Whether the construction requires being fire-rated is determined by the following two principals:
To prevent the rapid spread of fire that could trap occupants of the building.
To help reduce the opportunity for fires to become large and therefore more dangerous to occupants and the fire service personnel.
The actual degree of fire-rating to give the required fire control and spread depend on various factors including:
The use of the building affects the quantity of people within, the potential for fires to start and spread and the ease of evacuation.
The height to the top and the depth to the bottom of the building again affect ease of evacuation and the effectiveness of the fire services to intervene.
The availability of sprinkler systems will affect the spread of fire and may suppress it altogether.