There is a high need for passive fire protection products in structures or buildings. It is due to the increasing incidence of fire outbreaks. So, these products provided by professional passive fire protection companies can prove to be a boon for your building.
If you are not sure how passive fire protection can safeguard the occupants of your building, then this guide will clear all of your doubts. Here, we will throw light on this aspect. So, let’s begin with our discussion.
Recognising The Type Of Passive Fire Protection That Is Required
Once a fire outbreak occurs in your building, it becomes crucial to contain the fire. One of the best ways to do that involves getting the correct category of the passive fire products or a combination of these.
If you are coming across any difficulties in choosing the right product for your requirements, you can opt for the services of a reliable passive fire protection London company.
These professionals will consider different factors like the fire propensity and the ease of spreading fire in separate structure compartments. These all help them determine the types of passive fire protection used along with their fire rating.
They will not only help you in choosing a suitable product, but they will also provide you with thoroughly tested products. These products effectively meet all required European and UK standards within the industry. Also, these service providers will keep you updated with revisions.
What Is Fire Rating?
The fire rating suggests the time duration for which a passive fire product will contain a fire. It is dependent on the fire tests carried out on a particular product by professional labs. They make use of specific standards that apply to those products. For instance, the fire rating of a specific product can range from 30 minutes to a maximum of 4 hours.
Diverse Range Of The Passive Fire Protection Products
You will find the availability of a diverse range of fire stopping products. Primarily, these products are utilised for sealing openings in floors and walls which provides a fire-rated seal from one compartment of a structure to another.
Therefore, the passive fire products will depend mainly on the penetrates through the compartments. It is essential to create a Fire Rated Compartment in large spaces to limit or contain the area exposed to fire.
- At the initial stage of constructing a building, fire sealing systems are utilised to seal the joints between floors, floors to walls and walls to walls. Again, in the case of high rise buildings where steel columns and beams are used as the support structure, one can use structural steel protection for safeguarding these buildings.
You will be surprised to know that steel only provides 15 minutes of fire resistance. So, it is crucial to ensure that the steel framework of your building is appropriately covered within the measures of your passive fire protection system.
For protecting your facility, it is possible to administer structural steel fire protection in two ways: fireboard protection and intumescent paint. Fire retardant or intumescent paint is easy and quick to apply, but it has lower maximum fire resistance. It provides up to 120 minutes of protection.
On the other hand, the administration of fire-rated board protection can be done through heavy or lightweight fire resistant boards. It is available in a wide range of thicknesses, making it a suitable option for those who want a product that meets precise measurements.
- Many different sealing systems are utilised for sealing openings around the many penetrates passing through floors and walls in buildings. These products work by providing a very tight seal around all the penetrates in floors and walls, which stops oxygen exposure.
It would help if you chose the properly tested fire sealing systems based on the penetrant type. Many passive fire protection companies offer air sealing to protect your building.
Air sealing works by sealing tiny air pockets, which can cause heat loss, drafts and interfere with the efficient working of a passive fire protection system. Due to all of these benefits associated with air sealing, it is a well-known measure for domestic and commercial buildings.
- Another effective and affordable passive fire protection product includes fire curtains. It is used for shutting off an area within a property during a fire incident.
You can easily fit this product in any space, and high-performing ones can help slow the fire spread. But, it will work more effectively if this product is used along with other firestopping systems like fire penetration seals and cavity barriers.
Final Verdict
So, it is evident from this guide that passive fire protection tends to play an integral role in safeguarding buildings from fire incidents. Looking forward to ensuring the safety of your building? If yes, all you need is to opt for the assistance of a professional passive fire protection London company without delay.