Fire resistance is a measure of the time that a structure (such as a wall, door, or glass panel) can withstand before it fails during a fire and/or before the fire spreads from one side of the structure to the other. There are two types of fire resistance: one is the resistance against the collapse of a structure, and the other is the resistance against the spread of fire from one side of the structure to the other.
A structure with fire resistance against fire spread must also be sufficiently resistant to collapse, as the fire will reach the other side if the structure fails. Certain structural elements are required to have a specific fire resistance against collapse, even though these same elements may not need to have fire resistance against fire spread. For example, a floor between two fire compartments supported by steel beams and steel columns must have both fire resistance against collapse and against fire penetration. However, the steel beams and columns only need to meet a certain fire resistance against collapse because if they fail, the fire barrier (the floor) will also fail. Such beams and columns are often equipped with fire-resistant panels or fire-resistant coatings.
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