5 myths about fire protection

At the 100+ Forum Russia 2015, a thematic section will be devoted to issues of fire safety and fire protection of high-rise and unique structures. One of the topics to be discussed will be the attitude to the problem of fire resistance of steel-framed buildings. Experts' opinions are mixed. The main reason is the large number of myths and misconceptions that surround her. Andrey Soskov, Project Manager at the ARSS Engineering Center, commented on the five most common myths about fire protection of steel-framed buildings.

Myth 1. Steel-framed buildings cannot withstand fire.

When taking the necessary fire protection measures, buildings on a steel frame can demonstrate fire resistance for 90 minutes or more, i.e. in the event of a fire, the building will retain its load-bearing capacity for successful evacuation and extinguishing of people for 1.5 hours.

Myth 2. Fire protection of steel-framed buildings is too expensive for the developer, the project is losing its profitability.

The cost of fire protection of residential buildings built using metal structures, depending on the chosen material, is 2-7% of the cost per square meter (the average cost of building one square meter of the total area of a residential building, excluding Moscow and the Moscow Region, according to Rosstat and the Ministry of Construction). But at the same time, metal structures lined with structural fire protection, for example, sheets of drywall, do not need additional plaster, like walls or columns made of reinforced concrete. For comparison, the rough finishing of reinforced concrete columns, walls and pylons accounts for the same 2% of the cost per square meter (the average cost of construction per square meter of the total area of a residential building, excluding Moscow and the Moscow Region, according to Rosstat and the Ministry of Construction).

Myth 3. Fires in steel-framed buildings always result in human casualties.

The first thing that comes to mind in the context of fire protection of steel structures is the tragedy of September 11, which became a turning point in engineering. To date, Western regulations have been amended to require engineers to take into account the possibility of fire. Russia has also adopted the necessary standards, to which, from July 1, a mandatory calculation of building structural systems for progressive collapse will be added. If these standards are followed, steel-framed buildings can withstand high thermal loads as well as reinforced concrete ones. For example, in 2013, a fire at the Park House shopping center in Yekaterinburg caused no casualties, as the building complied with the necessary fire protection rules: it did not collapse, which allowed for evacuation.

Myth 4. Residents can damage the fire protection of buildings during repairs.

In this case, it doesn't matter what the building is made of. Any changes related to the supporting structure, whether it is the dismantling of the fire protection of the steel frame or an opening in the supporting reinforced concrete wall, must be coordinated in accordance with the procedure established by the Housing Code of the Russian Federation. The housing inspectorate monitors compliance with this.

Myth 5. The flame retardancy of steel structures needs to be updated all the time, it is not durable.

It is necessary to update the flame retardant in case of damage. It is recommended to check the fire protection level once a year, unless additional instructions are provided.

Compliance with the necessary safety requirements allows steel–framed buildings to be durable – their service life is 100 years - and fire-resistant.

The Association for the Development of Steel Construction (ARCC) unites all participants in the steel construction market: leading manufacturers and suppliers of rolled metal products, factories for the production of metal structures, research and design institutes, architectural bureaus, educational institutions. The main objective of the Association is to expand the use of metal structures in all types of civil and industrial construction.