Intumescent coating
With the recent changes and advancements in building regulations and construction techniques regarding fire protection, it only seemed logical for us to offer our customers an intumescent coating service, both in works and on site.
“What is Intumescent paint and how does it work?”
Intumescent Paint is a fire protective coating applied to constructional steelwork on site or pre-erection, which reacts in a fire situation and prevents the steel from collapsing. Depending on the building’s design and structure intumescent paint has the ability to protect steelwork for 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes in a fire. It is applied by airless spray to a thickness according to the level of protection required, and typically, if left untreated, has the appearance of ‘thick’ white paint.
The coating begins to work when the temperature of a fire (both ambient & direct) reaches the required temperature for the intumescent coating to react and become active, the coating swells and expands to a carbonaceous char. In an ideal situation the intumescent ‘char’ can expand some 100 times its original thickness. This carbonaceous char then acts as an insulative to the steel and hence prolongs its load bearing capacity.
Over the last ten years we have seen a large increase in the demand for in works fire treatment, which has led us recently to designate a specific area of our Tamworth works solely for this treatment. We believe intumescent coating in a dedicated works facility holds many advantages and cost savings over on site application, as well as offering the reassurance that the coating has been applied in the correct controlled environmental conditions and to the correct requirements and specification. It has also being proven on many occasions that off-site coating in designated workshops actually reduces time on the critical path by weeks often helping to deliver a finished building to the client early.
We have worked extremely hard over the years to not only satisfy our customers, but to build up a sound relationship with our intumescent suppliers. We now work with many of the industry’s leading intumescent manufacturers to design and formulate a treatment specification that will meet with our clients’ needs.
Whether it is a single beam, small modular frames or a 2000 tonne structural steel job, we would always welcome your enquiries.