Passive Fire Protection specialist Promat has published a new whitepaper examining the most effective way to protect structural steel from fire.

An increasingly popular construction method, structural steel needs to be protected against the threat of fire to ensure structural integrity is maintained if exposed to high temperatures.

With both fire protection board systems and specialist intumescent paint used to protect structural steel, the whitepaper looks at which system offers the most comprehensive protection – and in which applications – amid demand for increasing data in compliance with the Building Safety Act.

Focusing on the application of Part B of the Building Regulations, and the Association for Fire Protection’s best practice guidance, the document, titled Protecting structural steel: Fire board vs intumescent paint’, breaks that down into real-life applications, addressing the benefits and problems with each system.

The whitepaper also focuses on how compartmentation can be maintained in structural steel framed buildings to ensure that should a fire break out in an area protected by a passive fire protection ‘compartment’ it is contained.

While being naturally non-combustible, structural steel can begin to lose structural integrity when exposed to high temperatures – and it is a requirement that it must be adequately protected under the Building Regulations (Approved Document B).

Joshua Slack, Commercial Director at Promat UK, said: “Modern methods of building continue to evolve, and structural steel is now a leading choice in construction. With each method of construction there also comes specialist demands on the fire safety design to ensure that occupants have a means of escape, and that the structural integrity of a building is protected.

“For structural steel the need to maintain structural integrity should a fire break out is critical. Correctly specified Passive Fire Protection will protect steel from the rapid spread of fire for a set amount of time, allowing the blaze to be tackled by firefighters.

“With different options of passive fire protection and extensive testing available it is vital that this is supported by a clear understanding of how different methods and products will perform if needed.

“In publishing this whitepaper we aim to open the discussion and raise awareness of the best systems for use in different structural steel applications and identify what best practice looks like – and how this can be evidenced by up-to-date test data.”

Promat is a leading manufacturer of Passive Fire Protection systems, for more information on passive fire protection for structural steel download the whitepaper here.

Download the whitepaper here.