Making the Right Choice: Promat White Paper on Steel Protection by Ian Cowley
•
2 likes•971 views
Presentation given at the Promat UK #Fireday on 12 November 2014 by Ian Cowley, Business Development Director, Promat UK Ltd
Recommended
More Related Content
What's hot
What's hot (19)
Viewers also liked
Similar to Making the Right Choice: Promat White Paper on Steel Protection by Ian Cowley
Similar to Making the Right Choice: Promat White Paper on Steel Protection by Ian Cowley (20)
More from Su Butcher
More from Su Butcher (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
Making the Right Choice: Promat White Paper on Steel Protection by Ian Cowley
- 1. Fire Day “Making the Right Choice” Mr Ian Cowley 12th November 2014
- 2. Agenda UK frame market Protection to Steelwork External Research Research Findings Outcome Summary 12th November 2014
- 3. Concrete v Steel Long clear spans Low maintenance Durability Cost to build Good acoustic performance Speed of construction Build ability and Flexibility Fire performance Recyclable 12th November 2014 What the concrete industry state !
- 4. Concrete v Steel Long clear spans Low maintenance Durability Cost to build Acoustic performance Speed of construction Build ability and Flexibility Fire performance Recyclable 12th November 2014 What the Steel industry state !
- 5. Overview of UK Frame Market Integrity and Insulation (E/I) 40,000M2 UK Frame market breakdown! 12th November 2014 Stelconstruction.info
- 6. Concrete v Steel Long clear spans Low maintenance Durability Cost to build Good acoustic performance Speed of construction Build ability and Flexibility Fire performance Recyclable 12th November 2014 Looking at Fire Protection
- 7. Fire Protection to Steelwork Board Cementitious /Gypsum sprays 12th November 2014 Intumescent Paint
- 8. Fire Protection to Steelwork Board 12th November 2014 Aesthetic Appearance Longevity – Lifespan of building Not suitable for Cellular beams Durability Workability - easy to work Weather tolerant Dry application Allow other trades to work within area Simple Repair and Maintenance Local damage easy to repair
- 9. Fire Protection to Steelwork Intumescent Paint 12th November 2014 Appearance Economical Moisture tolerant – some products Off site application possible Programme reduction Ideal for Cellular beams Inspection regime ? Longevity? Weather implications Care and Maintenance
- 10. Fire Protection to Steelwork Cementitious/ Gypsum Spray 12th November 2014 Economical Appearance Ease of application Durability Workability Moisture resistance Ideal for Cellular Beams Weather implications Longevity Simple Repair and Maintenance
- 11. External Research Research conducted to understand perceptions 12th November 2014
- 12. Research - Outline Common Fire performance Influencers Important Factors Perceived Limitations Outcome 12th November 2014
- 13. Common Fire Performance 12th November 2014
- 14. Common Specification 12th November 2014
- 15. Influencers 12th November 014 56% Influencers of Structural Steel Fire Protection 16% 10% 6% 12% Architect Contractor Specialist Sub-Contractor Client Other (Specify)
- 16. Important factors 12th November 014 Q. When considering Structural Steel Fire Protection, how important are the following criteria?
