What Passive Fire Protection Systems Do Contactors Install?

There are plenty of active fire protection systems which are used in buildings all over the country. These include things like sprinkler systems, which come on if there is a blaze and fire extinguishers, which people can use to put out fires. However, modern building designs rely on passive systems as well. These are part of the fabric of a structure and help to prevent fires from spreading or, at least, arresting their growth. What are some of the most common ones that are used in the construction sector these days?

Fire Doors

Fire doors are devices for preventing fires from breaking out from one location to another. They also help to prevent oxygen flowing into a room where a fire is ablaze which will help to contain it and make it less intense. There are many different types of fire doors, but they all have common features. Firstly, doors of this type will close themselves. Although they can be wedged open, they usually have some sort of timer which means they return to their closed position after a set amount of time. Equally, they create a tighter seal in the door jamb than conventional doors which helps to lower airflow. In addition, these doors are made from materials which expand when they are exposed to heat, which helps to create a stronger physical barrier and protect people on the far side of them.

Firewalls

Construction firms increasingly fit firewalls in their projects, especially in tower blocks and large office buildings. These act in a similar way to fire doors but are permanently fixed in position and don't provide access from one room to the next. Essentially, a firewall creates a permanent division between one part of a building and another. As such, they tend to be used on either side of a fire escape in order to prevent blazes from reaching access routes for people evacuating a building as well as protecting firefighters who wish to get in.

Spray-On Fireproofing

Spray-on fireproofing is often the preferred option when a building requires a retrospectively applied passive fire protection system. That said, it is equally used in new buildings. Endothermic paints tend to be sprayed onto walls and floors which help to retard the progress of flames allowing more time for people get out. Crucially, it can be applied to structural elements of a building, such as steel beams, which help to keep buildings upright even when a full blaze is underway.

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