The
recent blaze in the Grenfell Tower, UK, was just another gruesome reminder of
the immense damage fires can cause, with 72 people killed, 70 left injured, and
hundreds displaced from their homes.
The
worst part is that the Grenfell Tower fire, like so many other high-rise blazes
before it, would have been avoidable if proper measures had been taken at the
time of the building’s construction.
According
to official reports, the tragedy happened because a small fire accidentally
broke out in an electrical appliance on the fourth floor. The rapid spread of
flames was assisted by the structure’s external claddingwhich hadn’t been
designed for proper fire safety regulations, and the entire building was soon
engulfed.
The
blaze burnt continuously for around 60 hours before firefighters finally
brought it under control.
On-going
enquiries into the incident have confirmed that the insulation used between the
external cladding and the aluminium structure was to blame for the spread of
fire.
According
to fire safety experts, the insulation hadn’t been designed for use with non-combustible
cladding, and the material practically ‘lit up like a matchstick’ the second it
came into contact with the flames.
More
information will come out as the enquiry delves deeper into the matter, but the
Grenfell tragedy has already brought light to the very important, and often
ignored, issue of fire safety; more importantly, ensuring fire-protection
during the construction of high-rise buildings.
While
there isn’t (yet) anyway to construct a completely fire-proof structure, following
basic regulations and industry standards can increase the fire rating of a
building by a considerable amount, giving its residents plenty of time to
escape while fire fighting services control the blaze.
Fire-stopping
materials are just one of the ways we can make our structures safer for use.
These
materials work by effectively preventing the spread of fire between different
sections in the building, increasing the time it takes for the flames to move
from one room to the other.
In
this article, we’re going to explore the 3 best fire stopping materials
currently in use around the world.
Windows,
although necessary for natural light and ventilation purposes, are usually the weakest
link in a structure’s fire defences.
Standard
glass shatters very quickly once internal or external temperatures start to
rise beyond a certain limit, encouraging the spread of flames and feeding the
blaze with more oxygen and fuel. Once the fire reaches the outside of the
structure, a situation similar to the Grenfell Tower becomes a very
real possibility.
If
you’re currently involved in the construction of a high-rise structure, we
highly recommend that you consider installing fire-resistant glass windows
throughout the building.
The
most effective choice here would be heat-tempered glass, which lasts up to 4
times as long in a blaze as does standard glass.
Dual-paned
windows are another great example. Not only are they twice as effective as normal
windows at resisting heat; they’re also incredibly energy efficient and will
help you reduce the building’s overall carbon footprint.
Intumescent
paints are used to increase the fire rating of a building’s structural members by
up to 2 hours and to give an aesthetically pleasing finish on steel.
During
a fire, heat-sensitive substrates within the paint start to expand and its
surface becomes charred. This rapid increase in the substrate thickness and
subsequent decrease in the paint’s density produces a cooling effect which
protects the element inside from the adverse effects of direct exposure to
fire.
Intumescent
paints are ideal for use on wide variety of construction materials, such as:
Fire
barriers are installed above the ceiling or within voids between different
floors to stop the spread of smoke and fire and increase a building’s fire
rating by up to 2 hours.
These
barriers are usually installed in the form of lightweight, flexible fire
curtains which can be used over voids up to 11 m wide.
The
great thing about fire barriers is that they are incredibly easy to install and
most consist of a specially coated glass fabric material, which makes the entire
thing extremely durable.