- 17. Perceived Limitations 12th November 2014 40% Limitations of using Intumescent Paint 18% 14% 12% 8% 6% 4% 2% 2% 2% 2% 4% 4% Appearance Weather/Climate (Can only be used during certain times of the year) Installation times Limited fire protection time (minutes) Cost - its quite expensive Damage to the material Exposure Quality of finish Space if tight on surfaces Temperature The Murphy Factor I don't know None
- 18. Perceived Limitations 12th November 2014
- 19. Perceived Limitations 12th November 2014
- 20. Fire Protection to Steelwork 12th November 2014 Economical Appearance Ease of Application Inspection regime Workability Moisture Resistance Ideal for Cellular Beams Weather implications Longevity Repair and Maintenance
- 21. Question - What product can be used before building envelope complete- Answer - Calcium Silicate boards can be used , Generally other board products care should be taken to prevent water ingress For Sprays and Paints this will vary dependent upon temperatures, air movement, ventilation, humidity etc. . Items to look out for 12th November 2014 Weather implications
- 22. Question - At what temperature can products be applied ? Answer - Generally a minimum of 4 - 5°C for paint and spray (This discounts possibly 4 month of the year), no limiting temperature for board) . Items to look out for 12th November 2014 Weather implications
- 23. Question - What are the guidelines for applying Intumescent paint (water based) in areas of high moisture? Answer - Steelwork should always protected from rain or condensation during the application and drying times . Items to look out for 12th November 2014 Weather implications
- 24. Implications! 12th November 2014
- 25. Remedy! 12th November 2014
- 26. Question - How do you repair damaged areas? Answer - Board - simply replace damaged board and reinstall as per fixing detail Spray - Local areas of damage generally use trowel applied method Intumescent paint - Dependent on area / size of damage All products should be inspected on a regular basis . Items to look out for 12th November 2014 Repair and Maintenance “Using a power sander or similar, smooth the surface back to a firm base, this may mean going back to bare metal if damage is deep. For larger areas of damage, it may be necessary to grit blast to metal finish” “Small areas of mechanical damage can be repaired using …… as preferred. Larger areas of mechanical damage should be repaired using…..”
- 27. Question - How do you repair damaged areas? Answer – Board - simply replace damaged board and replace as per fixing detail Spray - Local areas of damage generally use trowel applied method Intumescent paint - Dependent on area / size of damage . Items to look out for 12th November 2014 Repair and Maintenance “Using a power sander or similar, smooth the surface back to a firm base, this may mean going back to bare metal if damage is deep. For larger areas of damage, it may be necessary to grit blast to metal finish” “Small areas of mechanical damage can be repaired using …… as preferred. Larger areas of mechanical damage should be repaired using…..” Substantial areas of damage, which are larger than 150mm2, should be repaired as soon as possible as these could affect the fire resistance
- 28. . Items to look out for 12th November 2014 Quality Control / Inspection regime BOARDS are factory controlled, there is no requirement for thickness checks on site, although it is recommended that visual inspections are implemented to ensure fixings are at the correct centres and if required, the framing systems are in place. INTUMESCENT PAINT Steel sections should be measured in accordance with the following guidelines: I Sections, Tee Sections and Channels Webs: Two readings per metre length on each face of web Flanges: Two readings per metre length on the outer face of each flange One reading per metre length on the inner face of each flange CEMENTITIOUS SPRAY The correct thickness shall be confirmed using a thickness gauge. Excessive thickness may result in delamination or a prolonged drying time, resulting in a reduced yield and excessive shrinkage. It is recommended where feasible to follow the guidelines as per Intumescent paint
- 29. “Making the right choice” Conclusions Architectural community specify board more than other systems, this is not the reality on site – material switches are happening, does this cause concern? There is an ambiguity on crucial factors when considering product options How temperature / weather can and should impact decision! Is the QC regime being upheld? What is the maintenance procedure ? This needs to be clearer . What is the lifespan of the products Some products suit Cellular beams more than others Cost should not be the deciding factor Other items should be considered! 12th November 2014
- 30. Thank You 12th November 2014 For further information refer to www.promat.co.uk or www.promat.co.uk/steel-fire-protection http://www.promat.co.uk/steel-fire-protection-whitepaper/index.html#Promat/page1
Editor's Notes
- All of us have to make choices in our lifetime, the art of making the choice, is making the right choice more often than the wrong choice, BUT we can only make a choice if we are fully informed with the relevant information in order to make a decision or choice. What I hope to bring to you today is a presentation that perhaps highlights that when making the right choice on what product to use for steel protection, lets just say some information is more readily available to the decision maker and some information is not so readily available. I hope to offer some further insights into the market of structural steel fire protection.
- So, for the next 30 minutes I would like to discuss the following. What does the current UK frame market look like. What are the relevant manufacturers saying to promote their particular system. What product types are available to protect steelwork The results of research conducted by Promat UK and the lack apparent disconnect to what is specified on a drawing and what actually happens on site And lastly some items to watch out for when tying to make the right choice that are not always readily available.
