Fireproofing materials
Fireproofing materials are used mainly to protect metal surfaces from theheat of fire in non-combusitable construction. For information about codes on non-combustible construction and requirements for fireproofingmaterials, we suggest futher reading may be found in the model building codes documents of BOCA, SBCCI and ICBO, and in the WCO Virtural Library.
Metal surfaces are protected from fire because heat can weaken the strength of metal members, and decking. If a fire is hot enough and lasts long enough it can soften the metal members to such an extent that the steellooses its support strength. Imagine the supporting members in a high-rise building softening to the point that the building collapses
To combat is problem, several distinct varieties of direct-to-steel fireproofing materials are manufactured.
The two most commonly used materials for fireproofing steel in non-combustible construction are cementitious and non-cementitious.
Cementitious materials are applied wet. They are mixed with water at the pump site and pumped through with a high pressure hose to a spray nozzle that is operated by a technician.
Non-cementitious fireproofing materials are blown dry through a hose and are moisened at the nozzle as the material is being applied.
Both materials provide a "blanket" of protection for the steel members and decking to which they are applied. Fireproofing materials must be applied at a uniform density, and the density necessary is determined by the "fire rating" of the construction. Ob viously the denser the fireproofing application, the higher fire rating the application receives, and the more fire protection that is afforded.
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