6/2/2019 Fire Resistance of Steel Structures

Methods of Fire Protection

The capacity for a building to remain functional for a specified length of time during a fire is of
utmost importance for life safety and fire department access. However, all conventional
construction materials begin to degrade when exposed to elevated temperatures for
prolonged periods of time. Therefore, it is often necessary to provide means of fire protection
to the building’s structural elements in order for them to properly carry load during this
important time period.

Building fire protection may be categorized into two main systems, active and passive. An
obvious approach is to eliminate the heat source by extinguishing the fire or by generating an
alert so that an extinguishing action can be initiated. Extinguishing systems such as
sprinklers and smoke and heat detection devices are responses to this approach, and are
classified as active fire protection systems. Active protection relies on devices requiring
external activation to alert occupants of a fire and to control building fire conditions.
Automatic sprinkler systems, smoke detectors, and fire department suppression are all
examples of active systems. Alternatively, another approach for improving the fire safety of a
steel structure is to delay the rate of temperature increase to the steel to provide time for
evacuation of the environment, to allow combustibles to be exhausted without structural
consequence, and/or to increase the time for extinguishing the fire. This approach, which
involves insulating the steel or providing a heat sink, is classified as a passive fire protection
system. Passive protection provides fire protection by relying on in-place elements, and
requires no external activation. Examples of passive protection include fire-rated ceilings,
gypsum board or lath and plaster systems, spray-applied fire resistive materials (SFRM), and
mastic coatings.

There are three generic types of fire protection for structural steel:
cementitious products
board and casing systems
intumescent coatings

Cementitious Products

Cementitious products based on gypsum or Portland cement binders are normally applied by
low pressure spray techniques to the profile of the steel section to be protected. These
materials contain low density aggregates and rheological aids to help the application
characteristics. Fire protection is provided to the steel by these materials in two ways, the first
being the ‘cooling effect’ as the trapped moisture (physically and chemically bound)
evaporates as the temperature of the surrounding fire increases. Once all the moisture has
turned to steam the product then behaves as a thermal insulation material. Low density
mineral and synthetic aggregates are used in these products since they are efficient in
allowing the steam to escape, while denser materials might impede its progress and cause
the product to spall.

Board and casing systems

Board and casing systems use materials such as ceramic wool, mineral wool, fire resistant
plasterboard, calcium silicate and vermiculite to provide fire protection to steel. These
products provide fire protection in much the same way as the cementitious products and are
dry fixed around the steel using clip, pin, noggin and screw systems.

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6/2/2019 Fire Resistance of Steel Structures

Intumescent coatings

Intumescent coatings derive their name from the Latin verb ‘tumescere’, which means to
begin to swell. In a fire situation, these thin film products swell up to form a char which
protects the steel, thanks to its insulating properties. Using various types of industrial coating
equipment, these materials are applied as a thin film and are often available with a range of
topcoats in different colours so that the designer can achieve his or her aesthetic needs as
well as those of fire protection on visible steel. Intumescent coatings are particularly effective
for steel that requires up to 90 minutes’ fire protection.

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