A new whitepaper examining the most effective method of protecting structural steel from fire has been published by passive fire protection specialist Promat Titled ‘Protecting structural steel: Fire board vs intumescent paint’, the paper emphasises the regulatory demand for achieving a “comprehensive level of compliant passive fire protection”.

“As the Building Safety Act places direct accountability on the principal designer appointed to the project to demonstrate fire safety compliance at every stage of a project, from the planning stages before permission is granted, before construction begins and before it can be occupied, it is the manufacturers’ duty to ensure product testing supports effective specification,” the paper states.

“A lack of detail, or an unsuitable application, could cause a project to be rejected at Gateway 2, causing lengthy delays or, in a worst-case scenario, leave a building vulnerable to the rapid spread of fire if an inadequate solution is specified.”

As reported by Specification Online, the use of structural steel as a construction method has become more and more popular. However, as it forms part of a ‘compartment boundary’, it requires protection to resist the spread of fire whilst also maintaining its structural integrity.

The whitepaper states that adequate consideration is needed when it comes to the design of wall and ceiling constructions, penetrations, doors and openings, as well as interfaces between all these elements to ensure the entire compartment can resist the spread of fire for the required period of time under the Building Regulations.

Two specified systems of passive fire protection when protecting structural steel are explored – intumescent coatings and fire protective boards – including the benefits and considerations of each.

Commenting on the whitepaper, Commercial Director at Promat UK Joshua Slack said: “Modern methods of building continue to evolve, and structural steel is now a leading choice in construction. With each method of construction, there also comes specialist demands on the fire safety design to ensure that occupants have a means of escape, and that the structural integrity of a building is protected.

“For structural steel, the need to maintain structural integrity should a fire break out is critical. Correctly specified passive fire protection will protect steel from the rapid spread of fire for a set amount of time, allowing the blaze to be tackled by firefighters.

“With different options of passive fire protection and extensive testing available, it is vital that this is supported by a clear understanding of how different methods and products will perform if needed.

“In publishing this whitepaper, we aim to open the discussion and raise awareness of the best systems for use in different structural steel applications and identify what best practice looks like – and how this can be evidenced by up-to-date test data.”

You can access the full whitepaper here.

Source: Fire Protection Association

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