Installing fire protection to structural steelwork (GG 85)
Steel-framed buildings now (2017) account for 66% of the market in multi-storey non-domestic buildings and 88.5% of the market in single-storey non-domestic buildings in the UK. In 1981, fire protection accounted for 31% of the cost of structural steelwork, but by 2007, this was just 17%.
During this period, thin-film intumescent coatings came to dominate the market. These are water-based or solvent based paint like materials that expand when heated to form a ‘char’ which protects steel in the event of fire. The performance of this, and other forms of protection, such as insulating boards or sprayed protection, is dependent on the quality of the installation.
BRE (Building Research Establishment) is an independent, research-based consultancy, testing and training organisation, operating in the built environment and associated industries. On 3 May 2017, BRE published, Installing fire protection to structural steelwork (GG 85) written by Tom Lennon, Ian Stewart and Andy Russell.
The 8 page Good Building Guide addresses the importance of correctly installing passive and reactive fire protection to structural steelwork to ensure expected performance criteria are achieved in the event of a fire. It identifies key issues for specifiers, manufacturers, contractors and approval authorities and includes references to more comprehensive sources of information.
The guide highlights the importance of adequate testing, quality, installation and maintenance as well as the critical role played by third-party certification schemes.
Its contents includes:
- Introduction.
- Structural steel in fire.
- Regulatory requirements.
- Forms of passive and reactive fire protection to structural steelwork.
- Installation.
- Test, assessment and certification requirements.
- Third-party certification.
- Fire risk assessment.
- Liaison between all parties.
- Checklist.
- Summary.
- References.
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Approved document B.
- BS 9999.
- Concrete vs. steel.
- Fire and rescue service.
- Fire authority.
- Fire detection and alarm system.
- Fire prevention on construction sites.
- Fire protection engineering.
- Fire safety design.
- Guidance for construction quality management professionals: Structural Steelwork.
- Intumescent coatings.
- Metal fabrication.
- Passive and reactive fire protection to structural steel (IP 6 12).
- Steel construction floor vibration
- Steel reinforcement
- Steel.
- Steel-concrete composite structures
- Structural steel
- The causes of false fire alarms in buildings.
- The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
- The role of codes, standards and approvals in delivering fire safety.
Featured articles and news
What they are, how they work and why they are popular in many countries.
Plastic, recycling and its symbol
Student competition winning, M.C.Esher inspired Möbius strip design symbolising continuity within a finite entity.
Do you take the lead in a circular construction economy?
Help us develop and expand this wiki as a resource for academia and industry alike.
Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce
Risks of undermining UK’s energy transition due to lack of electrotechnical industry representation, says ECA.
Cost Optimal Domestic Electrification CODE
Modelling retrofits only on costs that directly impact the consumer: upfront cost of equipment, energy costs and maintenance costs.
The Warm Homes Plan details released
What's new and what is not, with industry reactions.
Could AI and VR cause an increase the value of heritage?
The Orange book: 2026 Amendment 4 to BS 7671:2018
ECA welcomes IET and BSI content sign off.
How neural technologies could transform the design future
Enhancing legacy parametric engines, offering novel ways to explore solutions and generate geometry.
Key AI related terms to be aware of
With explanations from the UK government and other bodies.
From QS to further education teacher
Applying real world skills with the next generation.
A guide on how children can use LEGO to mirror real engineering processes.
Data infrastructure for next-generation materials science
Research Data Express to automate data processing and create AI-ready datasets for materials research.
Wired for the Future with ECA; powering skills and progress
ECA South Wales Business Day 2025, a day to remember.
AI for the conservation professional
A level of sophistication previously reserved for science fiction.
Biomass harvested in cycles of less than ten years.
An interview with the new CIAT President
Usman Yaqub BSc (Hons) PCIAT MFPWS.
Cost benefit model report of building safety regime in Wales
Proposed policy option costs for design and construction stage of the new building safety regime in Wales.
Do you receive our free biweekly newsletter?
If not you can sign up to receive it in your mailbox here.