Passive Fire Protection | What is Passive Fire Protection?

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, neighbouring
structures and reduce the risk of collapse for the emergency services.
A number of the fundamental requirements of fire protection are specified in approved document B of the Building
Regulations:

Means of escape

Internal surface spread of flame to linings

Structural integrity of the building

Fire compartmentation

Access and facilities for emergency services

Other more commercial reasons for the use of fire protection systems, is to reduce the amount of damage and
prevent collapse of the building. This intern can help to:

Reduce the rising cost of insurance polices

Protect capital investment

Reduce the possible risk to the fire fighters

So what is fire protection?

A buildings fire protection comes in 2 specific forms, active and passive systems:
Active systems in the form of, suppression, extinguishers, sprinkler, alarm and extract ventilation.
The overall aim of active systems is to extinguish the fire by:

Detecting the fire early and evacuating the building

Alerting emergency services at an early stage of the fire

Control the movement of smoke and fire

Suppress and/or starve the fire of oxygen and fuel

Passive systems in the form of fire rated doors, barrier, ceilings and structural fire protection.
The overall aim of passive systems is to contain the fire by:

Use of fire rated partitions and doors to prevent the fire and smoke from moving from one
compartment to another

Delaying the collapse of the building structure

Delaying the growth of the fire

Passive fire protection

Nullifire have been instrumental in the development of 2 key areas of passive fire protection over the past 30
years:

Intumescent coatings for the protection of structural steelwork

Fire stopping and penetration sealing systems

Why do we need to protect the steelwork?

During a fire situation the temperature within a building can rise from ambient around 20C, up to 1000C. As the
temperature in the building increases, so does the temperature of the steel structure that supports the building.
All steel sections have wants know as a critical steel temperature. This is the temperature at which the steel
section begins to lose its strength and buckle.
The building regulations require that structural steel is protected against fire, to ensure that the load-bearing
strength of the steel is not decreased as the temperature increases.

There are 3 main systems used to protect structural steelwork against the risk of fire:

Boarding:
In the form of plasterboard / mineral fibre / Calcium silicate etc

Spray:
In the form of cementitious, mineral fibre or gypsum systems

Intumescents:
Thin film intumescent basecoats

Determination of fire protection measures

The type of protection to use normally comes down to the following factors:

Fire performance required, 30/60/90/120 or 240 minutes

Type of steel member to be protected

The design and aesthetic requirements

Weight restrictions

Construction time

Cost considerations

Steel location, Internal or External

Cementitious spray systems are generally the cheapest method of protecting steelwork at 90 up to 240 minutes
fire performance. However the appearance of such systems frequently rules them out of consideration.

Advantages

Low cost

Can be applied to complex shapes

Assists thermal and acoustic insulation

Up to 240 minutes
Disadvantages

Only suitable for steel members out of site

Very messy application

Easily damaged

Difficult to ensure uniform thickness

Wire reinforcement may be required for larger member

Space required for given protection

Boarding fire-protection solutions are promoted as a clean dry process, that can provide a neat aesthetic finish
with the required fire performance all in one. However they are impractical for the protection of castellated beams
or the increasing used cellular beams where the holes are used for services penetrations.

Advantages

Clean, dry installation

Fire performance and finish all in one

Up to 240 minutes fire performance

Pre-formed section available

Disadvantages

Hides the feature of the steel member

No good on complex shapes

Long application time

Thickness at higher performance can be an issue

Weight can be an issue with dense boards

The general rule of thumb is that intumescent coatings are the most efficient systems at 30, 60 and now most 90
minutes applications. Thin film intumescent coatings have reduced in price over the past few years as a result of
increased competition and improved technology. These systems offer a durable, light weight solution, whilst
allowing the steel member to remain a feature of the building design.

Advantages

Ideal where the exposed profile of the steel is a feature of the building design

Only system suitable for castellated and cellular beams where the holes are used for services

Light weight compared to other products

Thin film system reduces the amount of space used

Up to 10 times faster to apply than boarding systems

Decorative top seals available

Fibre free, no dust

Easy to clean and maintain

Disadvantages

Skilled application required for best results

Quality checks required.

Primer compatibility checks required

Drying times

Site over-spray issues

Masking may be required to surrounding areas