Recent Progress on Intumescent Coatings for concrete and steel structural construction

Fire is a serious threat to people and the structures they build. There is a continuous development of newer methods and materials to prevent its effects on them. Nowadays, a lot of attention is being paid in the design of public and commercial buildings by incorporating fire safety. Passive fireproofing of high rise structures has become very important due to the use of steel in load bearing mode and has attracted increased attention after the collapse of the WTC towers. Conventional passive fireproofing materials include concrete covering, gypsum board and cementitious coatings which have a poor aesthetic. Intumescent fire-resistive coatings are a newer type of passive fireproofing coatings usually applied as thin film and they swell many times their original thickness forming an insulating char which acts as a barrier between the fire and the structural concrete and steel. The present review covers recent developments in the field of intumescent coatings with a major emphasis on organic intumescent coatings.

Keywords:

Intumescent coatings , Passive fireproofing , Fire Safety , Structural concrete and Steel.