Introduction:

Labeling interior partition wall types is a critical part to any construction documentation set. By using a wall tag/label, it allows you to convey a host of information that would otherwise clutter, increase documentation, or just create confusion in a drawing set. Wall types, documented through details, notes, and schedules; take a good amount of planning to properly utilize.

When developing your own standards, there are limitless approaches you can use. However, we’ve found they can mostly fall within a few different approaches.

Approaches & Comparison

Approach A: Standard Wall Types As Needed

• Save

Approach / Description	Example	Pros	Cons
Designate each wall as they come up with a new nomenclature as you see fit. Most common for small projects and small offices.	A, B, C, etc	• Very simple to read.	• Different project sets across an office won’t be consistent
		• Easy to get up to speed with & Easiest to Implement	• Need to learn new designations each project
		• Limits needed documentation while also not limiting construction types.	• Can create confusion if adjustments needed (A,B, no C, D, D2, etc)
		• Handles custom assemblies easily.	• Always reinventing the wheel (so to speak)

Approach B: Full Wall Types Sheet, Use as Needed

• Save

Approach / Description	Example	Pros	Cons
Create a detailed wall sheet of every possible wall type you might run into needing. Many times will include more detailed information than needed like span limits. Only common for huge global offices with the ability to have people update/control.	A1, A2, A3, B3, B5, C4, etc	• Theoretically, everything you need is already documented.	• Drastically over complicated for simple projects
		• Get to design and label rather than document.	• Difficult to read and understand
		• Setup labels as whatever you want, as simple or complicated as you desire.	• Complicated even for complicated projects.
			• Does not handle custom walls well.

Approach C: Wall Types By Use Type, Use as Needed

• Save

Approach / Description	Example	Pros	Cons
Separate wall types by the different uses you will use them for… furring wall, stud wall, shaft wall, etc. (what we use)	P01, P02, W02, W05, etc	• Walls are always consistent across projects and sets.	• Over complicates documentation for simple projects.
		• Understand walls purpose by the tag.	• Wall tags may be hard for others to understand at first.
		• Combines benefits of formula (below) with benefits of full wall sheet types (above)
		• Groups walls by type, making it easier to understand and implement.
		• Can handle wall assemblies or custom walls easily.

Approach D: Formula Approach, Use as Needed

• Save

Approach / Description	Example	Pros	Cons
Create a formula that allows you to label every wall that you might come across.	1A1, 1B2, etc	• Walls are always consistent across projects and sets always.	• Wall tags may be hard for others to understand at first.
		• Know everything about the wall construction from the tag/label.	• Over complicates documentation for simple projects.
			• Does not handle custom walls well.
			• Cannot do wall assemblies without large modifications.

Office Choice; Consistency

Regardless of which style or method you choose, it makes most sense to keep that consistent across all your projects in your office or at the very least across all similar project types. Unless you have a thriving office setup of different studios, where documentation is silo’d for programmatic or security reasons, choosing one of the paths forward allows your office to interchange and swap workers without needing to go through a difficult onboarding process for this specific documentation piece.

UL Product:

The “Underwriters Laboratory” (UL) for wall partitions refers to a safety certification organization that tests and approves the fire resistance ratings of wall assemblies. Essentially meaning they determine how long a wall can withstand a fire before it fails, allowing builders to select partitions that meet specific fire safety codes based on their UL listed design and rating. 

• UL Product iQ (https://iq.ulprospector.com/) 
• A non-rated wall (0 fire rating) will never be UL Rated, since it does not need to meet any rating.
• For many of the assemblies they also provide STC ratings; or provide ranges they assume based on similar construction. assemblies.

Acoustics

Sound Transmission Class (STC) measures the ability of a wall or floor assembly to attenuate airborne sound. STC values are determined through testing, and typically need to be based on feedback from an acoustical consultant and in some locations, minimums are prescribed by code.

Fire-Resistance Rating

Fire rated walls are designed to restrict the spread of fire for a certain period of time. All partitions that have a fire rating should also have a UL Design Number that corresponds to that specific wall assembly.

Sheet Notes & Legends:

Sheet notes are generally included on a project’s partition page. The vast majority of what you would see in a general notes list is actually established in full detail within the project specifications (many times not just saying, “use mold resistant drywall here, but use this specific brand of mold resistant drywall”); but it can be useful to include these on the drawings for extra brevity, or especially on smaller projects which may not have in depth specifications (or specifications at all).

