Passive fire protection

Concrete structures

Concrete is a material used in the construction of buildings.

Unlike other products, concrete provides good fire resistance, mainly due to its low thermal conductivity and the presence of water that it contains. These two factors slow down the heating of the sections, obtaining good fire resistance values.

However, the fire resistance capacity of structural concrete elements is not unlimited and must therefore be assessed and protected if the required resistance is not achieved.

The main reason for the load-bearing capacity of the concrete structures is due to the reinforcements and their coatings.

The determination of the fire resistance of concrete elements can be calculated using two methods:

  • Calculations specified in the Eurocodes.
  • Tables of Eurocode 2 (EN 1992) and the Basic Document of Fire Safety (DB SI) of the Technical Building Code (CTE), Annex C.

In order to improve the fire performance of the concrete elements, a coating can be applied to the surface of these elements that is exposed to the fire. The thickness to be applied will be determined according to the equivalent thickness, which is defined as the equivalence between the thickness of the mortar and the concrete. These values of equivalent thickness are obtained by means of fire resistance tests according to EN 13381-3.

To protect structural elements made of concrete, equivalent thickness tables obtained through fire resistance tests are used.

Perlita y Vermiculita offers products that ensure fire protection of concrete structures.

Here you will find some of our recommended products to ensure greater passive fire protection: