Steelmaster Fire Protection Service. Free Same Day Reports
Steelmaster Fire Protection Service
Steel Fire Protection
In a fire it is critical that the structural frame of the building is protected correctly so that the structural steel does not reach critical failure temperature, potentially causing the building to collapse. Intumescent paints are required to not only prevent collapse, but also to slow down the spread of a flame to combustible materials. Ultimately giving more time to evacuate buildings safely, saving lives.
Steelmaster Intumescent paints are sometimes referred to as Reactive Paints. When they are subjected to temperatures exceeding 120°C, Steelmaster will intumesce swelling up to 50 times the original thickness of the paint, forming a carbon layer which thermally insulates the structural steel for up to 3 hours.
Building Regulations
Steelmaster fire protection is compulsory for structural steel to comply with the building regulations set out in England and Wales which outlines the legal obligations for building designers. The building regulations contain functional requirements that outline the need for the building to be designed and constructed so that, in the event of a fire, it's stability will be maintained for a reasonable period.
According to Approved Document B the reasonable period for structural fire resistance may vary between 30, 60 and 90 minutes according to the occupancy. Buildings are classified for fire protection into offices, storage or congregational. Residential buildings fall into the classification of offices. The height of the building is also important, requirements change at 5, 18 and 30 meters in height. For example, an office that is less than 18m tall must maintain structural stability for 60 minutes during a fire. This can be reduced by 30 minutes if a sprinkler is installed.
The codes of practise for structural engineers designing simple and continuous constructions from cold rolled steel was laid out in BS5950:Part 1.1990. It is written for use in the UK but can be used worldwide. It was superseded by BS EN 1993 on 30 March 2010. Both standards are commonly used in the design of steel framed buildings. It is important to reference which standard was adopted when calculating the fire protection requirements.
During a fire it can just take a few minutes for the temperature of unprotected steel work to reach 550°C. At this point steelwork loses its structural load bearing capacity and can buckle causing a building to potentially collapse. By correctly protecting steel, it exists in a state of Elasticity which allows the steel to bend/deflect and return to its original state once the force has been removed.
Generally intumescent paints will need to comply with EN1364, EN1634 or BS476 Parts 20-23.
You can read more on building standards for steel here.
Types of Steel Sections used in Building Designs
Multi storey buildings are generally designed with steel vertical columns supporting horizontal steel beams which in turn support the floor slab. The I-beams supporting the floor slab only require fire protection on three sides, as the concrete slab has inherent fire protection properties. The supporting columns will require protection on all four exposed sides with Steelmaster 600WF.
Most warehouses and distribution centres are Portal steel framed buildings and classified as storage for the purposes of fire protection. They generally are designed without a slab and in these structures all four sides of the columns and beams will need fire protection. For large warehouses where the span between supporting columns is long, steel trusses are often employed for economic and load factors. Columns and Beams designed using truss structures are always treated as requiring fire protection on four sides.
The dimensions and weight of steel columns and beams, the number of sides requiring protection, the use of the building and the timed fire rating are critical factors when calculating the estimated paint requirements.
Tall buildings have to take into consideration wind speeds on the structural integrity of the building. On these buildings Counter Bracing is employed by structural engineers. These are often manufactured with lightweight steel sections and sometimes cannot be protected using Intumescent paints as they are too light, however are not critical components in terms of fire safety.
Hollow sections are also utilised in the design of many buildings. These are light weight steel columns and beams which are economic for use in modern building constructions. As their Heated Perimeter as a percentage of the area (Hp/A) is different from standard columns and beams, they heat up fast in the case of a cellulosic fire and are at greater risk. These sections will require additional fire protection, Steelmaster 1200WF was designed for these types of hollow sections independently certified for 3 hours fire protection.
Free Same Day Estimation Service
AVACE has invested in a world class IT software package specifically designed for calculating the loading requirements for structural steel sections for both BS5950 and BS EN 1993 codes of practise. Send your bill of quantities listing the numbers and types of steel sections requiring protection, the building use and the number of hours protection required to sales@avace.co.uk . Our qualified technicians will issue a free same day report detailing the wet and dry film thicknesses required for each column or beam and the total Steelmaster paint requirements for your project.
