An Introductory Review of Steel Protection

In both form and function, buildings sprout from designers’ imaginations before they ever rise from the ground. All architectural students dream of producing art cleverly disguised as our homes, hospitals and schools. Of course, imagination is not restricted by gravity. Wind load formulas and code regulations hardly ever make an appearance alongside a sketch on the back on an envelope. We must design and build what is feasible, as beautifully and interestingly as possible. 

To this end, many building innovations have come along opening vast design possibilities. One of these innovations, the all-steel structural frame method, made it possible for buildings to be constructed to previously unreachable heights. By the 1890’s, innovations in steel production and standardized member shapes and sizes made steel a more viable option for building construction. Early examples of skyscrapers, including the Rand McNally and Auditorium Building in Chicago and the Wainwright Building in St Louis, allowed designers to deliver wide spans and multiple floors using steel columns and beams to carry loads instead of wood or masonry. 

While fire prevention has always been a priority, we have not been able to completely engineer building fires out of our lives. Thermal protection of structural steel currently includes many forms, one of which is Thin-Film Intumescent coatings. This material’s relatively low thickness requirements (1/2“ or less in most cases) applied to a smooth flat texture allows architects and designers to showcase both interior and exterior structural steel shapes as a visible component of the overall theme and design. Increasingly, intumescent fireproofing finds its place on a wide array of projects such as hospitals, schools, office building, pedestrian bridges and even parking garages. 

With material improvements and innovation, designers are utilizing the many possibilities achievable with intumescent coatings on wide-flange members, metal decking, open web joists and recently, even re-purposed steel shipping containers.  While limitations exist, steps are being taken by intumescent manufacturers – Hilti included – to widen the use of intumescent fireproofing. Innovative chemistry and refined application techniques are making intumescent coatings a more cost-effective alternative to other steel protection methods. They require less labor, shorter application duration (reduced calendar days) to fit already tight construction schedules, and in some cases allow application regardless of temperature and weather conditions.

Hilti Engineers and Steel Protection Specialists stand ready to assist designers with information they need for general and specific fire protection scenarios. We can assist in understand model buildingcodes and have contacts and an ever-expanding customer base throughout North America to assist in cost evaluations. Hilti works to shrink the boundary lines of “it can’t be done” when it comes to steel protection. Imagine the possibilities!  

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