TECHNICAL PAPER

LE/LP/TP/WA/10/04

October 2004

Fire Protection of Structural Steelwork Using Intumescent

Coatings
What happens to steel in fire?
In many parts of the world, structural steel is the first choice of architects and
engineers for the framework of single and multi-story buildings.
Steel offers maximum design flexibility and is widely used as an architectural
feature in its own right. Intumescent coatings provide the ideal solution to satisfy
both architect and specifier, in providing corrosion protection, fire protection and
decoration.
The combined use of steel construction methods and the use of intumescent fire
protection have proved the most cost effective and reliable in many different
situations.
Alternative construction materials such as concrete can lead to slower erection
sequences and heavier foundations.
In a fire situation, a steel-frame building designed to maximum permissible
design stress in accordance with BS 5950 Part 8 and Eurocode 4, the steelwork
will rapidly lose its structural strength at temperatures in excess of 550°C.
The rate of heating of the steel can be greatly reduced by the use of insulating
materials such as intumescent coatings, thus extending the time taken for the
steel to reach its critical temperature.
The primary objective being the prevention of structural collapse, which in turn
will provide adequate means of escape for the occupants and ensure the safety
of rescue services.

Approved Document B – Fire Safety

Fire protection has now become an essential requirement of steel construction
and in most countries; the Building Regulations (or each countries equivalent)
specify periods of fire resistance, depending on the height and function of the
building. These fire resistance periods can vary depending on whether or not the
building is protected by sprinklers or other ‘active’ methods of fire protection.

Approved Document B states “The building shall be designed and constructed

such that, in the event of a fire, it will maintain its stability for a reasonable
period”.
The required periods of fire resistance are frequently listed in a tabular format
relating periods of fire resistance to building height and type of occupancy
although other factors such as compartmentation will need to be considered.
It is important to note that the Building Regulations, Approved Document B - Fire
Safety is only concerned with safety of life, and insurers may require further
measures to protect property as well.

How Intumescent Coatings Work

Intumescent coatings are normally applied by airless spray to provide a smooth

decorative finish, which remains stable at ambient temperatures.

These coating compositions are based on organic resin binders, which are
typically acrylated rubber or epoxy. The resins are filled with active ingredients,
which react in a fire at temperatures around 250°C to form a thermally insulating
carbonaceous char or foam. The char can be expanded up to 50 times the
original coating thickness.
The char reduces the rate of heating of the steel and hence prolongs its load
bearing capacity.

As described above the basic formulation of an intumescent comprises of an

organic binder, a carbonific, usually a penta or dipentaerythritol, a spumific or
blowing agent which could be melamine or a melamine formaldehyde derivative,
a source of an acid catalyst such as ammonium polyphosphate or boric acid and
finally a char reinforcement pigment such as glass flake or micro spheres.

As the temperature rises causing the binder to melt, the blowing agent liberates
gases causing a controlled expansion. At the same time there is degradation of
the carbon backbone and fusion of the inorganic reinforcing materials, resulting in
char solidification.

Steel column coated with intumescent in test furnace

Structural Steel
The fire resistance of an element of a steel structure is determined by its size,
shape, orientation, applied forces, the core temperature, and the perimeter
exposed to the fire.
In the United Kingdom, the performance of fire protected structural steelwork is
assessed using BS476: Part 21. The test method includes procedures for both
flexural and compression members (beams and columns).
In addition, there is now a European Standard, ENV 13381-4, which seeks to
harmonise the method of test and assessment between member States.
For the purpose of loaded fire testing, generally, the maximum design force is
applied to the steel member as determined by BS5950 Part 8.
For beams the load is applied via hydraulic rams through the concrete slab to
simulate steel beams supporting a concrete floor.
This is generally referred to as 3-sided exposure because the concrete is
protecting the upper face of the beam from exposure to fire.
The steel beam section is deemed to have failed when it can no longer support its
designed load. The Fire Resistance of the section is the time taken for the
deflection in the centre of the section to reach Exposed Length divided by 30 (this
is normally 150 mm) or when the rate of deflection exceeds the safety limit given
in BS476 Part 20.

Steel beam before fire test

 Steel beam after fire test
The graph below shows the BS476 heating curve and the rate of heating of a
steel beam both unprotected and protected with a 60-minute thickness of
intumescent coating.

