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Functional, fire resistant and offering a range of applications, fire retardant board, or fire protective board, continues to gain favour in building design because of its ability to produce architectural appeal while achieving the required FRLs. Installed correctly, this mineral matrix engineered board is designed to contain fire within the compartments of a building by acting as a barrier to stop the spread of heat, smoke, fire and gases.
As a single layer of fireboard doesn’t require framing, this is a labour-saving exercise that can achieve the same level of FRL with fewer layers than a plaster system. It can also be stopped up and plastered to achieve a smooth and paintable finish.
Stopping the spread of fire is just one element of this material’s protective properties. If a fire breaks out in a building, it is critical that the load-bearing capacity of the structure remains stable to allow enough time for people to evacuate safely. As fire retardant board is engineered with low heat conductivity and high heat absorption, the temperature on the other side of the fire will remain low for a considerable period of time.
Steel columns can be safely encased with fire retardant board.
Fire retardant board’s multiple uses include board encasement systems for steel protection, wall linings, ceilings, floors, ducts, concrete protection and sealing penetrations and voids.
Typically used for internal application, PROFINISH Fire Protection employs expert installers that can adapt the application of fireboard for external application by adding weatherproof treatment such as cement sheet, render and/or exterior paint coatings.
Fire Retardant Board in Practice: Ikon Park
As part of the recent IKON Park upgrade at Carlton’s home ground, we installed a complete floor and ceiling solution using Promat SYSTEMPANEL® 2G.
We’ve more recently incorporated fire retardant board into a modular build project. At the Northern Hospital Extension project in Epping, we installed Promatect 250 to columns and beams. This matrix-engineered mineral board is autoclaved to produce benefits including non-combustibility, impact and abrasion resistance, moisture tolerance, stability in fire conditions and good insulation properties when exposed to fire. Explore the project here.
As your trusted third-party passive fire protection provider, some mistakes we often see with fire retardant board application is not allowing for the correct thickness of the board based on the FRL required. This can lead to misaligning walls. We also often come across builds that use fire rating products from different suppliers. This means there is no interface report supplied and the fire rating solution will need to be reassessed by the surveyor and fire engineer. This can reveal more defects that need to be addressed and potentially delay your build schedule.
Fire-rating solutions with Speedpanel®
Still a relatively new material on the passive fire protection scene, Speedpanel® continues to gain traction in the construction industry as an innovative acoustic and fire-rated wall system. Part of its appeal is that it has been created specifically for Australian conditions. With a fire rating of 4-hour integrity and 2 hours thermally at 3 metres, it can be also designed for greater heights and has the capacity to withstand high wind loads. One of the lightest building materials on the market, it can be erected quickly to speed up building times.
Its versatility has already seen it integrated into major builds across major cities in Australia on large-scale civic and commercial projects. It exceeds BCA requirements and satisfies the exacting requirements of fire engineers.
Speedpanel®’s many applications include internal and external walls, duct shafts, air shafts, lift shafts, plant rooms, lift wells, air plenums, vertical walls and even ceilings.
When Hillsong Church in Knoxfield was looking for a passive fire solution, Speedpanel®’s cutting-edge acoustic and fire rated wall system met all of their requirements. As part of a complete fire protection solution, we implemented wall systems using a combination of Promatect 100 and Speedpanel®. We also applied Vermiculite cafco 300 to internal beams and columns and Promaspray 300 to internal ducts.
Installing Speedpanel® at Hillsong Church in Knoxfield
At the COTTON:ON Childcare centre HQ in Geelong, a fireproof wall was required to stop possible fire spreading from the existing building into the new centre. We installed a 78mm Speedpanel® wall from one side which was fixed to the new steel structure. This achieved a -/120/120 minute (FRL) Fire Resistance Level running from ground to above roof at approximately 7m high.
A Speedpanel® internal wall at COTTON:ON Headquarters
Fireproof your project with PROFINISH
To incorporate fire retardant board or Speedpanel® into your build, it is recommended that you involve PROFINISH Fire Protection at every stage of your project. We will work with you to implement an end-to-end solution that considers your budget, buildability, time frames, systems, finishes and FRL requirements. From design to build and provision of the required documentation, ask us for a quote via email or call (03) 5274 1226.
