Steel Protection - Cladding

Structural Protection

Steel loses its loadbearing capacity at a temperature in excess of 550°C during a fire; therefore structural steel protection (e.g. with the board, paint, spray etc) is required to preserve the stability of the building structure in the event of fire. All Promat products and systems have been tested at nationally accredited laboratories around the world to a variety of standards, e.g. BS 476: Part 21, AS 1530: Part 4, AS4100,  DIN 4102, ASTM E119 and EN 13381-4.

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Fire Protection of Structural Timber Using Board

When exposed to fire, most softwoods char at about 0.66mm/min and most hardwoods about 0.5mm/min. The fire performance of a timber structural element will obviously depend on these charring rates and the loadbearing capacity of the residual timber.

If the calculated residual timber is inadequate, Promat can offer various solutions normally using a board encasement. Promat also has systems for the protection of timber rafters or bearers where they pass through a fire rated wall. These can be protected either with spray or board systems. Contact Promat technical department for more details.

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Fire Protection of Structural Steel Column Using Board

While it is not combustible, steel can be affected by fire. Once steel is heated above 200°C the properties of the steel in relation to its yield stress and it’s modulus of elasticity begin to change. As the temperature gets higher the steels ability to continue to carry the same load as it is designed for significantly reduces. The temperature at which the steel loses its ability to carry its design load is known as the critical temperature and in a fire an unprotected piece of steel can reach this quite quickly. The purpose of passive steel protection systems such as board, paints and sprays is to insulate the steel and increase the time it takes for the steel to reach that critical temperature. The thickness of material required will be based on the Fire resistance Level (FRL) it needs to meet in accordance with the NCC, along with the size of the steel and the critical temperature that the steel has been designed too. In simple terms the larger the piece of steel is, the less protection will be required. All Promat products and systems have been tested at nationally accredited laboratories around the world to a variety of standards, e.g. AS 1530: Part 4, AS4100, EN13381-4, EN13381-8, BS 476: Part 21, DIN 4102 and ASTM E119.

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Benefits:

1. Up to 4 hours FRL

2. Uniform thickness guaranteed

3. No preparation of the steel required

4. Does not require special equipment

5. Easy maintenance

6. Can be installed simultaneously with other trades

7. Can receive any architectural finish

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Fire Protection of Structural Steel Beam Using Board

While it is not combustible, steel can be affected by fire. Once steel is heated above 200°C the properties of the steel in relation to its yield stress and it’s modulus of elasticity begin to change. As the temperature gets higher the steels ability to continue to carry the load it is designed for in ambient conditions significantly reduces. The temperature at which the steel loses its ability to carry its design load is known as the critical temperature and in a fire an unprotected piece of steel can reach this quite quickly. The purpose of passive steel protection systems such as board, paints and sprays is to insulate the steel and increase the time it takes for the steel to reach that critical temperature. The thickness of material required will be based on the Fire resistance Level (FRL) it needs to meet in accordance with the NCC, along with the size of the steel and the critical temperature that the steel has been designed too. In simple terms the larger the piece of steel is, the less protection will be required. All Promat products and systems have been tested at nationally accredited laboratories around the world to a variety of standards, e.g. AS 1530: Part 4, AS4100, EN13381-4, EN13381-8, BS 476: Part 21, DIN 4102 and ASTM E119.