Corrosion Protection & Intumescent Coatings
“Optimum Fire Protection – Servicing the steel Industry”
Optimum Fire Protection is one of South Africa’s most cost effective and innovative specialist passive fire protection & corrosion protection contractors, providing structural fire protection, and corrosion protection solutions throughout South Africa and Africa. Optimum Fire Protection is the specialist contractor of choice when it comes to health and safety, service delivery and technical expertise. Working closely with our key supply chain partners, Optimum Fire Protection provides the most cost effective, efficient, and technically compatible fire protection and corrosion protection solutions available on the market today.
The most common cause of steel deterioration is RUST. Rust not only ruins the appearance and surface of the steel but weakens it. Over time the rust will eat through the steel causing it to weaken and causing permanent structural damage.
Tests have shown that the tensile strength of steel bar decreases with the increase of corrosion level. Corrosion levels less than 3% present a minor tensile-strength reduction of approximately 3%, whereas the tensile strength may decrease to 75-90% when the corrosion level increases more than 10%.
Rust, left unattended, can result not only in structural failure of steel columns and beams but may also, in the right conditions, cause a fire. Rust in a sprinkler system may cause it to fail.
To prevent all the above, it is imperative that steel is protected against corrosion.
Optimum Fire Protection has extensive experience in removal of rust, surface preparation and coating application to ensure the integrity of steel structures. We maintain the highest safety standards and quality control to ensure that all applications meet the required standards.
Application of corrosion protection.
Intumescent Coatings
Cementitious Fire Spray Systems
Cementitious fire spray is a fast and efficient method of providing up to 240 minutes fire protection to structural steelwork. Used in the commercial, Petrochemical cementitious fire sprays withstand impact and abrasion yet remain flexible to accept design changes without incurring major cost and time delays.
Cementitious fire sprays may be applied within environments where limited exposure to the elements is likely throughout the building phase of the project. They can also be used for application to steel and concrete frames, metal floors or roof decks and return air plenums.
Intumescent Paint Systems
Thin film applied Intumescent paint is a fast method of providing up to 120 minutes fire protection to structural steelwork. Intumescent coatings provide an appearance similar to that of paint, with basic to high gloss finishes now available. At ambient temperatures Intumescent paint systems remains stable. However, in a fire condition, the increase in temperature activates a chemical reaction which then causes the intumescent coating to expand many times its original thickness. This expansion provides an insulating foam-like coating or “char”. It is this “char” that provides the fire protection to the steel work which, in some instances, can be up to 50 times its initial applied thickness. Therefore, secondary casings applied to the steel members must allow for expansion to ensure the intumescent paint system performs correctly.