Editing Firewall (construction) (section)

===Materials===
[[File:Smolina 20, Ulan-Ude.jpg|thumb|Firewalls between the old buildings in [[Ulan-Ude]]]]
*Building and [[building engineering|structural]] fire walls in [[North America]] are usually made of [[concrete]], [[concrete masonry unit|concrete blocks]], or [[reinforced concrete]]. Older fire walls, built prior to [[World War II]], used [[brick]] materials.
*Fire barrier walls are typically constructed of [[drywall|drywall or gypsum board]] partitions with wood or metal framed studs.
*Penetrations – Penetrations through fire walls, such as for pipes and cables, must be protected with a listed [[firestop]] assembly designed to prevent the spread of fire through wall penetrations. Penetrations (holes) must not defeat the structural integrity of the wall, such that the wall cannot withstand the prescribed fire duration without threat of collapse.<ref>NFPA 221, ''Standard for High Challenge Fire Walls, Fire Walls, and Fire Barrier Walls'', 2006 Edition, section 4.9</ref>
*Openings – Other openings in fire walls, such as doors and windows, must also be fire-rated ''[[fire door]] assemblies'' and ''fire window assemblies''.<ref>NFPA 221, ''Standard for High Challenge Fire Walls, Fire Walls, and Fire Barrier Walls'', 2006 Edition, section 4.8.3</ref>