Fire protection: what it is and why it is needed
Fire protection is the combination of materials and design solutions that enables a building element or a building services system to keep performing its function for longer in a fire. For a load-bearing frame, that means continuing to carry its load; for a partition or floor slab, stopping the passage of flames and hot gases; for a cable run, continuing to operate without spreading flame; and for a duct, not becoming a channel through which fire and smoke pass from one room to another.
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It is important to understand the difference between fire resistance and fire protection. Fire resistance is a property of the element itself: it is determined by calculation or testing and expressed as a rating (for example, R 90 for a beam or EI 60 for a duct). Fire protection is the means of achieving the required fire resistance rating when the “bare” element falls short of it. Steel, for example, does not burn, but it loses strength when heated, and an unprotected beam with thin flanges can lose its load-bearing capacity in a matter of minutes.
How fire protection materials work
Almost all the materials in this section work on one of three principles, and many combine them.
- Intumescence. When heated, a thin layer of paint or epoxy coating swells to dozens of times its original thickness and turns into a porous carbonaceous layer — the insulating “char”. This is how thin-film intumescent paints, epoxy coatings for the oil and gas industry, and many penetration sealants and pipe collars work.
- Thermal insulation. A layer of material with low thermal conductivity and high heat resistance — cementitious or gypsum plaster, mineral wool board, calcium silicate board — simply slows down the heating of the protected element.
- Heat absorption (ablation) and chemical flame inhibition. Some products release chemically bound water or non-combustible gases when heated, consuming energy from the fire in the process. This is how ablative cable coatings, timber impregnations and some boards work.
Section map
By protection method
- Thin-film intumescent paints — water-based and solvent-based products for steel frames in commercial and industrial buildings.
- Hydrocarbon and jet fire protection — epoxy intumescent systems and cementitious coatings for the oil and gas, chemical and power industries.
- Non-reactive fire protection — plasters, boards, mats, encasements.
- Fire protection plasters — spray-applied cementitious, vermiculite and gypsum products.
- Fire protection boards and mats — calcium silicate, stone wool, wraps.
By what is protected
- Fire protection of structural steel
- Fire protection of concrete and reinforced concrete
- Fire protection of cable runs
- Fire stopping of penetrations and junctions
- Fire protection of timber
- Fire protection of ductwork
How to choose fire protection: five questions to answer before asking for prices
Most fire protection mistakes are made not on site but at the material selection stage. Before comparing quotations, answer these five questions.
1. What fire resistance rating is required
The requirement is set by the design, based on the fire safety codes in force in Uzbekistan (ShNK, Uzbekistan’s Urban Planning Norms and Rules) and the building’s degree of fire resistance. For a steel frame it is typically R 15 – R 120 and above; for building services, classes E and EI. Without a figure from the design there is no point in selecting a material: the coating thickness, and even the type of material, depend directly on it.
2. What fire scenario applies
For residential, public and most industrial buildings, the codes are based on a “standard” cellulosic fire — the burning of an ordinary combustible fire load. At facilities handling petroleum products and gas, temperatures rise much faster, and jet flames from damaged pipework are possible. Separate test methods and separate classes of material exist for these scenarios; a paint intended for “ordinary” buildings is not suitable here.
3. What exactly is being protected
For steel, the key parameter is the reduced metal thickness (in international documentation, the section factor Hp/A, which is in effect its inverse). The heavier the section, the more slowly it heats up and the thinner the protection it needs. For concrete, what matters is the cover to the reinforcement; for cables, the cable type and installation method; for penetrations, the type of wall or floor and the services passing through it.
4. What environment the coating will be exposed to
A dry heated interior, an unheated warehouse, an open pipe rack, a marine or chemically aggressive atmosphere — these are all different conditions. Water-based paints, for example, perform well indoors, but without a reliable topcoat they do not tolerate moisture well. Outdoor installations use epoxy systems or cementitious coatings designed for atmospheric exposure.
5. What the material must be compatible with
On steel, fire protection almost always works together with a corrosion protection system: primer — fire protection coat — topcoat. The fire protection manufacturer states which primers and topcoats have been tested with its product. They must not be chosen “by colour” or on price: an incompatible primer may disbond and take the fire protection with it, and an unsuitable topcoat may prevent intumescence.
Documents worth requesting
- The current revision of the technical data sheet (TDS) and the safety data sheet (SDS).
- Test reports or certificates to the methods required by the design and by the local expert review.
- Thickness tables or calculation software for the specific sections and fire resistance ratings — these are issued by the manufacturer or its technical representative.
- A list of compatible primers and topcoats.
- Application instructions and quality control requirements.
Materials from leading manufacturers
This reference guide brings together materials from major manufacturers with a long track record in passive fire protection. Detailed lists are given on the subsection pages; below is one typical example for each area.
- Interchar 1120 — International (AkzoNobel) — water-based thin-film paint for steel frames inside buildings.
- Chartek 1709 — International (AkzoNobel) — epoxy intumescent coating for hydrocarbon and jet fires.
- FIRETEX M90/03 — Sherwin-Williams — epoxy fire protection for steel at oil and gas facilities.
- PPG STEELGUARD 951 — PPG — epoxy coating for cellulosic fires, including external exposure.
- Pyrocrete 241 — Carboline — cementitious fire protection for steel in heavy industry.
- PROMATECT-H — Promat — calcium silicate boards for encasing steel and lining concrete.
- CAFCO 300 — Isolatek International — spray-applied gypsum fire protection for commercial construction.
- Nullifire FS702 — Nullifire (Tremco CPG) — fire-rated acrylic sealant for joints and penetrations.
- Hilti CFS-F FX — Hilti — fire-stopping foam for cable and mixed penetrations.
- 3M Fire Barrier Duct Wrap 615+ — 3M — fire protection mat for ductwork.
- ROCKWOOL Conlit Ductrock — ROCKWOOL — mineral wool board for rectangular ductwork.
- Jotun Jotachar JF750 — Jotun — epoxy fire protection of steel for pool and jet fires.
Our supply service
We supply fire protection materials: we help check the design requirements, obtain technical documentation and thickness calculations from the manufacturer, and put together a complete system. We calculate the fire protection thickness for your sections and, where needed, organise application through partner contractors holding the appropriate licence.
Frequently asked questions
Can fire protection be selected without a design?
Provisionally — yes; definitively — no. The type of material can be discussed in advance, but the thickness and make-up of the system are determined by the required fire resistance rating, the sections and the service conditions, in other words by the design.
Which is more reliable: paint or plaster?
Both are reliable if correctly selected and applied. Paint is lighter and more attractive, and it is convenient to apply in the fabrication shop. Plasters and boards are more cost-effective at high fire resistance ratings and in locations where the protection is liable to mechanical damage.
Why does fire protection need an anti-corrosion primer?
A fire protection layer is no substitute for corrosion protection. If rust starts to form underneath, the coating will detach and fail to perform in a fire. A primer is therefore mandatory, and its compatibility with the fire protection is confirmed by the manufacturer.
How does a cellulosic fire differ from a hydrocarbon fire?
In the rate of temperature rise and the temperatures reached. When petroleum products burn, the temperature peaks within minutes and the heat flux is higher. Materials for such facilities are tested to separate methods.