Passive Fire Protection

Design, specification, installation and maintenance of Passive Fire Protection to “stop” fires from spreading using tailor-made physical solutions

Passive fire protection is a central element of any fire safety strategy. It is built into the structure of a building, building extension or CAT-A Fit-Out to safeguard human life and reduce the financial and physical effects of fire.

Passive fire principles

Protecting escape routes by keeping safe waypoints

Protecting building integrity

Resisting heat conduction (insulation)

Limiting the spread of fire, hot gases and smoke by containing it within a single zone or compartment

Load-bearing beams, walls and floors have to be able to support their load under fire conditions. Doors, walls, glazed screens and suspended ceilings have to stop fire ingress (flames and heat). Building services ducts need to be fire-stopped to ensure the ducting does not provide an easy route for fire. It is vital that all fire resistance measures are correctly designed, specified, installed and maintained.

Passive fire protection and resistance to fire

Measures include the specification of fire resistant materials as well as;

Fire doors and hardware
Fire shutters and curtains
Compartment walls / floors
Fire-resistant glazing
Fire-resistant dampers (mechanical or intumescent) in air distribution ducts
Linear gap seals
Penetration seals for pipes, cables and other building services
Fire-resistant air transfer grills
Reaction to fire coatings

Passive Fire Protection Plan: 4 elements

Established fire escape plan (time to react and evacuate)
Compartmentation and fire stopping measures (prevent fire spread)
Smoke extraction ducting system (remove smoke, improve visibility and breathing)
Structural building integrity and protection