The Gypsum Association (GA) is pleased to announce the release of GA-600-2018 Fire Resistance and Sound Control Design Manual. Revised on a three year cycle, GA-600 has been referenced by the model building codes as a source of fire-resistive designs for more than 40 years. Now almost 400 pages, the 2018 Manual contains more than 140 new systems that supplement existing designs for walls and partitions, floor-ceiling systems, area separation firewalls and many other assemblies.

Always considered among the best organized and easiest to use of the fire design reference manuals, the new edition features an improved layout that clearly distinguishes between fire and sound systems and makes for easier identification of components and layers in system descriptions. Each hardcopy of the 2018 Manual includes access to a basic e-reader counterpart that allows users to print specific pages for reference. An enhanced digital version of GA-600-2018 also is available. This “Premium” digital edition provides a more robust search function. Just one example: Systems within a specific Sound Transmission Class (STC) range and/or Fire Resistance Rating are quickly identified via search. Users of the Premium digital GA-600-2018 can download, print, and copy or paste individual system descriptions and their corresponding graphics into construction documents.

The building codes and the A/E/C community are placing increased emphasis on acoustics. In response, the Manual’s introductory section on sound control has been significantly expanded to include terminology, explanatory notes, and general information. Up-to-date sound test data for many generic systems are available in the Premium edition of GA-600-2018, allowing designers to make better informed decisions when selecting systems for specific sound control requirements, such as speech privacy.

GA-600 is currently referenced by the International Building Code, the National Fire Protection Association Codes (NFPA 703 and NFPA 5000), as well as many state and local jurisdictions in the U.S. and Canada as a source document for fire-resistance and sound-control rated designs that incorporate gypsum board in a variety of building systems. Order GA-600 Fire Resistance and Sound Control Design Manual and explore other GA documents through the Gypsum Association’s online bookstore at www.gypsum.org.