested under the NFPA 252 guide and installed under the NFPA 80 guide. Record which horizontal openings exist and which assemblies they penetrate before comparing.
Gather the rated floors and every horizontal opening
Collect the life safety or code plans with rated floors and roof-ceiling assemblies, the floor and roof plans, the sections, the floor and ceiling assembly types, the access door and hatch schedule or details, the structural framing at each opening, the specifications for access doors and hatches, and the supplier’s data with labels.
Hatches are often shown only on a structural framing plan or a mechanical access note. Upload those sheets too so each opening can be found.
Find each opening in a rated horizontal assembly
| Review question | Sources to compare | Decision to record |
|---|---|---|
| Rated assemblies | Life safety plan, sections, assembly types | Confirm which floors and roof-ceiling assemblies are rated and that every source agrees. |
| Openings | Floor plans, structural framing, mechanical access notes | Find hatches and access doors in rated assemblies, including those shown on only one discipline’s sheets. |
| Rating and test basis | Access door schedule, specifications, supplier data | Check that each opening in a rated assembly is specified as a tested horizontal fire door with a matching rating. |
| Framing and support | Structural framing, hatch details, supplier data | Match the opening size and framing with the hatch the supplier data describes. |
| Operation and hardware | Hatch details, hardware notes, specifications | Ask the architect to confirm the closing and latching arrangement the specifications require. |
| Ceiling interfaces | Reflected ceiling plans, sections, mechanical drawings | Identify access panels in rated ceilings that the specifications list as standard, unrated units. |
The shaft and opening checklist tracks floor openings across disciplines, and the firestopping specifications guide covers penetrations through the same assemblies.
Example: a mechanical hatch in a rated floor
Hypothetical example. A revision adds a floor hatch for equipment access over a mechanical room in a building with rated floors. The structural framing plan shows the new opening, while the architectural plans show no hatch and the access door specification lists only unrated units.
The structural framing plan adds a floor opening for an equipment hatch in a rated floor, but the architectural plans do not show it and the access door specification lists only unrated units. Please confirm the hatch and coordinate a rated horizontal assembly.
The architect adds the hatch to the plans and specifications, and the supplier confirms the tested assembly. Compliance is decided by the architect and the authority having jurisdiction.
Review horizontal fire doors with Groundbook
Upload the current project PDFs and relevant specifications to Groundbook. Identify the governing issues and add the applicable NFPA 288 reference from a copy you are licensed to use, where the license permits uploading it. State the edition, amendments, review area, and known exclusions in your instructions.
Compare the life safety plans, floor and roof plans, sections, assembly types, hatch and access door schedules and details, structural framing, reflected ceiling plans, specifications, and supplier data. Flag openings in rated horizontal assemblies without a rated horizontal door and ratings, framing, or hardware that differ between sources. Use the supplied NFPA 288 edition and adopted building code where applicable and cite both sources.
Groundbook links each potential finding to the sheets involved and the reference you uploaded.
Document review does not test or label a hatch, verify a listing, or approve the opening. Those decisions remain with the architect, the supplier, and the authority having jurisdiction.