METHOD OF FIRE PROTECTION

ARBAZ AHMED YADGERI

(5W18CSE18)
 METHODS OF FIRE PROTECTION OF STEEL
STRUCTURES

The capacity for a building to remain functional for a specified length of time during a
fire is of utmost importance for life safety and fire department access. However, all conventional
construction materials begin to degrade when exposed to elevated temperatures for prolonged
periods of time. Therefore, it is often necessary to provide means of fire protection to the
building’s structural elements in order for them to properly carry load during this important time
period.

Building fire protection may be categorized into two main systems, active and passive.
An obvious approach is to eliminate the heat source by extinguishing the fire or by generating an
alert so that an extinguishing action can be initiated. Extinguishing systems such as sprinklers
and smoke and heat detection devices are responses to this approach, and are classified as active
fire protection systems. Active protection relies on devices requiring external activation to alert
occupants of a fire and to control building fire conditions. Automatic sprinkler systems, smoke
detectors, and fire department suppression are all examples of active systems. Alternatively,
another approach for improving the fire safety of a steel structure is to delay the rate of
temperature increase to the steel to provide time for evacuation of the environment, to allow
combustibles to be exhausted without structural consequence, and/or to increase the time for
extinguishing the fire. This approach, which involves insulating the steel or providing a heat
sink, is classified as a passive fire protection system. Passive protection provides fire protection
by relying on in-place elements, and requires no external activation.

The different methods of fire protection are :-

1. Intumescent Coating
1.1. Thin film Intumescent Coating
1.2. Off-site applied Intumescent Coating
1.3. Thick film Intumescent Coating
2. Boards
3. Sprays
4. Flexible Blank System
5. Concrete Encasement
6. Partial Protection
 6.1. Block Infilled Columns
6.2. Shelf Angle Floor Beams
6.3. Slim Floor Beam
6.4. Web Infilled Columns
6.5. Composite Beams and Columns with full and partial concrete encasement

1. Intumescent Coating :-

Intumescent coatings are paint like materials which are inert at low temperatures but which
provide insulation as a result of a complex chemical reaction at temperatures typically of about 200-
250°C. At these temperatures the properties of steel will not be affected. As a result of this reaction they
swell and provide an expanded layer of low conductivity char. Intumescent coatings can be divided
into three types : thin film, off-site applied and thick film. Thin film materials are either solvent
based or water based and are mainly used for building fires. Thick film intumescent
coatings were originally developed for the off-shore and hydrocarbon industries but have been
modified for use in buildings.

Image 1.1:- Expanded film Intumescent Image 1.2:- Application of Intumescent

They are mainly used in buildings where the fire resistance requirements are 30, 60 and
90 minutes. In recent years, a number of products have been developed which can provide 120
minutes fire resistance. They can be applied either on-site or off-site. In general, most on-site
application is carried out using water based materials. However, where the structure to which the
material is applied is not to have an end use in a dry, heated environment, solvent based
materials are commonly used. Solvent based materials also tend to be able to cover a wider range
of section factors than water based materials and can be used on-site to protect smaller sections
requiring high thicknesses. Both solvent based and water based coatings can be used to
achieve attractive surface finishes. If a decorative or bespoke finish is required, this should be
included in the specification. Thin film intumescents have the added advantages that they can
easily cover complex shapes and post-protection service installation is relatively simple. Typical
expansion ratios are about 50:1, i.e. a 1mm thick coating will expand to about 50mm when
affected by fire.

1.2. Off-site Applied Intumescent Coating :-

The development of an industry to apply thin film intumescent coatings off-site has been
a UK success story which is now being exported across the world. The process usually involves
application in a large, well ventilated and heated facility remote from the construction site.
Specifiers should be aware that off-site applied thin film intumescent coatings are used mainly
for non-aesthetic end uses. Aesthetic finishes are possible, and have been achieved, using off-site
application but it requires an additional level of care and attention. This is because some damage
in transit is inevitable, even though applicators work to minimize it. It is difficult (but not of
course impossible) to repair damage to match the appearance of the rest of the coating but this
adds a layer of complexity to the work. Off-site application is more expensive than its on-site
equivalent in terms of up-front costs but the value of the advantages can make it more cost
effective overall.

1.3. Thick Film Intumescent Coating :-

Thick film intumescent coatings are usually epoxy based and typically have a much
higher dry film thickness than thin film alternatives. These materials are tough and durable and
were originally developed for use with hydrocarbon fires, where the test heating regime is much
more severe than that used for most industrial and commercial applications. A number of
manufacturers have modified their materials for use in cellulosic fires. These modified materials
are usually used in situations where the benefits of intumescent coatings in terms of appearance,
weight and thickness are required but where circumstances are too severe, or maintenance too
difficult, to allow the use of thin film materials. Typical recent examples have occurred in
external steel in high rise buildings and exposed marine environments.
Expansion ratios for thick film intumescents are much lower than for thin film materials,
typically about 5:1. Aesthetic finishes are possible and it can also be supplied in the form of
preformed casings. Thick film intumescent coatings can also be applied off-site.

