Fireproofing specifications

There are a number of fire test laboratories in the world that can conduct fire tests according to defined standards and on occasion specialized tests. Table 17 provides a list of the test agencies recognized by the petroleum and related industries. 

SINTEF Norwegian Fire Test Laboratory Tronheim, Norway 

TNO Dutch Fire Test Laboratory Delft, Netherlands 

WFRC Warrington Fire Research Center Warrington, Cheshire, UK 

Structural steel begins to soften at 316 °C (600 °F) and at 538 °C (1,000 °F) it loses 50% of its strength. Therefore the minimum accepted steel temperature for structural tolerance is normally set to 400 °C (752 °F) for a period of 2 hours, exposed to a high temperature hydrocarbon (i.e., petroleum) fire (Ref. UL Standard 1709). 

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All rated fireproofing systems should be carefully installed to specification and manufacturer s requirements. Substrate surfaces should be cleaned so they are free from oil, grease, liquid contaminants, rust, scale, and dust. If a primer is required, it should be compatible with the fireproofing. Specifications to be followed include the specified thickness or number of layers, adequate attachment, and proper caulking, sealing, or top-coating of the systems. 

Fireproof - Resistant to a specific fire exposure essentially nothing is absolutely "fireproof but some materials or building assemblies are resistant to damage or fire penetration at certain level of fire exposures that may develop in the petroleum industry. 

Fire behaviour depends, initially, on the nature of the polymer. However, the use of fireproofing agents, special plasticizers and specific fillers can modify this behaviour very significantly. 

Choosing the level of protection (based on appropriate standard test procedures) that should be provided by fireproofing material for specific equipment, based on the needs analysis. 

Mastics are sprayed on a substrate in one or more coats, depending on the desired degree of fire resistance. The final coat of all fireproofing mastics should be rolled or brushed to provide a smooth surface finish. The material should be applied with a sufficient number of coats to prevent running or slumping and sufficient drying time should be allowed between coats. Mastics may also be hand-troweled, if permitted in the manufacturer s specifications. 

A wide range of intumescent epoxy coatings are available. These can be described as a mix of thermally reactive chemicals in a specific epoxy matrix formulated for fireproofing applications. Under fire conditions, they react to emit gases, which cool the surface while a low density carbonaceous char is formed. The char then serves as a thermal barrier. 

Satisfactory performance of the fireproofing material over its expected lifetime depends on the user s and the applier s knowledge of materials and application techniques and on continuing inspection by qualified personnel. Specifically, once a fireproofing system has been chosen, it is imperative that personnel involved in each phase of the project be familiar with the relevant aspects of the manufacturer s requirements and specifications. 

Fire resistance rating—The time period that a specific fireproofing design will protect structural supports for equipment, piping and so forth from collapse, when exposed to a fire of specified intensity. The fire intensity is usually represented by a time-temperature curve. 

Neither cotton nor wood celluloses can be made fireproof in the sense that glass or asbestos fibers are, as they cannot be prevented from charring but they can be made flameptoof in that they will not support combustion after removal of the source of ignition. According to federal specifications (27), flameproofed cloth must not propagate a flame after exposure under standard conditions for 12 seconds to the luminous flame of a Bunsen burner. 

The experiment was done three times. In the first and third experiments, fireproof materials were attached to a steel plate which was used as a door, and the opening was filled with asbestos cloth. The ventilator was covered with an insulating plate.The specifications of the mock storage shed (HI) are as follows ... 

The door the size of 812W x 2000H X 45T was made of Nyatoh (Sapotaceae Palaquium spp.) with specific gravity 0.55- 0.65 and moisture content 8-12%. The thickness of the panel inserted portion was 21mm. It was heated according to the standard heating curve of JIS A 1304. Fireproof ability was measured by time until flames came through it and at the same time temperature of unheated side were measured at various position. 

Ammonium sulfate, (NH4)2S04, an ammonium compound, is a brownish-gray to white crystal. Ammonium sulfate is soluble in water and is nonflammable. This compound is an oxidizer with a specific gravity of 1.77, which is heavier than water. The primary uses are in fertilizers, water treatment, fermentation, fireproofing compositions, and as a food additive. 

Plastics and rubbers are used as insulating and separating materials between different metallic materials to prevent galvanic corrosion. For this application specific requirements must be fulfilled, such as the necessary mechanical strength and thickness they must be fireproof, and resistant to the environment (including heat-resistant to a specified extent). In addition the following are important ... 

Equipment List Material selection diagrams Mechanical data sheets for the equipment Equipment mechanical design calculations Equipment inspection reports Insulation, fireproofing and painting specifications... 

This series of products possess low density, high specific surface area, high porosity ratio, light blue translucent particles or monoliths. They have low thermal conduction constant, good insulation property, strong adsorptive ability, are environment friendly, nontoxic, fireproof and noncorrosive, with no toxicity to human, and can be widely applied as functional structural interlayer, filling layer and composite layer for thermal insulation and preservation, air purification and water treatment (Figures 40.11 and 40.12). 

These specific features may explain why only limited information can be found on the durability of FRP composites in civil engineering and, when available, data from different studies can be contradictory. As a result, concern about durability remaius a barrier to the widespread acceptance of FRP materials in construction. Another critical concern is the behaviour of FRP materials or structures in the case of fire. These materials are very vulnerable to lire and their combustion may produce large amounts of toxic gases which are a direct threat to life. Civil engineers should take this issue into account when choosing materials used in FRP composites, and should implement adequate fireproofing solutions. 

The following material specifications aspects should be considered when application of fireproofing is considered ... 

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