Passive fire protection (PFP) refers to the incorporation of fire-resistant materials and systems within the structure of house or building to prevent the spread of fire and smoke. PFP differs from active fire protection systems, such as sprinklers and fire extinguishers, which become active only if specific action is done.
Passive fire protection is built into the structure of a building and remains inert but ready to perform in the event of fire or smoke. It silently works in the background and offers protection and stability to buildings and their occupants.
Ready to install Passive fire protection – Get a free quote from us.
Call us on 0203 802 4648 or send an email to info@integralfm.co.uk and find out how you can protect your house or building.
In Orpington, the safety of buildings against fire is a paramount concern for property owners, architects and builders. Passive fire protection plays a crucial role in this battle, offering a method to limit the spread of fire and smoke. This allows inhabitants to evacuate and helps emergency services to carry out their duties effectively.
The speciality of Passive fire protection lies in its ability to operate without human intervention or mechanical activation. The main goal of PFP is to contain the fire at its source, minimise damage and provide a safe evacuation path for occupants of Orpington. Understanding this crucial principle of PPF is very important for anyone involved in construction, maintenance and management.
Example of Passive Fire Protection
Passive Fire Protection encompasses a wide array of strategies and materials designed to stop and reduce the fire and smoke from spreading out. Here are some of the pivotal examples of passive fire protection measures showing the essential aim of safeguarding buildings and occupants against the threat of fire.
1. Fire-Resistant Walls and Floors
While building the house or building, ensure that you are using fire-resistant material such as concrete, gypsum and certain types of bricks and blocks. These materials are best due to their ability to withstand high temperatures for a significant period without losing structural composition.
These walls and floors compartmentalise the building, preventing the fire and smoke from spreading from one area to another.
2. Fire Doors
Fire doors are specially designed to resist the passage of fire and smoke for a period of 30-120 minutes, depending upon the quality of the door. They are equipped with intumescent strips that expand in the presence of heat, which results in sealing gaps between the door and frame.
These fire doors are most suitable for stairwells, corridors, and between different sections of a building, and they can act as a barrier against fire and smoke in case of emergency.
3. Intumescent Paint
These are applied to structural elements like steel beams and columns. While applying, intumescent coatings are thin, but as soon as they are exposed to extreme heat, they expand. They form a thick layer that insulates the material underneath from the heat.
This makes structural steel fire-resistant, delaying the time it takes for the steel to reach extreme temperatures that could lead to structural failure and damage.
4. Fire Dampers
Fire dampers automatically close when extreme heat prevents fire and smoke from spreading through a building’s ventilation system. It is essential to maintain the integrity of fire compartments.
Especially in modern buildings with HVAC systems running throughout, they can act as conduits for fire and smoke.
5. Compartmentalisation
To make your home fire-resistant, compartmentalisation should be done. The division of a building into smaller compartments using fire-resistant walls and floors. Each compartment is designed to contain a fire within its boundary for a specific period of time.
This limits the spread of fire and smoke, protecting occupants and important building areas in case of fire. This also simplifies the evacuation plan, which saves time.
6. Fire-Resistant Sealants
Fill in the gaps, joint spaces and voids around cables, walls, floor and pipes using an intumescent sealer or firestop pillows. This close sealing ensures that no path for fire and smoke is left to spread out between compartments.
Choose from a variety of intumescent sealants, firestop pillows, and putties based on your application and fire resistance rating.
7. Protective wraps
Use specially designed wraps and collars around plastic pipes and cables. In the event of a fire, these protective wraps expand to seal off the space left by melted materials, preventing the passage of fire and smoke.
Ensure that the integrity of fire-resistance-rated walls and floors is maintained along with these protective wraps. These wraps can work as barriers between the cable and heat.
8. Fire-Resistant Glazing
Fire-resistant windows and glass partitions are made from special glass that can withstand exposure to high heat. The glazed windows can hold against high temperatures without losing structure or causing damage to the inside.
Glazing makes standard glass strong and prevents from outside heat. This provides both light and visibility without compromising on safety.
These examples highlight the diverse range of passive fire protection measures that can be implemented to enhance the safety of buildings.
Conclusion
Fire accidents and hazards can happen at any time; we can reduce the chances with controlled measures, but there is still a high possibility of it. Passive fire protection helps residents of Orpington to have a calm and safe life. To protect human life, you can install PFP, such as fire resilience doors and intumescent seals.
Call on 0203 802 4648 today to install Passive fire protection for your home or building.
