Answers That Build Confidence

Steel is non-combustible — it will not ignite or add fuel to a fire, which is one of its most valued safety characteristics. It's worth being precise, though: the fire rating of a wall or floor comes from the complete assembly, including the gypsum board, insulation, and detailing that protect the steel, not from the steel alone. Because steel can lose strength at very high temperatures, we build to properly fire-rated assemblies so the whole system performs the way the code and the engineer intend. The practical result is a frame that never contributes to a fire and, when detailed correctly, supports excellent fire performance for the building.