2. Boards :-

Boards are widely used for structural fire protection in the UK. They are used both where
the protection system is in full view and where it is hidden. They offer the specifier a clean,
boxed appearance and have the additional advantages that application is a dry trade and may not
have significant impacts on other activities. Also, boards are factory manufactured and
thicknesses can be guaranteed. Furthermore, boards can be applied on unpainted steelwork.
There are broadly two families of board protection, lightweight and heavyweight.
Lightweight boards are typically 150-250kg/m³ and are not usually suitable for decorative
finishes. They are typically used where aesthetics are not important and are cheaper than
heavyweight equivalents. Heavyweight boards are usually in the range 700-950kg/m³ and will
generally accept decorative finishes. They are typically used where aesthetics are important

Image 2.1:- Aesthetic and Non-Aesthetic Boards

Spray protection is extensively used in the United States but is less common in the
United Kingdom. It has the advantage that it can be used to cover complex shapes and details
and also that costs do not increase significantly with increases in protection thickness. This is
because much of the cost of application is in the labour and equipment and a minority is in the
cost of the material. Some materials can also be used in external and hydrocarbon
fire applications. Sprays are not suitable for aesthetic purposes. Also, application is a wet trade
and this may have impacts on other site operations. Allowance may have to be made in costing
for the possible requirement for prevention of overspray.

Image 3.1:- Cementatious Spray on Beams

4. Flexible Blanket System :-

Flexible fire protection systems have been developed as a response to the need for an
easily applied fire protection material which can be used on complex shapes and details but
where application is a dry trade. There are a limited number of manufacturers of these products.
Fixing of a blanket is shown in the accompanying photograph.

Image 4.1:- Flexible Blanket System

Until the late 1970s, concrete was by far the most common form of fire protection for
structural steelwork. However the introduction of lightweight, proprietary systems such
as boards, sprays and thin film intumescent coatings has seen a dramatic reduction in its use.
Nevertheless, concrete encasement has its place and it continues to have a small percentage of
the fire protection market with other traditional methods such as blockwork encasement also
used occasionally. The principal advantage of concrete is durability. It tends to be used where
resistance to impact damage, abrasion and weather exposure are important e.g. warehouses,
underground car parks and external structures.

Image 5.1:- Concrete Encasement of Structural

6. Partial Protection :-

Standard fire tests have shown that structural members which are designed to not be fully
exposed to fire can exhibit substantial levels of fire resistance without applied protection.
Methods have been developed using this effect to achieve 30 and 60 minutes fire resistance.
Where higher periods of fire resistance are called for, reduced fire protection thicknesses can be
applied to the exposed steelwork since the heated perimeter, and therefore the section factor, is
less than that for the fully exposed case.

There are five ways in which partial protection can be used:

30 minutes fire resistance can be achieved by the use of autoclaved, aerated concrete
blocks cemented between the flanges and tied to the web of rolled sections. Longer fire
resistance periods are possible by protecting only the exposed flanges.

Image 6..1.1:- Block Filled Column

6.2. Shelf Angle Floor Beam :-

Shelf angle floor beams are beams with angles welded or bolted to the web to support the
floor slab. This protects the top part of the beam from the fire while the bottom part remains
exposed. Fire resistance increases as the position of the supporting angle is moved further down
the beam and 60 minutes fire resistance is achievable in some instances. Shelf angle floor beams
are more commonly bolted rather than welded as shown in the accompanying photograph.

Image 6.2.1:- Shelf Angle Floor Beam

There are a number of shallow floor solutions using ‘integrated’ beams. The
beams may either be rolled or fabricated, and a number of alternatives are available. One such
fabricated beam consists of an H section (usually UC) with a welded bottom plate – this is often
called a ‘Slim floor beam’. Others include Ultra Shallow Floor Beams (USFB) from Kloeckner
Westok, and ArcelorMittal's Slim floor beams. The common theme is that the beams are
asymmetric with a wider bottom flange than top flange to carry the deck slab, which may be
either precast concrete (pc) units, or a deep deck composite slab.
A key feature of such shallow floor systems is that almost the whole steel section is
protected from the fire by the floor slab and up to 60 minutes fire resistance is achievable
without protection to the exposed bottom plate.
Where periods of fire resistance greater than 60 minutes are required, only the exposed
bottom flange or plate or the beam requires protection. The section factors calculated on the basis
of the heated perimeter of the bottom flange or plate.

Image 6.3.1:- Slim Floor Beam

Sixty minutes fire resistance can be achieved for columns when normal weight, poured
concrete is fixed between the flanges by shear connectors attached to the web. The concrete is
retained by a web stiffener fixed at the bottom of the connection zone.

The load carrying capacity of the concrete is ignored in the design of the columns but in
fire, as the exposed steel weakens at high temperatures, the load carried by the flanges is
progressively transferred to the concrete. This provides stability for periods of fire resistance up to
60 minutes . The connection zone is fire protected along with the beam.
 Image 6.4.1:- Web Infilled Columns

6.5. Composite Beam and Columns with full and Partial Concrete
Encasement :-

This is a form of construction which has been introduced to the UK by the publication of
BS EN 1994-1-2, which describes the systems and also includes tabulated design guidance. It
consists of steel beams and columns in which fire resistance is achieved by the inclusion of
reinforcement between the flanges, held in position by concrete. Fire resistance periods up to 120
minutes is achievable on columns using this approach and 180 minutes on beams. Guidance is
also given on enhancement to full concrete encasement by the inclusion of rebar and up to 240
minutes fire resistance can be achieved.

Image 6.5.1:- Reinforced Column