A breakthrough in fire
protection from Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings is offering a
combination of durability and ultra-fast curing not previously possible.
In most environments
20 years durability can be achieved with FIRETEX FX6002 intumescent coating,
even without the need to apply a top coat.
The most significant
benefit of this new product however is the speed of curing - hard dry and
handling times may be as fast as one hour.
Bob Glendenning,
global fire engineering manager for Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine
Coatings, said: “With the substantial advances we have made in intumescent
coating technology, we can offer a broader range of benefits and options than
ever before whether you’re an architect, a developer or an applicator. In
modern construction, speed of build is critical and this product contributes to
that goal.
“This is game-changing
technology and allows for transport of steelwork within hours as compared to
days currently for conventional water-based, solvent-based and epoxy-based
products.
“Projects carried out
using the original FX6000 product found vastly reduced damage on shop-painted
steelwork once erected. The new FX6002 retains this mechanical durability while
at the same reducing the required film thickness, again reducing holistic project
cost due to lower material requirements and greatly reduced site touch-up
requirements.”
For in-shop
applicators of intumescent fire protection, FX6002 has Volatile Organic Content
(VOC) levels comparable with many of today’s water based intumescent products,
it also dries to leave a smooth and aesthetically pleasing finish, worlds apart
from that typically achieved with some other exterior durable products.
Additionally, when
looking to optimise project costs, in many scenarios FX6002 may be specified
with or without both primer and top coat depending on the project and
applicator’s requirements.
Rigorously fire tested
under the requirements of British Standards BS476 parts 20 and 21, and the ASFP
Yellow Book (Edition 5), FX6002 can offer up to 120 minutes fire protection to
traditional rolled steel elements and cell beams.
When coupled with the
expertise of the Fire Engineering & Estimation Team in prescriptive and
fire engineered solutions, and Sherwin-Williams’ independently accredited FDE
software, FIRETEX FX6002 can be fully integrated into a project’s design model
and BIM operations, offering customers a safe and cost-optimised fire
protection solution.
FIRETEX FX6000
technology was recently applied to Whitechapel Station in London, bringing
benefits in time and cost, and proving its worth for on-site application.
Trials of FX6002 have
already proved successful, and environmental approvals are being sought from
leading organisations including building and sustainability body BREEAM.
Sherwin-Williams has supplied its diverse range of
fire protection coatings to a number of landmark construction and engineering
projects including London’s The Shard, the Leadenhall Building and Azerbaijan’s
Flame Towers.
The fire protection
performance of the patented FIRETEX FX6000 and FX6002 technologies are
independently certified under Exova Warringtonfire’s Certifire scheme and in
durability testing under ETAG 18 Part 2 it meets the requirements for Type X,
internal, semi-exposed and exposed locations.
