British Gypsum launches guidance on fire-rated junctions

British Gypsum has introduced a comprehensive best practice guide dedicated to fire-rated junctions – addressing a long-standing gap in fire safety standards and helping construction professionals design and build with confidence.

Junctions – where walls meet ceilings, floors, structural steel, or external facades – are fundamental to a building’s fire compartmentation strategy. If these connection points fail during a fire, flames and smoke can spread rapidly, undermining even the most robust fire-rated systems. Yet, these connection points have historically lacked standardised testing, leaving architects, specifiers, and installers reliant on assumptions or extrapolated data from ‘flat’ system tests. The result is significant variability in real-world installations.

This new best practice guide starts to change that. Developed through a year-long R&D programme and full-scale fire testing of GypWall systems, it offers validated solutions for key junction types, including internal corners, T-junctions, partition-to-column interfaces, offset beams, and ceiling junctions. These solutions go beyond conventional flat wall tests, reflecting real-world complexities and ensuring compartmentation integrity when it matters most.

James McLavy, Head of Technical Customer Solutions at British Gypsum, said: “The industry has long needed junction solutions that are not only clearly detailed but also backed by rigorous testing – reducing on-site uncertainty and streamlining both specification and sign-off. This guide meets that need by providing robust, evidence-based support for construction details, offering both assurance and practical guidance for on-site implementation.”

Developed in collaboration with architects, specifiers and contractors, the guidance aligns with various BS EN standards and supports evolving requirements under the Building Safety Act. It is designed to raise industry standards, reduce risk, and provide assurance at vulnerable points of fire-rated systems.

The Best Practice Guidance for Fire-Rated Junctions is available to download now via https://www.british-gypsum.com/fire-rated-junctions.