Fireproofing treatments
The objective of fire safety is to safeguard people and protect both goods and the environment. There is no doubt that, within the context of measures aimed at achieving the abovementioned objectives, passive protection plays an important and, in some cases, even decisive role.
The resistance to fire indicates the ability of an element to maintain certain characteristics in the presence of a fire for a predetermined length of time. These parameters regard the mechanical strength (R), the ability to not allow fire to pass through or produce flames, vapors or hot gases on the unexposed side (E) and the ability to reduce heat transmission (I). Of fundamental interest is the maintenance of the carrying capacity of a structural element even if all the other preventive measures taken are exceeded.
The main protectors that contribute significantly to fire resistance of structures are divided into passive protective coatings that remain inert during heating (plaster and slabs) and the reactive protective coatings subjected to heating, vary their physical state (intumescent or reactive paints).
The protective thickness to be applied is essentially determined on the basis of the physical and geometric features of the material to be protected, the load conditions to which the element is subjected, the fire load, the exposure and the critical temperature hypothesized, and finally the degree of fire resistance required.
Plasters
Applying method: plastering machine
Protection level: R15 – R240
Supports: steel structures (open, round, hollow and box-like), corrugated sheets, concrete frames, concrete elements, wooden structures, masonry
Note: they’re usually used for structures that can’t be seen. They are resistant to atmospheric agents exposure
Slabs
Applying method: mechanical fixing
Protection level: R30 – R360 EI 30 – EI240
Supports: steel structures (open, round, hollow and box-like), corrugated sheets, frames in general, concrete elements, wooden structures, masonry
Note: they can be used for making self-supporting septa, piping or ventilation systems. They have good resistance to atmospheric agents
Paints
Applying method: airless pump, rollers or brush
Protection level: R15 – R300
Supports: steel structures (open, round, hollow and box-like), corrugated sheets, frames in general, concrete elements, wooden structures, masonry
Note: products that are either solvent-based or water-based. With suitable protective and decorative varnish, they can be used outdoors. They can also be used for exposed structures without substantially altering the contour of the profiles treated.
Principali riferimenti normativi
UNI 10898-1:2007: fire protection systems – application control modes – passive slab systems.
UNI 10898-2:2007: intumescent systems.
UNI 10898-3:2007: sprayed insulating systems.
ASTM E736:2011: standard test method for carrying out adhesion and cohesion tests of the sprayed materials to increase the fire resistance applied to structural elements.
UNI EN 13381-1:2014: testing methods for determining the contribution to fire resistance of structural elements – horizontal protection membranes.
UNI EN 13381-2:2014: vertical protection membranes.
UNI EN 13381-3:2015: protection applied to concrete elements.
UNI EN 13381-4:2013: passive protection applied to steel elements.
UNI EN 13381-5:2014: protection applied to composite concrete elements / profiled steel plates.
UNI EN 13381-6:2012: protezione applicata a colonne cave di acciaio riempite con calcestruzzo.protection applied to steel columns filled with concrete
UNI EN 13381-7:2002: protection applied to wooden elements.
UNI EN 13381-8:2013: reactive protectors applied to steel elements.
UNI EN 13381-9:2016: fire protection systems applied to steel beams with a perforated core.