16.10Special Considerations

16.10.1 Connections

Connections shall be protected with the maximum thickness of fire protection material required for any of the members framing into the connection to achieve their respective fire-resistance levels. This thickness shall be maintained over all connection components, including bolt heads, welds and splice plates.

16.10.2 Web Penetrations

The thickness of fire protection material at and adjacent to web penetrations shall be the greatest of that required, when:

• a) area above the penetration is considered as a three-sided fire exposure condition (k_sm1) (see Fig. 26),

• b) area below the penetration is considered as a four-sided fire exposure condition ( $k_{\mathrm{sm} 2}$ ) (see Fig. 26), and

• c) section as a whole is considered as a three-sided fire exposure condition ( $k_{\mathrm{sm}}$ ) (see Fig. 26).

This thickness shall be applied over the full beam depth and shall extend on each side of the penetration for a distance at least equal to the beam depth and not less than 300 mm,