Looking after people and property for building owners and managers
Fire safety is a key responsibility for building owners and managers. They have a legal obligation to ensure the safety of residents, tenants, staff, contractors and visitors. One of the best ways to implement this safety is through passive fire protection (PFP) or Passive Fire Containment.
Whereas something like an alarm or a sprinkler is an active fire protection measure, passive fire protection measures are integral to the construction of a building. They work to stop fire starting or spreading.
Passive fire protection can provide an effective alternative to active systems for protecting against fire spreading throughout a structure. This generally consists of a coating of fire resistant insulating media applied to a building surface. It is often used where water or other active protection media supplies are inadequate, such as in remote locations, or where there are difficulties with handling fire water run-off.
Passive Fire Containment includes:
Fire safety measures are systems, equipment and protocols that protect people and property when an uncontrolled fire occurs. Most people think of fire protection in the sense of active fire equipment. These include:
However, in the initial stages of any building development, we can also advise on passive fire construction or Passive fire protection (PFP). Some refer to this as fire stoppers. This depends on compartmentation of fire and preventing collapse through structural fire resistance. Some experts also include fire-resistant construction materials in this category. We take the Australian Standards on passive fire protection into account.
The intent of compartmentation is to impede the spread of a fire. Some people use the term fire compartmentalisation. Fire rated walls and floors protect evacuation routes from fire and smoke migration. The most important factor in any evacuation is the time available. By providing the luxury of more time, more people can evacuate to a more safer location.
Components of compartmentation include:
Fire barriers include fire-rated walls, floors, and ceilings (often made of concrete, combination wood, gypsum, or masonry). These limit the spread of fire in a building and permit safe escape. Walls extend from a fire-rated floor to the fire-rated ceiling above, and continue into concealed spaces for full protection.
These walls must have such stability, that even if the event of structural collapse of parts of the building adjoining the wall, the wall remains intact .
Structural fire protection provides structural components, such as girders, beams and joints, with fireproofing.
An alternative to steel is to build the structure using concrete products. The twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York that collapsed in 2001 did so because the burning aviation fuel melted the steel structural components.
Correct structural fire protection design and application helps maintain a building’s structural integrity in the event of fire.
The fireproofing material can be:
We have fire stopping and penetration seals, including:
Our low cost fire protection maintenance package will then take care of most of your fire safety needs in the future.
We understand construction specialists and architects and their ways of doing Business. By doing so, we add value to that essential fire protection.
That is why we have a comprehensive passive fire protection offer that we hope will motivate you and match your needs. Contact us today to find out more.
For more than 20 years, we’ve been protecting Australians and their business.
Together with you, we create the protection that considers all of your needs.
We meet the highest local and regional standards, and use only certified products.
You’ll receive the highest quality products and services, at the very best prices.
Call us at 1300 733 636 or contact us for your free quote.