Why does the CAN/ULC-S115 listing matter in Canada?
How the Canadian firestop test differs from ASTM E814 and UL 1479, and what to check on a listing.
Short answer
The National Building Code of Canada names CAN/ULC-S115 as the fire test for penetration and joint firestops (ASTM E2307 for the joint between a floor and an exterior wall), so a firestop system used to meet those requirements needs CAN/ULC-S115 ratings (F, FT, FH or FTH), not only the US F and T ratings from ASTM E814 or UL 1479. The ratings are defined differently: the US F and T ratings both include a hose stream test, while CAN/ULC-S115 reports it separately, as the H in FH and FTH.
What the code names
The firestop provisions in Division B of the NBC name CAN/ULC-S115, Standard Method of Fire Tests of Firestop Systems, as the test: penetrations (Article 3.1.9.1), outlet boxes (3.1.9.3), combustible piping (3.1.9.4) and the joints that keep a fire separation continuous (3.1.8.3). The one other test it names is ASTM E2307, for the joint between a floor and an exterior wall (Sentence 3.1.8.3.(4)). Neither NBC 2020 nor NBC 2025 references ASTM E814 or UL 1479. CAN/ULC-S115 covers penetrations, membrane penetrations, outlet boxes and joints, and for perimeter joints it points to ASTM E2307 (CAN/ULC-S115:2023, clauses 1.1, 1.7, 1.8 and 9.1). In houses and small buildings, Part 9 also lets a penetration of a fire separation be tightly fitted, where the item is steel, ferrous, copper, concrete or masonry, or be sealed to maintain the integrity of the fire separation, for which the code's note gives generic materials as examples (Clauses 9.10.9.6.(1)(b) and (c)); firewalls, and the piping, outlet box and service equipment penetrations covered by Articles 9.10.9.7 and 9.10.9.8, have their own rules.
Clause numbers on this page are from CAN/ULC-S115:2023, the edition NBC 2025 references; NBC 2020 references the 2011 edition. CAN/ULC-S115:2023 is the fifth edition (2018) as revised on 19 July 2023; the revision aligned clause 9.4.3.1, the furnace pressure requirement for perimeter joints, with ASTM E2307.
The ratings side by side
| CAN/ULC-S115 (Canada) | ASTM E814 / UL 1479 (United States) | |
|---|---|---|
| Flame | F: the firestop stays in the opening with no flame passing and no flaming on the unexposed side; for joints, also no glowing or flaming of the cotton pad (cl. 12.2). No hose stream in the F rating. | F: the same flame criteria, and the firestop must also stay in place through a hose stream test. |
| Temperature | FT: F plus no unexposed-side thermocouple, including on the penetrating item, more than 181 °C above its starting temperature (cl. 5.3, 12.3). | T: flame criteria plus a temperature limit (in ASTM E814, a rise of not more than 325 °F, or 181 °C), and the hose stream test. |
| Hose stream | Reported separately: FH and FTH (cl. 8.2, 12.4, 12.5). | Part of both the F and the T rating. |
| Air leakage | Optional L rating: L/s·m² for penetrations, L/s·m for joints (cl. 1.6, 11.4.2, 12.6). | Optional L rating in UL 1479. |
| Water leakage | None. | Optional W rating in UL 1479. |
| Test pressure | At least 2.5 Pa, higher on the furnace side, from 5 minutes into the test; a higher pressure can be specified (cl. 5.5, 5.6). Perimeter joints follow the ASTM E2307 pressure requirements (cl. 9.4.3.1). | In ASTM E814, at least 2.5 Pa (0.01 in. of water) higher on the furnace side after the first 5 minutes. |
| Joints | Joint and perimeter joint firestop systems are within its scope (perimeter joints through ASTM E2307). | Penetrations only. US joint systems are tested to ASTM E1966 or UL 2079, and perimeter fire barriers to ASTM E2307. |
Why it matters on a project
- A US-only rating does not show compliance with the NBC requirements that name CAN/ULC-S115. If a listing has no CAN/ULC-S115 ratings, the design team needs a system that has them, or the authority having jurisdiction has to accept another route, for example an alternative solution under the code's compliance provisions (NBC Division A, Article 1.2.1.1).
- FT is not T. Where the NBC calls for an FT rating, which includes firewalls, some horizontal fire separations, outlet boxes in membranes and the joints at the edges of rated fire separations, the number to read is the CAN/ULC-S115 FT rating. A T rating in the US column comes from a different test (ASTM E814 or UL 1479, hose stream included) and does not stand in for the CAN/ULC-S115 FT rating the code names.
- Check the hours on the line you need. One published listing reads, in its US column, F 3 h and T 0 h, and in its Canadian column, F 3 h, FT 0 h, FH 3 h and FTH 0 h. That system is a 3-hour F system and a 0-hour FT system. Metal pipe conducts heat through the seal, which is why systems for bare metal pipe often carry a much shorter FT rating than F rating.