60 Minute Fire Test

1200

1000
Temp (°C

800
Furnace
600 S teel
400 Intum
200

0
0 20 40 60 80

Time (mins)

In the column test, the exposed length of steel section is typically 3 metres and all
faces of the column are exposed to the fire. The load is applied vertically via a
hydraulic ram exerting compression forces to the column, see diagram below
This is generally referred to as 4-sided exposure.
The steel column section is deemed to have failed when it can no longer support
its design load, and this is generally when the column, whose expansion in the
fire has been accurately monitored, has been compressed back to its original
length. The temperature at which this occurs is the critical steel temperature and
the time taken to reach that temperature is the fire resistance of the section.
Full scale loaded fire tests on beams are essential to provide information on
insulation and stickability properties of Intumescent coatings at their maximum
applied thickness. These tests must be carried out at UKAS (or equivalent)
approved laboratories. The Fire Resistance achieved is only applicable to the
particular section under test for the known thickness of the Intumescent Coating
System applied.
In some fire test programmes the loaded column test may be replaced by a
similar but unloaded tall column to determine whether the intumescent material
slumps in the vertical plane. This is one option given in ENV 13381-4
It becomes cost prohibitive and certainly not a very practical proposition to carry
out the full scale testing of all sizes and shapes of steel in every orientation at a
selection of coating thickness. It therefore became desirable to devise a
programme of exploratory tests to enable the performance of intumescent coating
systems to be assessed on a selected range of beam and column sizes. The
variables explored in an assessment approach are Section Factor (Hp/A
See later explanation), protection thickness and the fire resistance time to reach
550°C for columns and 620°C for beams.
A typical fire test assessment package would include at least 2 loaded beam
tests, a loaded column test and several unloaded indicative sections about 1
metre in length, comprising a mixture of beams and columns of different serial
sizes.
N.B. A separate test programme and assessment is required for circular and
rectangular hollow sections.
If the material is subjected to the ENV 13381-4 method of test and assessment,
all sections sizes to be tested are contained within the test procedure.

Selection of Fire Protection Levels

The structural strength of a steel beam or column is directly related to its mass
and dimensions.
Lightweight sections heat up faster and require more fire protection than heavy
sections.
The amount of fire protection required depends on the HpA (Section Factor) of
the steel, which is the heated perimeter exposed to fire conditions divided by the
cross sectional area of the steel.

Section Factor (HpA)

Hp - The perimeter of section exposed to fire, i.e. heated perimeter (metres) and,
A - The cross-sectional area of the steel member (metres squared).

Section Factor = Hp/A (m-1)

In the UK the major source of information on fire protection thickness is the ASFP
(Association of Specialist Fire Protection) Yellow Book.

In calculating Hp/A values, the full cross-sectional area (A) is used irrespective of
whether 1, 2, 3 or all 4 sides of the section are exposed.
Assessment of fire test data for entry into the Yellow Book follows agreed
guidelines given by the ASFP, for example the maximum thickness of
intumescent specified for application to beams cannot exceed that tested on a
loaded beam by more than 10%. The reason for this is that reactive materials
generally fail by detaching from the bottom flange of beams at high thickness,
particularly when under flexural loading conditions.
The Yellow Book gives tabulated thickness data for assessed products in HpA
ranges depending on the period of fire resistance specified.
The ASFP Technical Review Panel carries out the product assessments and
peer reviews for the Yellow Book. The panel includes representatives from
WFRC and BRE; two of the UK’s UKAS approved test laboratories.
The Yellow Book is well established in the UK and is given recognition in Building
Regulation’s Approved Document B as a reliable source of information when
specifying fire protection thickness.

What does the future hold for intumescent coatings?

In the next few years there will be a transition from BS476 part 21 testing to ENV
13381-4. This will be followed by ETA (European Technical Approval) leading to
the CE Marking of Intumescent Coatings.
The latter is currently undergoing a great deal of discussion and is at present not
deemed to be mandatory in the UK.
Improved coating technology, use of cellular beams and off-site application has
seen a rapid growth in the use of intumescent coatings in recent years.
Further enhancements in rapid drying, durability and new, patented products will
see this growth escalate further in the years to come.

Dr Bill Allen
Director of Innovation

Leigh’s Paints
Tower Works, Kestor Street, Bolton BL2 2AL
Tel: 01204 521771 Fax: 01204 382115
e-mail: enquiries@leighspaints.co.uk web: www.leighspaints.co.uk