- As you know the UK frame market in the main is made up of Concrete frame and Steel frame, there are some emerging frame manufacturers for example timber frame but as yet these are not yet dominant within the sector. The concrete frame supporters lobby many USP’s to using their systems, some of which are highlighted. In my humble opinion I believe there is some exploitation of terms here in that does concrete really offer fire performance, is the speed of construction relevant to concrete frame, and does a concrete frame offer flexibility.
- Lets now look at the Steel frame supporters, again some interesting proposals. Cost to build – yes recent figures suggest that a steel frame can be anything up to 40% less than that of a concrete frame, but the area of some confusion is fire performance, - what they actually mean is that they fully understand Steel in fire, and work closely with some of the passive fire protection manufacturers to try and offer the most economical solutions for fire protection.
- If you recall the previous 2 slides, you will note that actually both groups basically state the same propositions, so already we can foresee some confusion within the market place. So having marketed the relevant structures as highlighted, you can see that the steel marketer's have won the battle so far, with the steel frame market accounting for almost 70% of the available market. With the concrete UK limited declining since the early 90’s and making a small come back of late.
- So now that we have looked at the frame market, lets review the product type available for protecting the steel structure.
- As you know there are 3 generic types of product, these being board solutions these are generally based upon calcium silicate or gypsum compositions. Intumescent paints – which are generally water or solvent based composition. Spray solutions, which are generally cement or gypsum based compositions. It is at this stage I will do my only bit of selling on behalf of Promat here in that I believe we are the only company that offers all 3 composition types, there we and our sales team can offer an unbiased viewpoint on what is best for you, there helping you make the right choice.
- Lets drill into the products types a little more, and then we can start to form an opinion on what are the pro and cons of each system, whilst doing so this will also highlight some possible questions as to their suitability on various projects. Board – As you can see many plus points such as a dry application, allows other trades to work in the same vicinity, weather tolerant, well yes for calcium silicate compositions anyway, there is always the question of gypsum based boards being applied prior to the building envelope being completed. Note that boards are not suitable for cellular beams, this is an obvious downside to the system, never the less a cost effective way of protecting standard I / H sections etc.
- Intumescent paints – in fairness this product type has developed significantly over the last 10 years or so, so much so the typical cost of a 60 minute application has reduced beyond belief. So generally it is fair to say cost is a benefit. Good for cellular beam applications, some Intumescent paints can be applied off site and therefore can assist in the overall build programmes, BUT if you are not aware they can be problematic in areas of water ingress or low temperatures, and how can you check the correct thickness has actually been applied. We will look at these areas a little later in the presentation.
- Sprays, generally Gypsum and Cement based. Interestingly the construction community tend to think of this system as being somewhat dated, yet the product is used on many large and prestigious projects across the world, and is still used today in the UK on some larger projects. Like Intumescent paints they are ideal for protecting the complexity of cellular beams, and are a cost effective method for higher fire protection requirements Like Intumescent paints there may be weather implications to consider (Gypsum based sprays) and the QC checking regime requires attention.
- Now we have reviewed the product generic types lets see what the architectural community thinks of passive fore protection. This was conducted to try and get a feel for what the specifier thinks of the relevant systems and are they fully aware of the many items to consider when making the right choice for passive fire protection.
- So the survey was conducted some 6 months ago and focused only on the architectural community, it is a relatively small sample in that we consulted a 100 individuals, and in fairness there are over 28,000 RIBA accredited architects, but I hope this at least give you a feel for what they are thinking about passive fire protection. So we look at fire performance, Who influences what, what they look out for when specifying passive fire protection.
- Question 1 – No great surprise in that the majority of work they are involved in is for a 60 minute requirement. So a typical office or retail development which we have been involved in. I would suggest the 30 minute applications are likely to be domestic projects in the main, not all though.