- Check the test pressure for combustible (plastic) drain, waste and vent pipe. In buildings more than 3 storeys in building height, the NBC requires the CAN/ULC-S115 test to have been run at 50 Pa (Sentence 3.1.9.4.(4)); a transition between combustible and noncombustible drain, waste and vent pipe at a fire separation needs the same test in a building of any height (Sentence 3.1.9.4.(7)). CAN/ULC-S115's default minimum is 2.5 Pa, so check that the listing or test report says 50 Pa.
- Joints carry their own listing. The FT rating for joints at the edges of rated fire separations is a CAN/ULC-S115 rating, and the listing's movement capability has to suit the joint. The joint between a floor and an exterior wall is tested to ASTM E2307 (Sentence 3.1.8.3.(4)).
- Judgments. Where no listed system matches a field condition, the inspection standards call for a judgment issued by the manufacturer or an accredited testing laboratory and acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction (ASTM E2174 and ASTM E2393, clause 7.4). Because the NBC names CAN/ULC-S115, a judgment used in Canada should be based on CAN/ULC-S115 testing; the City of Regina's fire stopping advisory of 21 August 2025 marks CAN/ULC-S115 as the applicable test method on its engineering judgment page. PFS inspects against judgments already issued for a project; it does not write, request or procure them.
How to read a dual listing
A system certified to both standards has a listing that shows two sets of ratings: the US ratings (F and T, with L and W where those optional tests were run) and the Canadian ratings (F, FT, FH and FTH, with L where tested). The Canadian column is the one to read against the NBC requirement. Read the rating that the article calls for, at the required number of hours, and check that the listed assembly, penetrating item, annular space and materials match what is on site.
Questions people ask
Can a firestop system listed only to UL 1479 be used in Canada?
Not where the NBC calls for a firestop tested to CAN/ULC-S115. (In Part 9 buildings, some penetrations may instead be sealed to maintain the integrity of the fire separation, Clause 9.10.9.6.(1)(c); firewalls and the piping, outlet box and service equipment penetrations covered by Articles 9.10.9.7 and 9.10.9.8 have their own rules.) Use a system that also carries CAN/ULC-S115 ratings at the required level, or ask the design team and the authority having jurisdiction whether they will accept another route.
What does the H in FH and FTH mean?
Hose stream. After a fire exposure, the specimen is hit with a hose stream, and the firestop must not develop an opening that lets water project beyond the unexposed side (CAN/ULC-S115, clauses 8.2 and 12.4).
Is ASTM E814 the same as UL 1479?
They are closely related US fire test methods for penetration firestop systems, and US listings often cite them together. UL 1479 adds optional air leakage (L) and water leakage (W) ratings. Neither is the test the NBC names.
Does the NBC require an L rating?
Not in its firestop articles (3.1.8.3 and 3.1.9.1 to 3.1.9.4). A project specification may ask for one.
Which edition of CAN/ULC-S115 does the code reference?
NBC 2020 references CAN/ULC-S115-11, and NBC 2025 references CAN/ULC-S115:2023 (Division B, Table 1.3.1.2). A provincial or territorial code can reference a different edition, so check the code that applies to your project. If a listing was tested to a different edition, raise it with the design team and the authority having jurisdiction.
Sources
- National Building Code of Canada 2020: Division A, Article 1.2.1.1; Division B, Articles 3.1.8.3, 3.1.9.1, 3.1.9.3 and 3.1.9.4, and Table 1.3.1.2
- National Building Code of Canada 2025: Table 1.3.1.2
- CAN/ULC-S115:2023, Standard Method of Fire Tests of Firestop Systems (fifth edition, revised 19 July 2023): clauses 1.1, 1.6 to 1.8, 2.2, 5.3, 5.5, 5.6, 8.2, 9.1, 9.4.3.1, 11.4.2 and 12
- National Building Code of Canada 2020: Division B, Articles 9.10.9.6 to 9.10.9.8 and Note A-9.10.9.6.(1)
- ASTM E814, Standard Test Method for Fire Tests of Penetration Firestop Systems (2023 edition reviewed)
- UL 1479, Fire Tests of Penetration Firestops: rating and optional test descriptions published by a UL 1479 testing laboratory, read 28 October 2026
- ASTM E2174-24 and ASTM E2393-24: clauses 7.4 and 8.1
- City of Regina, Planning & Development Services, advisory “Fire Stopping Codes & Standards”, August 2025
- A published firestop system listing showing US (UL 1479 / ASTM E814) and Canadian (CAN/ULC-S115) ratings, read 28 October 2026
This page explains the national code and the inspection standards in general terms. It is not a code interpretation, a design opinion or engineering advice for a particular building. The code in force in your province or territory governs, and the authority having jurisdiction decides what is acceptable on a project. PFS is not an engineer, an architect or the authority having jurisdiction, and does not issue, request or procure engineering judgments.
About the author
Corey Beckett is the Founder & Principal of PFS Passive Fire Solutions Inc., an independent third-party firestop inspection firm. He spent close to twenty years on the installing side of the firestop industry — estimating, project management, tested-system selection, judgment review, quality assurance and closeout — before founding PFS. He has passed the UL Firestop Exam and is active in the Firestop Contractors International Association, its committees, and code and specification development. More about PFS · LinkedIn