Promat signposts focused CPD on protecting structural steel from fire risk

Recognising the need for early and accurate specification of life-critical safety systems in line with the Building Safety Act 2022, the CPD presentation covers a range of applications of passive fire protection for structural steel.

There’s detail on the common issues involved, while the presentation also highlights the importance of built-in fire protection systems when it comes to safeguarding the structural integrity of steel from the effects of fire.

As a dedicated manufacturer of structural steel fire protection systems, Promat works closely with project teams, principal designers and fire engineers alike during the design stage of building projects in order to ensure the correct product is specified for meeting the Building Regulations.

The CPD presentation examines in detail how issues such as interfacing affect the application of passive fire protection systems, the need to accommodate cellular beams and the requirement for a tested solution that ensures compartmentation remains intact on compartment lines.

For their part, fire protection boards are used to protect structural steelwork for a specified amount of time and play a key role in protecting the integrity of a building. It’s essential that the correct boarding system, with the testing certification in place, is used.

Load bearing capacity

Joshua Slack, commercial director at Promat UK, stated: “Maintaining the load bearing capacity of structural steel under fire conditions is crucial to building safety. The aim of this CPD is to provide a strong grounding in the testing standards that manufacturers should follow and offer comprehensive insights into the specification of passive fire protection systems that are proven to perform in protecting structural steel. Those systems should always be backed by independent third party testing and certification.”

Slack continued: “Making sure that the specification is right at the first stage is essential. Promat advocates collaboration between stakeholders at the earliest stages of a given project, involving architects and specifiers to ensure passive fire protection systems adequately support the initial design. By offering a detailed CPD on fire protection for structural steel, our overriding aim is to support confidence in specification.”

The CPD presentation also examines the current regulatory landscape including the evolution of Approved Document B of the Building Regulations and the shift from British Standard to European Norm standards.

Further, the CPD highlights the comprehensive testing solutions provided by Promat to ensure adequate protection, including in those applications where fire protection board is a required solution. These include situations where steel beams and columns form part of compartmentation, the protection of cellular and deep beams and different kinds of interfaces.

*Register your interest in Promat’s structural steel CPD presentation by visiting the company’s website