Site applied protection materials
Passive fire protection materials insulate steel structures from the effects of the high temperatures that may be generated in fire. They can be divided into two types, non-reactive, of which the most common types are boards and sprays, and reactive, of which intumescent coatings are the best example.
Boards
Board systems are one of the most popular type of fire protection in the UK. They are widely used both where the protection system is in full view and where it is hidden.
Concrete encasement
At present concrete encasement has only a small percentage of the fire protection market with other traditional methods such as blockwork encasement also used occasionally.
Flexible or blanket systems
Flexible fire protection systems have been developed as a response to the need for a cheap alternative to sprays but without the adverse effects on the construction program often associated with wet application.
Sprays
Spray protection systems, shown below, have decreased in popularity in the past decade, despite being one of the cheapest forms of fire protection in terms of application costs.
Thin film intumescent coatings
Intumescent coatings are paint like substances which are inert at low temperatures but which provide insulation by swelling to provide a charred layer of low conductivity materials at temperatures of approximately 200-250°C. At these temperatures the properties of steel will not be affected.
