Passive fire protection

Intumescent, coatings & structural steel protection

Intumescent steel coatings: Are typically spray applied onto steel work to provide up to 120 minutes of fire protection to the steel structure of the building.

Steel encasement (boarding): Encase the steel work structure of a building to provide fire protection to the building structure.

Intumescent timber coatings: Can be hand or spray applied to provide up to 30 or 60 minutes of fire integrity to the structure of the building.

Class O coatings: Are applied to surfaces to protect the surface from the spread of flames, and limits the amount of heat released from the surface during a fire.

Decorative & protective coatings: We can apply decorative and protective coatings to steel work to provide protection against the environment and to enhance aesthetics. They can be applied alone or on top of intumescent coatings.

Inspections, surveys, clerk of works services & training

We provide ongoing independent clerk of work services to ensure continuing conformity and quality. We also complete independent one-off inspections which can be done during a project and after completion to ensure that works have been installed to satisfactory standards. We can survey the compartmentation of buildings to look at the quality and maintenance of passive fire protection products and systems used. We also provide training presentations about passive fire protection to increase the knowledge and awareness of your employees. Services which we provide include:

• Clerk of works services

• Live project inspections

• Post project inspections

• Existing building compliance surveys

• Training presentations aimed towards:

o Site management teams

o Professionals involved in pre-construction

o Building owners and responsible persons

Compartmentation: Fire stopping & penetration sealing

These methods provide and enhance the compartmentation of buildings to prevent the spread of fire and smoke, to contain it within the original compartment for a longer period of time. We can also provide sealing to limit the escape of air and sound. Specific services which we provide include:

Penetration sealing for fire, smoke, air & acoustics

Passive fire protection products compartmentalise a building by filling gaps through which fire, smoke, air, and sound could travel. Combustible services are protected with high pressure exerting products which expand in thermal pressure, closing gaps and thus preventing the spread of fire and smoke:

• Fire and acoustic-rated batts

• Fire and acoustic-rated mastic

• Pipe collars

• Pipe wraps

• Intumescent pillows

• Insulated fire sleeves

• Fire resistant silicones

• Fire-rated movement joints

• Fire compounds (load bearing and non-load bearing)

Fire barriers

Fire barriers are typically installed to large voids above ceilings, in roof spaces, below floors and within cavities. These systems create barriers between building compartments to stop the spread of fire and smoke; they can also be used to enhance acoustic values. For large voids, non rigid curtains are often utilised, as these are designed to be fixed to a range of surfaces and structures as well as having the added benefit of flexibility. Cavity barriers can be ventilated or non-ventilated, depending on the building’s requirements:

• Fire (integrity and/or insulation), smoke, and acoustic rated curtains

• Ventilated and non-ventilated cavity barriers.