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Secondary Cladding
Interactive Casings—maintaining the integrity
Conventional Secondary Cladding Systems such as GRP or stainless steel rely on an underlying layer of intumescent paint to fire protect the column. This has distinct disadvantages, possibly even dangers.
Fixing battens attached directly to the thin film paint will prevent intumescence from occurring. When the battens have eventually burned away, the intumescent chemistry will have been exhausted so the paint layer will not swell to form the barrier between the heat and the steel. Thus the heat will penetrate the column which will rapidly reach its load bearing failure temperature.
The cladding itself may also impede intumescence, and although the cladding material is supposed to burn away in a fire, it is not guaranteed to do so before the intumescent chemistry is exhausted. It is of utmost importance that guidance is sought before undertaking any installation of this nature. The ASFP has published guidelines on this subject.
in the event of fire
The condition of the fire protective paint determines how well it performs and in a system such as this, it is almost impossible to determine without very expensive removal of the outer cladding. The presence of joints may restrict the architect’s design, and also leave the system much more vulnerable to water ingress.
Interact’s solution to the cladding problem
Interact Fire Solutions’Interactive Casings solve these problems by placing the fire protection on the outside, giving it several distinct advantages over older systems.
Construction joints are filled with the same epoxy as used to manufacture the casings, so no joints are visible on closure. Along with the huge freedom of compatible top coats, much aesthetic expression can be realised with this system.
Fire protective material is on the exterior of the system. This allows the intumescence to occur without restriction, and offers immediate and continuous assessment of the condition
of the protection.
By casting over a perforated steel substrate, the already robust material gains extra ruggedness.This provides support for the system and also allows it to be specified
on the building exterior.
It is of utmost importance that guidance is sought before undertaking any installation of this nature. The ASFP has published guidelines on this subject.
See our full Flash explanation of Secondary Cladding.