What is a fire-rated ceiling and when is one required?

A fire-rated ceiling is a ceiling construction system that has been tested to resist the passage of fire, heat, and hot gases for a specified period. The Australian National Construction Code (NCC) requires fire-rated ceilings in buildings where compartmentation is needed to slow fire spread between floors, between sole-occupancy units, or to protect escape routes.

Common scenarios requiring fire-rated ceilings include Class 2 apartment buildings (between units and shared roof spaces), multi-storey Class 1 dwellings, mixed-use buildings, and anywhere the NCC’s fire resistance provisions under Section C (Volume One) or Part 3.7.1 (Volume Two) apply.

Your building certifier or fire engineer will specify whether a fire-rated ceiling is required and what FRL it must achieve.