Passive Fire Protection Fundamentals

Ask most people about methods to contain and suppress fire and they will mention measures such as fire sprinklers, extinguishers and fire alarms

. Not many people will be familiar with passive fire protection measures.

In this article I would like to discuss passive fire protection (PFP) methods. Namely, I would like to explain what PFP is, what the goals of PFP are and what methods are available for businesses and individuals looking to protect their buildings from fire.

What Is Passive Fire Protection

PFP is a range of measures designed to prevent, contain or slow the spread of fire from the area of origin to other areas within the building. PFP compartmentalises a building to prevent and slow the spread of fire, minimise damage and most importantly, it gives occupants of the building more time to evacuate. PFP is one of the three key components of structural fire protection in buildings. The other two components are active fire protection including; fire sprinklers, fire alarms and extinguishers and educating building owners on the risk of fires.

What Are the Goals of Passive Fire Protection?

The principal goal of PFP is the protection of life and is achieved by maintaining the structural integrity of a building for a time during a fire and reducing the spread of fire. The secondary goals of PFP are the protection of property and the continuity of business operations.

What Passive Fire Protection Methods Are Available

Cavity Barriers

Cavity barriers are designed to prevent the spread of smoke and fire through walls, floors and cavities in buildings by installing a range of passive fire protection products that offer resistance to the movement of smoke and fire inside spaces for instance ceiling spaces and raised access floors.

Intumescent Coatings

Intumescent coatings provide an appearance that is comparable to paint. However, in a fire situation the temperature increase causes a chemical reaction causing the intumescent coating to expand. Intumescent coatings act to protect steelwork by insulating the steel, preventing the temperature of the steel reaching such a heat which would cause structural failure.

Boarding Systems

PFP via boarding systems involve encasing structural steelwork in rigid and semi-rigid boards to protect the structural integrity of steelwork in the event of a fire.

Fire Resistant Glass

Fire resistant glass uses intumescent technology that on experiencing a temperature increase becomes viscous and forms a dense, heat insulating material that halts the spread of fire and chance of window blow outs.

by: Graham U

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