- When we drill down a little more, we see that the preferred choice for the architect is a board system, yet we know through market research that this is not the reality on site, so why is there is disconnect, at this stage we can only assume that the specifications are being switched
- Who within the construction food chain has the largest influence on what product is actually used. The architect believe they have the greatest influence, yet the sub contractors here today will tell you something very different, again there is a distinct difference than that of the actuality on site
- Now we wanted to know what other factors influence a decision, and very refreshing to see that fire test certification and test reports are top of the league, I guess it’s a shame that the architectural community does not ask for more fire test data from the manufacturer. Note the weather/climate area, this is the lowest factor and yet this I would offer is one of the more critical areas to consider – to be discussed later.
- Now we look at the perceived limitations of each system type. I guess appearance is obviously important with any system offered, and again they cite weather related issues. Damage crops up here, again a significant aspect when looking at the longer term suitability of product type used.
- Board systems again appearance is introduced, and interestingly the part of the year in which boards are installed appears to be a major factor in the decision making process.
- Spray systems, you can see that generally the knowledge of this type of system within the architectural community is limited, perhaps this is a demographic issue. But of those who know of the system, appearance is less of an issue with spray that Intumescent paint – Interesting And here site control raises its head, and yet why would this be any different to Intumescent paint application.
- OK so now we have reviewed both the product types and the research offered by the architectural sector, lets loom at some of the areas that have raised their head and perhaps require some further clarification. So we will review Inspection regime on site, the repair and maintenance procedure and the effect of the UK weather. This will be done by offering typical questions often get asked
- Lower image highlights that calcium silicate board can be used in an exposed environment for a period of time, the moisture will not detract from the fire performance, the board will simply dry and revert to type. Whereas the main issue with water bourn (on site applications) is that moisture ingress prior to paint curing/drying may cause blistering/delamination, clearly seen here within the second image
- Lets review the UK weather and how this can affect the choice of product type used. The majority of not all paint and spray manufacturers clearly state a minimum temperature in which the product can be applied, this tends to be 4 to 5 degrees C. There are also statements quoting relative humidity, the temperature of the actual steel members If we look at this further you can see the UK temperature over at least 4 months of the year, it can questioned whether Intumescent paint should actually be applied during these months, I will let you deliberate if this actually is reality
- Looking at this further, it is paramount that the building envelope is insitu, as water ingress will affect the Intumescent paint. To be clear if the paint has fully cured then water ingress should not be an issue, but prior to curing then problems may arise. Lets review a project Promat recently completed where moisture was a problem for the client.
- As you can see within the images, there has been water ingress within the Intumescent paint application, this has caused blistering top left image and total delamination bottom right, obviously this bring into question the fire performance. Believe me I could have offered further images that highlight this issue more severely. The client was looking to just over paint and patch this and make good, and for those within the industry this is simply not permissible, to repair this would have been a very expensive and time consuming exercise.
- So what we offered was a simple over boarding solution, which offered both cost savings to the client but more importantly less disruption to the continuity of the business.
- Now we have just seen the images of the incorrect use of some systems, lets looks at the repair and maintenance guidelines, and its fair to say that these are not so easy to find within manufactures literature
- You will note that the terms larger area and small areas are cited, but can I ask what defines a large or a small area. Well having scoured many manufacturers literature I have found a statement from a leafing Intumescent paint supplier, 150mm2 think about that , that area is deemed as substantial, think how large or small 150mm is?
- Quality control, thickness checks, The slide is pretty self explanatory, in that boards are supplied as per the thickness requested, therefore it is recommended that visual inspection during and post installation are conducted. Intumescent paint and sprays are certainly more onerous to check, after all they are applied on site and therefore the quality of the operative is critical to ensuring the required fire performance. I will pose this question, and I will not offer an answer, but can we guarantee that the checking regime as outlined within the specifications is actually adhered to. Even if we use the check 10% rule, which states the applicators offer thickness check on a random 10% of the steel does this guarantee the overall fire performance
- So in summary there are many items raised within this presentation, I certainly do not offer an answer to them all, but I hope I have offered some food for though. In addition what I can offer is a guidance document that will assist you in making a more informed choice of your fire protection solution – please make the right choice