Industrial fireproofing contractors not only provide industrial coating services to protect your steel structures from corrosion, but they also provide fireproofing measures to protect properties and assets from burning. Thus, it is also a fireproofing contractor. In most cases, they also inspect your properties for potential fire breakouts and perform necessary actions to reduce or even prevent those risks from happening.
In detail, some of the most common fireproofing needs are:
Structural Steel – Fireproofing contractors spay the steel with specialized coating to make sure it will not reach the critical 540 degrees celcius mark and will check if the structure is covered with at least a layer of protective concrete or fire-retardant solution.
Electrical Circuits – They check for short circuits and make sure the wires and components will not reach 140 degrees celcius.
Liquefied Petroleum Gas Containers and Pipes – Full inspections are make and the containers are checked for leakage and BLEVE which stands for boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion. They also cover it with a fire-retardant solution. Coatings for the gas container and pipe industries are an absolute must due to the hazardous materials contained inside.
Pipe Bridges and Vessel Skirts In Oil Refineries and Chemical Plants – The refinery industries will not pass their regular inspections and can be shut down on a monthly basis of certain safety requirements are not met. The goal of a fireproofing contractor in these potential lethal conditions is to inspect and coat any critical pieces of machinery or pipes which make any contact with flammable materials. Again, its important to make sure the structure will not reach 540 degrees as well.
Traffic Tunnels – Vehicles transporting flammable materials can quickly raise a tunnel's temperature. If it becomes too hot, a fire might happen, so contractors line the tunnels with protective concrete to keep it from burning.
Most fireproofing contractors rarely or no longer use asbestos for fireproofing because it is proven to cause asbestosis, a fatal lung disease. Instead, they use lightweight endothermic materials such as gypsum, perlite, vermiculite and pyrocrete 241 to help structures absorb a reasonable amount of heat.
Some of the leading fireproofing contractors will partner with companies like Carboline to fireproof structures. Oftentimes they will implement the Nullfire Intumescent Fireproofing system that uses Pyrocrete 241, the industry's leading fireproofing material. Industrial fireproofing contractors are needed all over the world to perform these types of coatings. Carelessly stored materials and lead to catastrophic disasters which can harm environments and people in the surrounding areas. Whenever a company is working with anything hazardous, it's always a must to contact a fireproofing professional to have them cover and coat equipment which will prevent accidental fires.