The fire-resistance rating of a building must be established without which of the following?

The fire-resistance rating of a building is primarily determined by the materials used in its construction and the design that complies with applicable codes and standards. This rating assesses how long a building component can withstand a fire before it fails, which is crucial for safety and structural integrity.

Automatic sprinklers and fire suppression systems are important for controlling and extinguishing fires, but they do not directly influence the intrinsic fire-resistance rating of a building's structural elements. In essence, these systems are designed to mitigate the effects of a fire once it occurs, acting as a secondary line of defense. Therefore, the evaluation of a building's fire-resistance rating can be established independently of whether such systems are present.

Choosing a rating based solely on the building materials and construction methods allows for consistent application across different buildings regardless of their protective systems.