Fire Protective Coatings - An Overview
Fire Protective Coatings - An Overview
Pollak
S
tructural steel often needs to be fire ity; and 3) exterior spaces that are permanently Coating Thickness
protected for use in residential and exposed to the elements. The thickness of a coating for structural
office buildings, schools, airports, Interior intumescent coatings are typically steel depends on the size of the steel member,
and other structures. Here’s a closer look at known as thin-film intumescent coatings. the fire-protection rating required for the steel
some of the different coatings available and Thin films are available as either water-based or assembly, and the protection the coating
how they perform. or solvent-based coatings. According to Rus- itself provides.
sell Fruge of Pittsburgh Plate Glass (PPG), thin Designers can measure the amount of fire-
Conventional Coatings (SFRMs) films offer architects and engineers the ability protection required for steel member by using
One way of providing passive fire protection to take full advantage of their aesthetic license. what’s called the “fire triangle.” One side of the
for structural steel is through the application of “If they have to go with drywall, or box the triangle is the W/D ratio of the assembly, where
spray-applied fire-resistant materials (SFRMs), structure in with cement, they lose the sharp, W is the weight of the steel, and D is the heated
also known as conventional coatings. During a straight-edged look of the structural members,” perimeter of the structural steel exposed to a
fire, SFRMs expand and insulate structural steel Fruge said. “The thin-film offering gives archi- fire situation measured in inches; the second
to prevent failure that results from rapidly rising tects a new tool in their arsenal so steel can be side is the required hourly rating for the assem-
temperatures. Generally, they are available in exposed to sight.” bly; and the third side then is the amount of fire-
two types: cementitious coatings and sprayed- The premium prices sometimes associated protection material required.
fiber coatings. with thin-film coatings are offset by the value “As measured at UL, the required thickness
Cementitious wet-mix products are mixed of the product, according to Fruge. “Sprayed of intumescent materials increases on a curvi-
with water to form a slurry. The slurry is fibers are cheap, and they have their place on linear basis,” Riley said.
pumped under pressure to a nozzle, where the the market, but they are not suitable for exposed Zanghi says that cementitious coatings gen-
pressure atomizes it and carries it to the steel areas,” he said. “For a little more money per erally require no more than two to three coats,
substrate. Cementitious products generally are square foot installed, you can go to thin films providing up to 1” of thickness in one pass.
available as gypsum plaster-based coatings or and not worry about the additional cost of wall- Thinner coats are recommended when using
Portland cement-based coatings ing-in the structure.” intumescent coatings for a better appearance.
Sprayed-fiber products, used mostly outside Tim Riley, a regional fireproofing manager For intumescents, each coat is generally about
the United States, are pneumatically pumped for Carboline Co., adds that using thin-films 5-10 mil thick, according to Riley.
dry to a nozzle. In the nozzle, they are wetted can also save valuable leasable space for Most intumescent products are designed for
with high-pressure water that carries the coat- building owners. “When you work with con- less than 200 mil of coating, but current thick-
ing to the substrate. ventional fire-protection materials, you have nesses for full coats range from about 30 mil
Typically, cementitious and sprayed-fiber to cover the fire-protection up somehow,” he to 400 mil.
products are hidden from view, above a room’s said. "Using a column cover can double the
ceiling or behind its drywall. footprint of the column." Topcoats and Drying Time
According to Phil Zanghi, fire protection Drying time depends on the temperature
product manager for W.R. Grace, medium- Exterior Intumescent Coatings and humidity of the environment—the ideal is
weight densities of the coatings are most com- Exterior intumescent coatings, known as 50° F with no more than 50% humidity.
monly used. “People generally use the mini- mastic coatings, are for use in heavy industrial Topcoats are available in a range of colors. In
mum required by the codes, so it’s only when environments, or when steel is located on the general, topcoats are not required for interior use
you have other needs—like exterior water expo- outside of a building and still needs a fire rating. if the humidity does not exceed 70% and if the
sure—that you use a higher density,” he said. Examples are stadiums, theme parks, petro- temperature is below 70° F. However, moisture
Higher density rapid-rise coatings also help chemical plants, offshore drilling platforms, and is still a concern. Some interior coatings are sus-
protect against petroleum fires, in which tem- certain high-rise buildings. Also, for locations ceptible to moisture, which can diminish some of
peratures rise quickly. with tight space restrictions like elevator shafts, their fire protective properties.
intumescent coatings offer a thinner alternative To retain their effectiveness, topcoats need
Intumescent Coatings to conventional cementitious fire protection. to be periodically maintained. They also need
Intumescent coatings provide passive fire Many mastic coatings offer strong impact to be compatible with the intumescent coating
protection as well. They consist of thin chemical resistance and durability. “With our mastic coat- they are protecting. “Sometimes primers and
films that swell and expand when exposed to ing, you’d almost have to use a sledgehammer topcoats are chemically incompatible with intu-
high temperatures to form a durable, adherent, and a chisel to get it off of the steel,” Fruge said. mescents,” Riley said. “Water-based products
fire-resistant foam layer. This layer provides an Exterior products are permanently exposed might not be able to accept an epoxy, and you
insulating barrier during a fire. to the elements, and must meet a weathering won’t have proper adhesion.”
In contrast to conventional coatings, intu- program for intumescent materials. In order to “This could jeopardize fire endurance in the
mescents appear more paint-like when applied list with UL, they have to withstand rain, wind, long term,” he continued. “Architects and con-
to structural steel, giving them greater poten- humidity, UV-exposure, and other elements. tractors should specify correctly and follow the
tial for aesthetic and architectural applications According to Riley, some organizations are manufacturer’s instructions.”
when applied to exposed steel members. testing fire-protective coatings for their ability More information on fire protection is avail-
UL designates intumescent coatings by to withstand explosions and other extreme cir- able in AISC’s Design Guide 19: Fire Resistance
usage, in three categories: 1) Interior condi- cumstances like terrorist attacks. “Designers of of Structural Steel Framing. ★
tioned space, with controlled temperature and buildings that could be targets, especially ones
humidity conditions; 2) interior unconditioned that are overseas, are requesting blast-test Beth S. Pollak is a former associate editor of
space, with variable temperature and humid- information for fire-protective materials.” Modern Steel Construction.
March
March
2005 2005
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• Modern
Steel Steel
Construction
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