# Smoke Barrier: Building Code Definition

> How the IBC 2009, IFC 2009 define smoke barrier, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.

- Canonical: https://harth.build/resources/glossary/smoke-barrier/
- Last updated: 2026-09-07
- Data source: Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Defined in | IBC 2009, IFC 2009 (2009 editions transcribed in this corpus) |
| Primary source | IBC 2009 Fire and Smoke Protection Features (model text, not a jurisdiction's adopted text) |
| Chapters using the term | 16 (counted across the codes hosted here) |
| Wording identical across codes | Yes (compare before citing one code's wording under another) |

## Direct answer

Smoke barrier is a defined term in the International Building Code (IBC) 2009, in Fire and Smoke Protection Features. The code's own words are: “A continuous membrane, either vertical or horizontal, such as a wall, floor or ceiling assembly, that is designed and constructed to restrict the movement of smoke.” The IFC 2009 carries the same definition word for word, so the term means the same thing in each. The term is used in 16 chapters of this corpus, most often in Fire and Smoke Protection Features (IBC 2009), Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy (IBC 2009), Duct Systems (IMC 2009). These pages transcribe the 2009 model text; verify the definition against the edition and amendments your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.

*Content and cited inputs reviewed by [Scott Barrington](https://nz.linkedin.com/in/barrington), Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-09-07.*

## What does this term mean?

**Smoke Barrier** — IBC 2009, Fire and Smoke Protection Features:

> A continuous membrane, either vertical or horizontal, such as a wall, floor or ceiling assembly, that is designed and constructed to restrict the movement of smoke.

![Labeled code-term definition diagram: Smoke Barrier: Building Code Definition](https://efwwel0vyt9vy5so.public.blob.vercel-storage.com/images/glossary/smoke-barrier/diagram-1344.webp)

*How the IBC 2009, IFC 2009 define smoke barrier, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.*

## What must be verified before using this guidance?

Two of the I-Codes in this corpus define **Smoke Barrier**, in identical words.

| Code | Where it is defined | Definition |
| --- | --- | --- |
| IBC 2009 | [Fire and Smoke Protection Features](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/fire-and-smoke-protection-features.md) | A continuous membrane, either vertical or horizontal, such as a wall, floor or ceiling assembly, that is designed and constructed to restrict the movement of smoke. |
| IFC 2009 | [Definitions](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/definitions.md) | A continuous membrane, either vertical or horizontal, such as a wall, floor, or ceiling assembly, that is designed and constructed to restrict the movement of smoke. |

## Where smoke barrier is used in the code

The term appears in 16 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.

| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Fire and Smoke Protection Features](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/fire-and-smoke-protection-features.md) | IBC 2009 | 56 |
| [Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/special-detailed-requirements-based-on-use-and-occupancy.md) | IBC 2009 | 39 |
| [Duct Systems](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/new-hampshire/imc-2009/duct-systems.md) | IMC 2009 | 25 |
| [Fire Protection Systems](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/fire-protection-systems.md) | IBC 2009 | 17 |
| [Fire Protection Systems](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/fire-protection-systems.md) | IFC 2009 | 16 |
| [Exhaust Systems](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/new-hampshire/imc-2009/exhaust-systems.md) | IMC 2009 | 14 |
| [Fire-resistance-rated Construction](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/fire-resistance-rated-construction.md) | IFC 2009 | 9 |
| [Elevators and Conveying Systems](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/elevators-and-conveying-systems.md) | IBC 2009 | 4 |
| [Masonry](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/masonry.md) | IBC 2009 | 4 |
| [Means of Egress](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/means-of-egress.md) | IBC 2009 | 3 |
| [Means of Egress](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/rhode-island/ifc-2009/means-of-egress.md) | IFC 2009 | 3 |
| [Scope and Administration](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/scope-and-administration.md) | IBC 2009 | 2 |

_4 further chapters mention the term._

### The term in use

How the code actually writes about smoke barrier, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:

> Openings in a smoke barrier shall be protected in accordance with Section 715.

— [IBC 2009 §710.5](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/fire-and-smoke-protection-features.md)

> The compartments shall be separated from each other by a smoke barrier in accordance with Section 710.

— [IBC 2009 §405.4.2](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/maryland/ibc-2009/special-detailed-requirements-based-on-use-and-occupancy.md)

> A listed smoke damper designed to resist the passage of smoke shall be provided at each point a duct or air transfer opening penetrates a smoke barrier wall or a corridor enclosure required to have smoke and draft control doors in accordance with the International Building Code.

— [IMC 2009 §607.5.4](https://harth.build/resources/building-codes/us-states/new-hampshire/imc-2009/duct-systems.md)

## Smoke Barrier: what to open, and in what order

Every row is a document this term depends on. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) cover the middle rows.

| Check | Where | Confirmed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Read the definition in the adopted IBC | Fire and Smoke Protection Features | |
| Read the definition in the adopted IFC | Definitions | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Fire and Smoke Protection Features (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Special Detailed Requirements Based on Use and Occupancy (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Duct Systems (IMC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Fire Protection Systems (IBC 2009) | |
| Local amendment to any of the above | Jurisdiction's amendment list | |

**A research aid, not a code determination.** The authority having jurisdiction decides which edition and which amendments apply.

## Where can you explore related guidance?

- [Explore all glossary guidance](https://harth.build/resources/glossary.md)
- [Shaft: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/shaft.md)
- [Damper: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/damper.md)
- [Fire-resistance Rating: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/fire-resistance-rating.md)
- [Fire Barrier: Building Code Definition](https://harth.build/resources/glossary/fire-barrier.md)

## Sources and method

Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.

### Source links

- [codes.iccsafe.org](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes)

- [iccsafe.org](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/)

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the code definition of smoke barrier?

The International Building Code (IBC) 2009 defines it in Fire and Smoke Protection Features as: “A continuous membrane, either vertical or horizontal, such as a wall, floor or ceiling assembly, that is designed and constructed to restrict the movement of smoke.” The 2009 model text is reproduced here; the definition that binds your project is the one in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted, as amended locally.

### Which parts of the code depend on smoke barrier?

In this corpus the term is used across 16 chapters, led by Fire and Smoke Protection Features in the IBC 2009. Those are the sections whose scope moves if the definition is amended locally, so read them together with Chapter 2 rather than on their own.

### What is a smoke barrier?

In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IBC 2009 states, in Fire and Smoke Protection Features: “A continuous membrane, either vertical or horizontal, such as a wall, floor or ceiling assembly, that is designed and constructed to restrict the movement of smoke.” It is defined in IBC 2009, IFC 2009. Because it is a defined term, whatever the adopted edition says it means is what every section using it means — so check Chapter 2 of that edition and any local amendment before relying on this wording.

### What is the difference between a smoke barrier and a fire wall?

In the 2009 I-Codes hosted here it is a defined term rather than a description. The IBC 2009 states, in Fire and Smoke Protection Features: “A continuous membrane, either vertical or horizontal, such as a wall, floor or ceiling assembly, that is designed and constructed to restrict the movement of smoke.” It is defined in IBC 2009, IFC 2009. It is not the same as Fire Wall, which the IBC 2009 defines separately as “A fire-resistance-rated wall having protected openings, which restricts the spread of fire and extends continuously from the foundation to or through the roof, with sufficient structural stability under fire conditions to allow collapse of construction …” Because it is a defined term, whatever the adopted edition says it means is what every section using it means — so check Chapter 2 of that edition and any local amendment before relying on this wording.

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