Passive fire protection and thermal insulation are usually procured separately, installed separately and inspected separately, even though they occupy the same physical space on the same pipe. That duplication costs weight, thickness, programme time and, on floating assets, capacity that could have been used for something productive.
It also creates an interface. Two systems layered on the same substrate means a boundary where water can be trapped and where responsibility is ambiguous when something goes wrong.
Jet fire and pool fire are different problems
A pool fire is a large, relatively low velocity flame with high radiant heat. A jet fire is a pressurised release burning as a high velocity jet, and it is far more aggressive: it erodes protective coatings mechanically at the same time as it heats them. A material that survives a pool fire test may be stripped away in a jet fire, which is why the two are tested separately and why a specification that says only "fire rated" is not sufficient information to select a product.
What a combined system changes
- One system instead of two, cutting total thickness and installed weight
- One interface removed, which removes a place for water to be trapped
- One inspection rather than two, so surveys are cheaper and more likely to happen
- Clear single-supplier responsibility for the performance of the build-up
- Less scaffolding and fewer trade handovers during construction
Specifying correctly
Fire rated products are approved against a named test standard, a named fire type and a stated duration, with an approved installation detail. Substituting a product with a similar description but a different test basis invalidates the approval. Tell us the standard, the fire type and the duration your specification calls for and we will confirm in writing what we can support with test evidence before you order.
Related products
- Aerogel Blanket AB-FR - jet fire and pool fire tested
- Aerogel Board RB-650 - structural steel and flat surfaces
Talk to us about your project
Send us your line list, drawings or target U-values and we will come back with a thickness recommendation, a bill of material and a quotation. Contact our technical team.