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Thickness Determination For Spray-Applied Fire Protection Materials
Thickness Determination For Spray-Applied Fire Protection Materials
Thickness Determination For Spray-Applied Fire Protection Materials
FOR SPRAY-APPLIED
FIRE RESISTIVE MATERIALS
F
ollowing The World Trade most common form of insulation for a
Preview! Center disaster, a review of structural steel assembly is a spray-
current design practices has applied fire resistive material. Spray-
commenced with hope that applied fire resistive materials use a
out of the tragedy something binder, generally gypsum or Portland
may be gleaned that could influence cement, that is mixed with insulating
more effective new building designs. materials to form a slurry or mixed at a
Fireproofing is a legitimate area of nozzle and spray-applied. “Cafco
focus. There is little debate that a more 300”, manufactured by Isolatek and
rational approach to fire protection is “Monocote MK-6”, manufactured by
possible than our current reliance on W. R. Grace, are examples of slurry
the prescriptive method using tested based insulating materials. “Blaze
assemblies. Efforts are being expend- Shield”, manufactured by Isolatek, is
ed to formulate a rational approach for an example of a nozzle mixed spray-
evaluating the performance of steel applied insulation.
structures in a fire environment and a The thickness of spray-applied fire
John L. Ruddy is Chief Operating more rational performance based resistive material needed to produce
Officer and Principal, Structural approach to fire protection is certainly the building code dictated duration of
Affiliates International, Inc., on the horizon. Nonetheless, the fire endurance is determined by test-
Nashville, TN. design team is faced with providing ing. Beams supporting slab construc-
fire-safe buildings under current tion representing the construction
guidelines. This paper addresses the intended in the actual building are
method for determining the thickness coated with a specific thickness of
of spray-applied fire resistive material spray-applied fire resistive material
based on the current prescriptive code and tested over a furnace. Since it
approach. would be impractical to test all the
steel sections to be used in the actual
BACKGROUND building along with a full range of
Among the material properties, the spray-applied fire resistive material
yield strength and elastic modulus of thicknesses, procedures have been
construction materials (steel and con- developed that facilitate adjusting the
crete), the properties that influence spray-applied fire resistive material
Socrates A. Ioannides is President, strength and deformation, are reduced thickness used on the tested beam to
Structural Affiliates International, Inc., at elevated temperatures. Therefore, determine the thickness required in
Nashville, TN. insulation is applied to extend the time the real structure. The purpose here is
that steel structures can sustain load at to clarify the correct application of the
elevated temperatures. The time the equation for adjustment of spray-
structural system is required to endure applied fire protection material thick-
a fire is influenced by building area, ness.
height, use and occupancy and is
directed by the applicable building STANDARD FIRE TEST
code. The amount and type of insula- Fire tests are performed in accordance
tion is determined through testing, or with ASTM E-119 [1]. A slab system,
more commonly by referencing exist- the same as anticipated in the building,
ing test data for assemblies similar to is constructed over supporting beams
those intended in the building. above a furnace. The beams are instru-
Insulation can be provided in many mented with thermal couples, protect-
forms including masonry or concrete ed with spray-applied fire resistive
encasement, gypsum board wrap- material and shimmed tight to a
pings, insulation board enclosures, perimeter frame and the assembly
intumescent coatings and spray- placed over the furnace. All assem-
applied fire resistive materials. The blies are tested fully loaded and
Figure 1
intended construction and the details not be used in the structure. The UL weight concrete thickness over 2 in.
of the slab construction are important, designations tabulated in Figure 2 rep- composite deck as confirmed by the
not only to model the slab’s resistance resent systems that do not rely on the table in Figure 5 that is taken from UL
to heat transfer, but also to appropri- ceiling for fire resistance and among designation D902. Also, steel form
ately model the dissipation of heat these the UL designations D902 and units from 11/2 in. to 41/2 in.deep are
away from the beam. Several UL test- D925 are commonly referenced. These included in this tested assembly.
ed assemblies are indicated in Figure 2. designations are for assemblies that do Therefore, the 2 in. deep composite
Each of these designations can be ref- not require spray-applied fire resistive deck is covered by this UL designation.
erenced to provide 1, 1 ½, 2, and 3 hour material on the deck. Excerpts from The deck can be phosphatized
fire resistance ratings depending on the Fire Resistance Directory for D902 steel/painted since the configuration
the slab construction and the thickness are indicated in Figures 3, Figure 5 and is all fluted. The deck must be a mini-
and type of fire protection. If compos- Figure 6 and will be used to illustrate mum of 22 gage. The heat dissipation
ite beams are used in the test, either the determination of the spray-applied provided by the slab is influenced by
composite or non-composite beams fire resistive material. its mass. Thus changes in unit weight
may be used in the actual structure. of the concrete have an influence on
However, if non-composite beams are EXAMPLE 1 the rating. The fire resistance can be
used in the test, composite beams can- Consider a building structured using met with concrete having a unit weight
30’-0” × 30’-0” bays having a floor of between 107 and 116 pcf.
plate of 180’ × 120’. Floor beams are The table in Figure 6 is from the UL
W16×26 spaced 7’-6” on center and Directory designation D902 listing is
designed to act compositely with the for a fiber-based spray-applied fire
floor slab. The interior girders are resistive material which is applied by
W21×44 composite beams. Lateral sta- introducing fiber and water at the
bility is achieved using perimeter spray nozzle during application.
moment frames and the spandrel There are several unrestrained
members are W24×55 with moment beam ratings for each restrained
connections to the perimeter columns. assembly rating. A 31/4 in. LW concrete
The slab is constructed using a 3¼ in. fill over composite deck will provide a
of lightweight concrete (107-116 pcf) 2 hour fire resistance rating for a
over 2 in. deep composite deck. The restrained assembly with 3/8 in. of
construction is type 1B as defined by spray-applied fire resistive material on
the International Building Code IBC the W8×28 test beam. The unre-
[3] and the floor system is required to strained beam rating with 3/8 in. of
have a 2-hour fire resistance rating. spray-applied fire resistive material
A 2-hour restrained assembly rating provides a 1-hour unrestrained beam
Figure 3 can be achieved with a 3 ¼ in. light- rating. A 2-hour unrestrained beam
0.80 + 0.6
T1 = 0.375
0.55 + 0.6
= 0.457 use 1
2"
EXAMPLE 2 SUMMARY
Sprayed Material Quantity
W16×26 (Filler Beam) 1/2”