Fire protection systems are critical to the operations of the facility for several reasons. The first and most important is to save lives. Fire protective coatings systems should allow for the safe escape of people when fire breaks out. A slow spread of fire and its rapid extinguishing also preserves the structural soundness of the building and saves assets and the overall infrastructure from costly damage. And in the event of emergency fire-fighting operations, fire protective systems can also prevent any harm to rescuers and fire-fighters on the job.

Protecting Facilities from Fire

A comprehensive fire protection program for the facility involves the installation of active and passive fire protection systems. Active systems are aimed to actively combat fire at its onset, consisting mainly of extinguishers, water sprinklers, and fire detectors, among others.

Active systems detect the presence of fire early on, trigger the evacuation of building occupants, and alert emergency teams immediately. Fire suppressors and ventilators can even manage the spread of fire and starve it out of oxygen.

Passive systems, on the other hand, act as a form of second-line defense to contain the rapid spread of fire. Passive fire protective coatings systems attempt to diffuse the fire and protect the building structure from collapse.

Intumescent Coatings

Passive fire protection relies for the most part on the unique ability of intumescent substances to combat fire. Intumescents increase in volume and decrease in density when exposed to heat, charring as a result. The char becomes a poor heat conductor, denying fire from spreading further. Many fire protective coatings with intumescent properties contain hydrates, sodium silicates and graphite elements. The hydrates release water vapor when exposed to heat, inducing a cooling effect and producing the fire-retarding char that insulates against fire growth. Many hydrates-based low-pressure intumescents are used in fire protective coatings that act as fire-proofing, because of this endothermic property.

At ambient temperatures, intumescent fire protective coatings visibly look similar to ordinary paint finish. It is only during soaring temperatures that their real abilities come out. One important role of intumescent coatings is for protecting steel structures. When steel’s critical point temperature is reached it causes irrevocable structural failure.

Fire Protection Coatings Contractors

Saving lives and assets need the expertise of skilled fire protection coatings contractors to make the fire protection coatings system work. The right contractors are an essential part of the facility’s safety planning team, because they bring in the experience and knowledge for better fire protection.

Their ability to setup the most superior coatings systems that can reduce the rate of spread of fire is very critical when the dreaded event eventually arrives. The right coatings can give occupants time to flee to safety, and lessen damage to building structures. Contractors must be able to customize coatings systems suitable for the specific building materials and structures, as well as meet the requirements of industry standards for fire protection.

Steve Parker, Sr. Estimator. RaiderPainting.com is the leading painting company providing commercial and industrial painting services to over 1,000 Fortune 500 customers and small businesses nationwide. Call 877-724-3371 for a no obligation Estimate. Read our daily Raider Painting Blog.

Start with the factor of safety as provided by concrete construction. The development of concrete for use in the new World Trade Center project in New York City makes a strong argument for the safety of concrete. There will be two foot thick concrete for protection of the inner core of the building against terrorist attack or fire. Reinforced concrete is very resistant to explosion and impact. Concrete can also endure high temperatures from fire for a long time without the loss of structural integrity. Concrete’s inherent mass and strength can resist extreme hurricane force winds. The proper design and construction of concrete is also highly resistant to seismic activity.

The inclusion of passive fire protection, such as spray-on fireproofing, can certainly help structures made of structural steel to sustain significantly greater fire temperatures and offer extra protection to the building. Safety is taken into account with very effective designing and implementation of steel. Steel’s strength and ductility, along with appropriate engineering and design and accurate fabrication processes, make it a very good choice for regions with seismic activity. Steel framing also performs very well under high wind conditions as a result of its propensity to bend but not to break.

The price of these two superior building materials can also be compared. The price of concrete has become reasonably steady. This is despite the spike seen in the costs of other construction supplies. Cast-in-place concrete can be pricier on the front end of a building project but the return on investment on the back end of the project can lessen the cost differential. Insurance costs can also be lower because insurance providers favour cast-in-place reinforced concrete which offers increased safety and structural integrity, thus reducing insurance premiums, in many cases. Some cast in place reinforced concrete structures can help to save over 20% annually on property insurance.

Structural steel has seen increases in prices over the last few years. But structural steel still only represents less than one fifth of all the steel used in building construction. Looking at the overall effect on building project costs, the project costs have gone up by 10% on account of increases in all types of construction materials – not just steel. The rise in cost of the steel structural framing system represents below 2% of the 10% increase in project costs. Costs are almost a wash. The costs for a concrete framing system have gone up to equal the costs of a steel framing system.