CONCRETE AS A

PROTECTION
MATERIAL

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 INTRODUCTION

Fire is a taker of human life and a destroyer of human assets. Fire Resistance of a
structure is very importantA wide range of materials is available to enhance the fire
resistance of structural steel members In considering any fire protection system it is
important to distinguish b/w profile, box and solid methods of application

PROFILE PROTECTION

Manufactures offer a wide range of choices of fire protection systems.These have to be

subjected to standard fire test.Figure below sets out the breakdown of the conventional
solutions available to meet regulatory fire protection requirements.It is convenient to
subdivide these solutions into two broad categories: encasements and profile coatings.

Options for meeting regulatory requiremets for steel protection

ENCASEMENTS

1. Board casings

In the larger industrialized countries,there are many systems offered in this category.For
example there are 23 approved to be use.These systems including boards containing gypsum

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plaster,mineral fibre,calcium silicate or Portland cement and also ceramic fire blanket and
preformed insulated steel sheet.With board casings it is necessary to prove by test that the
board has the right properties to insulate the steel and in addition that it is so fixed and
supported that it will remain in place long enough to carry out the function.This means that
the manufacturer of each proprietary system has to establish methods of fixing to the
steelwork suitable for his material and to show by fire resistance test these are
adequate.Technical data for each system must include adequate specifications for fixing
which must be followed to ensure compliance.

Column Beam and Slab

Board Casings

2. Retardant Plasters

A method of encasement which was popular in the USA and UK was to wrap a metal mesh
around columns or beams and coat with hand applied plasters. The plaster base was usually
gypsum and contained vermiculate or Perilite.This method was particularly attractive where
adjacent ceilings or walls were to be similarly plastered because the provision of fire
protection was no longer a separate building process.This method of protection has been used
in New Zealand.

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Column Slab on metal deck on beam

Retardant plasters

3. Concrete or Masonary

The encasement of steel with cast in place concrete is proabably one of the oldest systems
used anywhereDifficulties of casting column casings have been a disadvantage of his
method.Other advantages such as excessive weight which increases the seismic design
problems and loss of floor space from increased column size.Encasement of columns by
concrete or ceramic masonary has attractions of a good quality finish and of damage
resistance.Masonary encasements seem impractical for beams.

Column cast-in-place Column Pre-cast casing

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 Beam cast-in-place Column masonary

Concrete or Masonary Encasement

PROFILE COATINGS

1. Sprayed Fibre

Protection coating consists of a cemetitious material, usually fibre reinforced have been
common for many years. They have been very popular in North America. Since sprayed
coatings are rough and uneven, they are not supposed to be attractive. But they provide an
efficient protection with the advantages of being lightweight and space saving. They are often
relatively soft and are therefore susceptible to physical damage. The principal fibre used in
this is asbestos. But this is now prohibited in many countries due to many health problems.

Column Beam and Slab

Sprayed fibre coating

2.Intumescent Coating

This is a relatively new method of protection by application of thin coatings(usually 0.5 to 3

mm thick) containg chemicals that react at 150 - 200 oC to form a stable foam layer which
can be upto 75mm thick and insulates the steel from fire temperatures.Such coatings can be

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applied by normal painting techniques like brushing,rolling or spraying.They offer advatages
of light weight and space saving.There are seven these systems available in UK.

Column Slab on metal deck on beam

Intumescent coating

Application of thin film intumescent coatings onsite & offsite