What is Fire Protection?
Fire protection is the study and practice of mitigating the unwanted effects of potentially destructive fires. It is putting proactive fire protection measures in place to prevent or limit the spread of fire.
The term ‘Fire Protection’ is generally broken down into two classifications; ‘Passive’ and Active’.
Passive fire protection measures are essentially fire safety elements that are built into the fabric of a given building. From the materials of which a building is made from (walls, floors, beams, columns et al.), to the additional fixtures that are added to it to enhance it's fire protection;
- Fire doors
- Fire shutters
- Compartment walls and floors
- Partitions
- Suspended ceilings
- Fire resistant glazing
- Fire fighting shafts and stairwells
- And much more.
For more examples of passive fire protection measures, click here.
Active fire protection measures are tools and solutions that are used in direct response to to an active fire. From fire alarms, sprinklers, smoke ventilation, dry and wet risers, and much more.
Implementations of Passive Fire Protection
Passive Fire Protection is sometimes defined as ‘built in’ fire protection and is a generalisation that covers a wide range of generically different systems, such as Fire Protection to structural components of the building as well as:
Building Services
Fire resisting Ductwork, Dampers, Shafts
Penetration Seals (Pipes, Cables, Conduits etc.)
Linear Joint Seals
Cavity Barriers
Internal Compartmentation and fire resisting construction
Walls (Partitions) and floors
Suspended Ceilings
Fire-resisting Glazing
Fire doors
Fire Barriers
Firefighting shafts and stairwells
Building Envelope
Fire resisting external walls
Curtain Walling System
The function of Passive Fire Protection
The primary function of passive fire protection is to prevent the passage of fire and smoke within a fire compartment of a building that has been divided up into manageable areas of risk for a defined period of time (Fire Strategy), which typically ranges from 30 minutes up to 4 hours, this to allow for occupants to escape and to provide a safe means of access for fire fighters.