Below is what we generally have or modify for each project, these are a starting point and should be vetted thoroughly by your project team for each specific project.

• For example, because we use partition approach “C”, we have the first general note establishing that not all partition types will be used. This would not make sense on approach “A”.

Wall General Notes:

• NOT ALL PARTITION TYPES MAY BE USED IN PROJECT. 
• PROVIDE EDGE TRIM FOR WALL BOARD ACROSS TOP EDGE OF WALL; WHEREVER VISIBLE (WHERE NO CEILING ASSEMBLY OR CROWN EXISTS).
• ALL FURRING AND SHAFT WALLS TO BE BRACED 4’-0” OC MAXIMUM.
• ALL WALL TYPES ARE NON-LOAD BEARING UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.
• ALL WALL TYPES SHOWN ARE BASE WALL CONFIGURATIONS AND DO NOT ACCOMODATE FOR ARCHITECTURAL OR INTERIOR FINISHES; INCLUDING THOSE FINISH TYPES THAT MAY ADD THICKNESS SUCH AS TILES AND THINSET.

Partition Notes:

• PROVIDE 5/8″ THICK GYPSUM WALL BOARD (GWB), UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.
• PROVIDE 5/8″ THICK FIRE-RESISTANCE RATED GWB AT PARTITIONS INDICATED TO HAVE A FIRE RATING OR FIRE RESISTANCE.
• PROVIDE 5/8″ THICK MOISTURE & MOLD RESISTANT GYPSUM WALL BOARD AT ALL WET LOCATIONS; REGARDLESS OF FINISH. INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO BATHROOMS, KITCHENS, AND KITCHENETTES.
• PROVIDE 5/8″ THICK MOISTURE & MOLD RESISTANT GYPSUM WALL BOARD AT LOCATIONS BELOW GRADE.
• PROVIDE 5/8″ THICK MOLD RESISTANT GYPSUM SHAFT WALL LINER AT ALL SHAFT WALL CONSTRUCTION.
• PROVIDE 5/8″ THICK MOLD RESISTANT PAPERLESS GYPSUM WALL BOARD AT ALL PERIMETER WALLS AND WET SHAFTS.
• PROVIDE 5/8″ THICK IMPACT RESISTANT GYPSUM WALL BOARD AT ALL BOH SPACES, INCLUDING HALLWAYS, UTILITY, AND MECHANICAL ROOMS.
• PROVIDE 5/8″ THICK CEMENT BOARD AT SHOWER LOCATIONS WHICH ARE TO RECEIVE TILE FINISH.
• ALL INSULATION THICKNESS TO MATCH STUD THICKNESS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.
• REFER TO LEGEND FOR ACOUSTIC INSULATION THICKNESS BASED ON STUD THICKNESS.
• ALL ELECTRICAL BOXES AND OTHER PENETRATIONS IN FIRE-RESISTANCE RATED PARTITIONS TO BE SEALED AIRTIGHT WITH INTUMESCENT FIRE-SAFING PUTTY PADS.
• PROVIDE THERMAFIBER SAFB INSULATION AT FIRE-RESISTANCE RATED PARTITIONS.
• PROVIDE THERMAFIBER SAFB INSULATION AT PARTITIONS ENCLOSING ANY SLEEPING ROOMS SUCH AS BEDROOMS.
• REFER TO SPECIFICATION SECTION 092900 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

Wall Modifiers:

Wall modifiers are great tools to add a level of complexity to each individual wall. These can be customized and used however you want. Generally they add information that isn’t used frequently enough to warrant actual inclusion in another project documentation method. These may adjust more or less depending on what you do/do not include as notes from above.

For Example:

• REPLACE INSIDE LAYER OF WALLBOARD WITH PLYWOOD; WHERE ELEVATION SHOWS BLOCKING. INCREASE FRAMING AS REQ’D FOR STRENGTH.
• PARTITION TO INCLUDE ACOUSTIC BATT INSULATION. SEE “ACOUSTIC INSULATION” CHART ON WALL LEGEND FOR THICKNESS GUIDE.
• WALL HEIGHT TO CEILING ASSEMBLY ONLY.
• INFILL WALL TO MATCH CONSTRUCTION TYPE AND OVERALL DEPTH OF ADJACENT WALL ASSEMBLY.