Fire design of composite beams with web openings protected with reactive intumescent coating
Intumescent solutions for fire protection in tall buildings
Steel is used as a structural and fabrication material in tall buildings around the world. This hard, strong alloy contains iron, carbon, and other elements that impart strength and durability. Steel offers many advantages but exhibits poor performance when there…
The role of passive fire protection
Passive fire protection is an integral part of the fabric of a building. It is the primary preventative measure taken to protect against the spread of fire, heat and smoke, and to ensure structural stability and a safe means of…
‘Fit for Purpose fire resistance’ whose responsibility is it?
The UK Building Regulations, Approved Document B adopts the standard time temperature protocol of ISO834-1 in BS476 pts 20 to 24 for fire resistance testing of all building elements such as fire doors, fire penetrations, structural elements, fire walls and…
Hempel launches new passive fire protection coating to safeguard civil steel structures
World leading coatings manufacturer Hempel’s new generation fire-protection coating – Hempafire Optima 500 – is specifically designed to improve the productivity of passive fire protection (PFP) coating applications. It achieves this by reducing the number of coats required and the…
Why mineral insulated cable is the best choice for hazardous environments
Potential explosive atmospheres exist when a mixture of air gas, vapour, mist, or dust combine in a way that can ignite under certain operating conditions. It is these potentially explosive atmospheres which products falling under the ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU are…
Fire compartmentation
Readers may recall in Issue 14 of Gulf Fire (April 2019 edition), an article that featured the development of international fire codes and standards. In a similar fashion the use and development of compartmentation can be traced back historically to…
Intumescent polyurethanes in fire protection
Polyurethanes (PU) are plastics that are usually manufactured on the basis of petroleum, which means they are combustible. Nevertheless, their use in fire protection applications is on the rise. Combustible fire protection: a contradiction? A short overview of fundamentals, requirements…
PPG PITT-CHAR® – Passive Fire Protection for the global oil, gas and chemicals industries
Passive Fire Protection (PFP) coatings have become a permanent fixture in the oil, gas and chemical industries, where asset owners and operators require high performance fire resistant coatings that provide proven protection in the most demanding ‘real world’ operating conditions.…
Design considerations when using smoke and fire curtains
If a fire breaks out, smoke spread is by far the biggest challenge. Thick black smoke can prevent people from finding escape routes, but worse, choking poisonous fumes can incapacitate a person within 5 breaths and rapidly leads to unconsciousness…
Firestop tape – A new standard in firestopping
Firestop installers are in the life safety business. While firestopping is a key component in the overall protection of the building structure, it is also critical for protecting the lives inside the building. One of the biggest challenges in firestopping…
An industry problem we can fix – misuse of firestopping products
Effective use of firestopping products is proven to play a critical role in containing fire at its source, reducing the impact of the primary building structure and helping to save lives by maximising the time available to fully evacuate the…
Construction of facades – achieving a compliant design
Several instances of a fire originating either in the building or externally, have led to rapid vertical fire spread via combustible cladding finishes, insulation materials and other significant items within the external wall build-up. The spread is also aided by…
Trelleborg Receives UL Certification for DryFoam™
Trelleborg applied technologies operation has received UL certification for DryFoam™, a passive fire protection system designed for vapor suppression and fire prevention. Robert Kelly, General Manager of Trelleborg’s applied technologies operation in Boston comments: “DryFoam™ underwent extensive testing during the…