STEEL PROTECTION

Intumescent coatings protect and save the structural integrity of a building and it saves lives in the event of a fire.

In the event of a fire the high temperatures cause a chemical reaction in intumescent coatings to expand. Under this heat the paint turns into a foam-like coating called ‘char’. This insulates the steel, protecting it from these high temperatures that could affect the structural integrity of the building.

Intumescent coatings also reduce flammability of painted masonry and timber, successfully reducing the spread of fire. We use paints and coatings from leading suppliers such as Nullifire, Jotun, Envirograf, epoxy coatings.

In the event of a fire, fire protection cladding for steel beams has several important objectives:

• Heat protection: It protects the steel beams from the effects of heat, preventing the steel from losing its load-bearing capacity.
• Time saving: By delaying the temperature rise, more time is gained for evacuation and extinguishing work.
• Structural integrity: The steel beams remain stable for longer, which increases the overall stability of the building and delays a possible collapse.

Fire protection cladding for steel beams is available in various fire resistance classes. They indicate how long a fire protection cladding can withstand a fire before the temperature of the protected steel reaches a critical threshold.

Typical classes are F30, F60, F90 and F120, which means that the cladding protects the steel girder for 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes respectively.