STARC Systems Blog

ASTM e84 ASTM e119

What is a Class A Fire Rating?

What Class A Fire Rating Means & Why It Matters The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specifies a burn test (E84) to determine surface burning and smoke generation characteristics of materials used in interior construction. A Class A fire rating represents the highest rating achievable, indicating a flame ...

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What is an Airborne Infection Isolation Room (AIIR)?

What is an Airborne Infection Isolation Room (AIIR)?

What is an AIIR? Commonly called a negative pressure isolation room, an airborne infection isolation room (AIIR) is a single-occupancy patient-care room designed to isolate airborne pathogens to a safe containment space. Typically used during healthcare renovation projects, AIIRs leverage negative pressure and a tight envelope, ...

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what is a fire-rated wall

What is a Fire-Rated Wall?

What Comprises a Fire-Rated Wall? Designed to contain fire and smoke for a predetermined amount of time, fire-rated walls are part of a building’s passive fire protection system. Whether permanent or temporary, these walls are inspected against applicable code by the appropriate regulatory authorities, with the goal of ...

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Healthcare Construction Lessons Learned From 2021: Reader Favorites

Welcome to 2022! As we kick off the New Year, let’s give a quick nod to some of the most relevant topics covered over the past 12 months. Following are the Top Five blog posts that resonated most with our growing audience of commercial contractors, project managers, facilities managers, infection preventionists, and others ...

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Health Care Access and Information logo

California Gives Thumbs-Up to FireblockWall

In December, our FireblockWall™ solution received OPM approval from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI, formerly known as the Office of Statewide Health Planning & Development, or OSHPD). HCAI’s allowance applies to temporary construction barriers, when approved for a specific location, ...

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unpredictability in construction

The ‘New Unpredictability’ (And How Contractors Are Managing It)

Today’s occupied renovation contractors are experiencing a new level of unpredictability: supply chain inconsistencies and unforeseen price escalation, building owner uncertainties and schedule changes, labor shortages and unprecedented gross margin challenges. Exactly the kind of big-picture outlook you’d expect to make ...

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3 Tough Jobsite Challenges Solved With Temporary Construction Walls

Updated October 17, 2024 Installing temporary construction walls may not be the most exciting part of your occupied renovation, but they have their place in the overall project. As often as not, it’s the small choices—like how to solve for construction dust, noise, and debris—that shape overall project success, particularly if ...

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4 Questions to Answer When Choosing a Fire-Rated Temporary Wall System

Updated October 22, 2024 When selecting a one-hour fire-rated temporary wall system, it's crucial to consider several factors to ensure safety, efficiency, and reusability. Asking the following four questions when evaluating your options will help ensure you choose the best temporary wall for the task at hand. Short on time? ...

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