Intumescent Coating & Steel Protection
Contego Systems Ltd • December 21, 2019
Intumescent coatings & Fire protection to structural steel is a vital & often under considered aspect of ‘Passive Fire Protection’ within a building. The focus over recent years has been on increasing the standard of performance for Fire stopping of penetrations. However, Fire protection to Structural Steel is an area that is in need of increased scrutiny & we are now seeing major issues on construction projects due to poor design, control & application of these systems.
There has been a large lack of understanding of the physical properties of Intumescent coatings & fire ratings traditionally which has created some legacy issues & mindsets.
Fire rating Steel Protection (Post Fire Structural Steel Protection) requires limiting the temperature to the steel members. As steel heats up it loses its structural capacity (or yield). Therefore this is different to fire spread. i.e You may be able to stop a flame, however the heat is still passing through.
Intumescent coatings expand under heat. The expansion of the Intumescent product is then insulating the steel member. Therefore if the Intumescent can’t fully expand then the insulation to the steel member isn’t doing its job. Think of this like a life jacket on a plane – the life jacket is no good until it has inflated. Therefore where Intumescent coatings are applied we need to be careful to ensure clearance space is provided around the paint application to allow for this expansion to occur.
Now that the wider industry starting to put the microscope on the these requirements major defects have reared their head. Issues that we have observed over the past 12 months include:
- Wrong specification of Intumescent coating for the design application
- No clearance to Intumescent coatings around timber work
- Poor contractor selection with no track record or QA processes in place
- Lack of trained staff
- Lack of budget & forcing poor quality
- Lack of QA throughout
- Primer compatibility
- Steel prep with wire brush & not sand blasted
- Lack of top coat & Intumescent paint failing due to weather exposure during construction
- Complete lack of QA records – involving destructive work to complete micrometre testing & the like
Fire rating protection to Structural Steel isn’t limited to only Intumescent Coatings. Other systems include:
- Cementicious
- Plasterboard
- Calcium silicate board
- Rockfibre board
Contego have knowledge of all of these systems & understand which product is the best application for which projects & different elements within the building itself. Often Hybrid systems throughout a building are the best outcome for cost/ aesthetics & design performance.
Through all of our projects we put heavy emphasis on the QA control including pre-start QA Technical submission, during construction QA controls & recording & handover QA.
We are finding more that good designers, Architects & Engineers are wanting to engage with Contego early in the design phase for Steel protection to ensure the right systems for budget & performance are considered from the start.
Contego have regular contact with the Manufacturers Technical teams & can bring their specialist knowledge into the design phase also. Having an understanding of all of their systems benefits & limitations means that we have readily available information to assist with decision making during design right from the early stages.
FPANZ is soon to release a Code of Practice for Intumescent Coatings which will be applicable to NZ standards & industry. This best practice guide is highly anticipated within the industry & will be a great resource tool for projects.
The Passive Fire Protection Intumescent Coating Code of Practice suggests that this should be a collaborative effort between all design consultants to ensure all aspects are considered. This way of thinking is no different to any other collaborative effort in designing a building whereby multiple consultants need to talk & collaborate on a solution.
Assessments – ask the extra questions. As most Passive Fire Protection contractors are aware AS1530.4 & AS4072.1 assessments satisfy compliance with NZBC and Acceptable solutions. However, when utilising an AS4072.1 assessment I would urge a little extra caution.
South Island passive fire protection contractor Contego today announced that it will continue its business expansion by opening a new base in the North Island in December 2021. Located in New Plymouth, the branch is expected to employ 10 persons over the next 24 months. The business currently employs 35 personnel between its bases across the South Island.
Our managing director, Justin McEntyre outlines our top 5 tips for managing your building compliance with regards to passive fire protection.
It has been a busy summer for the Intumescent coatings division with projects right across the lower South Island.
Sadly I am hearing more or more frictions within the industry between Passive Fire Contractors and
consultants and Council inspectors.
I’m sure I’m not the only one that is experiencing weekly headaches with freight delays and lead time materials. What was once available down the road, can now be a lengthy delay to get a hold of it. The feedback I am getting from suppliers and contractors is that the worst is not over, and we should be planning to deal with this for the remainder of this year.
With the current codes of practice and Passive products annual renewal being worked through the issue of Tested vs Assessed is constantly brought up in conversation. NZBC accepts the use of AS4072.1 Assessments as a way of showing compliance as an equal with a tested solution in accordance with AS1530.4.
We are excited to announce that Contego have been selected as finalists within two categories at the 2020 Westpac Otago Business Awards. This year we have been selected as a finalist for the Excellence in Service Award and also the Future Business Leader Award.
Contego is proud to announce that we have been awarded a 3 year contract to provide IQP services to SDHB for all Passive Fire Systems including SS15.2, SS15.3, SS15.4, and SS15.5.