Fireproof and Intumescent Coatings
TSA on structural steel
Fire resistive intumescent coatings expand as a result of heat exposure, The resulting expansion forms a thick foam barrier that thermally insulates steel. This swell increases the protection to steel building supports such as beams, channels, pipes and tubular columns to protect their structural integrity.
Fischer manufactures a range of hand-held, non-destructive gauges and probes that are made for measuring the dry film thickness of these coatings to ensure that they are applied in line with the manufacturers application guidelines.
TSA on structural steel
Steel is not inflammable however its structural strength can be drastically reduced when exposed to high temperatures for extended periods, for example in a building fire. Following major catastrophic failures in steel frame buildings, far greater attention has been paid to the development and application of these coatings, resulting in higher performing, more durable and easier to apply coatings.
The AWCI [Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry] Technical Manual 12-B, ‘Standard Practice for the Testing and Inspection of Field Applied Thin-Film Intumescent Fire-Resistive Materials; an Annotated Guide’. is referred to by the National Fireproofing Contractors Association in their quality assurance procedure for the application of intumescent coatings. In this procedure, it is stated that the final thickness must be measured with a dry film thickness gauge in accordance with the manual. The FA70 and FA100 probes from FISCHER, are the ideal instruments for this application due to its small size and increased accuracy compared to competitive products.
FA100 Probe
Fischer’s handheld FMP series paired with the FA70 or FA100 probe will quickly and accurately measure the dry film thickness of professionally applied intumescent coatings, ensuring that in the event of fire there is enough coating to expand to the required density to offer the specified protection for the substrate. Compared to competitor’s bulky and inaccurate probes currently on the market for fireproof coatings, the FA70 and FA100 probes are considerably smaller and more precise.
Specifications of FA70 Probe:
- Range: 0 – 1.96in (50mm)
Specifications of FA100 Probe:
- Range: 0 – 3.94in (100mm)
Click here to read the Critical Intumescent Coating Thickness Measurement Article