No combustible structural member may penetrate through which type of wall?

• A. Partition
• B. Parapet
• C. Bearing
• D. Fire

Answer: (D)

Fire walls are designed to act as the building’s main fire barrier, separating occupancies and preventing fire spread. If a combustible structural member were to penetrate this barrier, it would create a weak point that could allow heat and flames to pass through. That’s why no combustible structural member should penetrate a fire wall; any necessary penetrations must be protected with approved fire-stopping and noncombustible detailing to maintain the wall’s integrity. Other wall types—like interior partitions, parapets, or bearing walls—do not serve the same continuous fire-separation role, so the strict prohibition does not apply to them in the same way.