What significant document does the Gypsum Association publish for fire-rated systems?

The Gypsum Association publishes the Fire Resistance Design Manual, which serves as a comprehensive resource for fire-rated systems. This manual provides indispensable guidance on the design, construction, and testing of gypsum-based assemblies and their fire-resistance ratings. By detailing the performance of various fire-rated wall and ceiling systems, it assists architects, engineers, and builders in ensuring that their designs comply with fire safety codes and building regulations.

The manual includes specific assemblies and their testing data, helping design professionals understand how to effectively integrate gypsum products into fire-resistive designs. This is crucial in the field of construction, where maintaining structural integrity during a fire is paramount for safety and compliance.

While other documents like a building code handbook or general construction guidelines offer important information regarding construction practices, they do not specifically focus on the fire resistance properties of material systems as does the Fire Resistance Design Manual.