Why do we need Fire Protection?

The fundamental purpose of fire protection systems whether active or passive is to firstly prevent the passage and spread of smoke and fire, from one area of the building to another, to allow for the safe escape of the building occupants.

Secondly, to prevent/reduce the amount of damage to the building structure, neighboring structures and reduce the risk of collapse for the emergency services.

Passive Fire Protection saves human life and protects buildings and installations from the destruction by fire.

Fire Protection for steel work -The need to protect the steelwork

In case of fire, structural steel has to fulfill its designated functioning throughout a certain period. While elements made of concrete and wood, due to their larger sectional area, may relatively long be exposed to fire without any protection, the fire resistancy of steel elements is restricted.

They already lose their load bearing capacity at temperatures of more than 500 o C. There are several possibilities to temporarily prevent them from exceeding these critical temperatures. During a fire situation, the temperature within the building can rise from ambient around 20 o C, upto 1000 o C, As the temperature in the building increases, so does the temperature of the steel structure that supports the building. When the temperature rises, the steel sections began to lose its strength and buckle. The building regulations stipulate that structural steel should be protected against fire, to ensure that the load-bearing capacity of the steel not decreased as the temperature increases.

Three main methods are widely used to protect structural steel work against the risk of fire:

Boarding : In the form of plaster board/mineral fiber/Calcium silicate etc.

Spray : In the form of Cementitious, mineral fiber or gypsum systems.

Intumescents : Thin film intumescent basecoats.