If the bill of quantities is not available send copies of the drawings for your project with the rating required and we will prepare a free estimation although please allow more time for this level of expertise. Prices will be quoted for all the Steelmaster products and any additional approved primers and topcoats you may require. Delivery of our Steelmaster paints is free throughout the UK. (Excludes Scottish Highlands and Islands.)
Steelmaster Fire Protection Paints for Structural Steel
Intumescent Paints such as Steelmaster 600WF and Steelmaster 1200WF are independently tested and certified by Warrington Fire, Its primary role is to help make certain that the materials, products and processes that they test, inspect and certify for their customers are safe, compliant and fit for purpose.
Warrington Fire offers a Fire Resistance Testing service which tests passive fire protection products for both commercial and domestic building types. This fire resistance testing is done across the construction, furniture, marine and rail sectors and they specialize in testing passive fire protection products including fire doors, fire stopping products and large-scale testing of cladding.
Fire resistance is determined through destructive fire testing designed to replicate the product's intended end use. The specimen to be tested is built into an appropriate supporting construction which is then built into a restraint frame and mounted on the front of a furnace. The temperature within the furnace is controlled according to an internationally accepted time temperature regime.
Steelmaster 600WF
This Intumescent paint is formulated to provide up to 90 minutes fire protection on steel. It is designed for high performance and minimum environmental impact; it has a low odour finish with high coverage rates and lower paint requirements compared to other Intumescents.
Steelmaster 600WF is a single pack high solids waterborne thin film intumescent suitable for structural steel, beams and columns exposed to cellulosic fire. It is ideal for the protection of steel buildings for 30 minutes, 60 minutes and 90 minutes against fire.
Steelmaster 1200WF
This high-performance Intumescent paint is a single pack, high solids, waterborne Intumescent coating and is the ultimate in fire protection paints, it is certified and approved for 3 hours fire protection on structural steel. It can be used as a mid-coat or finish coat in atmospheric environments.
Some structures and buildings contain hollow steel sections or lightweight steel columns. These structures will rapidly heat up in a cellulosic fire and need greater protection. Steelmaster 1200WF is designed for hollow and lightweight sections. It can also be used on sections requiring only 60-90 minutes fire rating, reducing the amount of paint required compared to other Intumescents. Often both Steelmaster 600WF and Steelmaster 1200WF will be used on a project to protect a range of different weight columns and beams.
Application of Steelmaster
Airless spray application is recommended for all Steelmaster products as high film builds can be applied quickly in a single coat. Steelmaster products have high volume solids and up to 750 microns dry film thickness can be applied in a single coat. Brush or roller may be used; however, several coats will be required to achieve the recommended dry film thickness.
It is important that drying times are adhered to before application of a second or third coat to ensure thorough drying. It is recommended a wet film gauge is used to measure the thickness of each coat of paint.
Intumescent paints generally do not contain any anticorrosive pigments so uncoated steel structures should be primed. For steel in corrosive classifications up to C3, Pilot QD is recommended as it is a fast-air-drying zinc phosphate primer. Ideally the steel structures should be abrasive blast cleaned prior to application of the primer. For more aggressive environments classified C4 or C5-M, a two-pack epoxy zinc phosphate like Penguard HSP ZP is recommended.
Not all projects require a topcoat, however if the steel is external or internal in a high moisture environment then a topcoat is recommended. Topcoats may also be used for decorative purposes to provide colour and gloss. For a matt finish Conseal TU is recommended or Pioner Topcoat for a semigloss finish. All the primers and topcoats have been independently tested by Warrington Fire Research and form part of the approved system.
The Environmental Choice
Steelmaster contributes to Green Building Standard Credits by meeting the requirements of LEED and BREEAM and contains no substances listed in the REACH regulations. It has been used on a large number of large international projects including Cairo and Kuala Lumpur International Airports, Dubai Metro Station, Abu Dhabi GCAA Navigation Centre and Selfridges Birmingham.
AVACE offers free next day delivery on all Steelmaster products, approved primers and topcoats.
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