Whether it is a steel post or a steel beam, steel easily absorbs heat and quickly loses strength at temperatures over 500°C, unprotected steel sections will often only survive around 20 minutes of normal fire conditions. Protection methods such as intumescent paints or fire protection boards are the standard method to increase the Fire resistance rating, but are costly, complicated to carry out and complicate the design of connections to other building components. A hot measurement can allow the steel structure to achieve the required fire resistance without these disadvantages.
Fire design of steel structures
Typically the hot measurement of steel requires a more advanced calculation or methods. For example a local or natural fire calculation, CFD (Computational Flow Dynamics). We have also had successful projects where we partial passive fire protection of the Steg was recommended and proved with a hot measurement.
Hot measurement of modular container buildings.
Whether for temporary schools, refugee centres or offices, modular buildings are recently becoming more popular. As they are constructed differently to normal steel buildings, they present atypical challenges. Usually, the steel structure is highly loaded and also has reduced passive fire protection. Lenz Weber has experience in the hot measurement of several different successful projects of this type. Often a CFD flow analysis is required to calculate the temperature of the outside of the building.
In all cases, the results allowed the building to be used as required, often with large cost savings to alternative methods.
The requirements for modular buildings vary greatly between the different Bundesländer, as Lenz Weber has projects in many of the different Bündesländer we are ready to advise you on how these differences will affect the viability and economics of the hot measurement.
Fire safety design of industrial steel halls
We have experience in the hot measurement of a range of steel industrial halls. Whether this is with standard steel construction or steel composite construction. Past projects have also looked at conveyor belt systems, similar to in airports.
Aluminium
Aluminium absorbs heat quicker and loses its strength at lower temperatures than steel, therefore it performs even worse in fire than steel. Lenz Weber was proud to collaborate with Ingeni SARL in Switzerland to prove the fire resistance of a historically protected Cinema from the 60s constructed from Aluminium.
Galvanised steel
Recent research has also shown that galvanised steel has improved performance in fire, as the surface tends to reflect heat away. We can provide computational or hand calculations based on this new research for such galvanised steel sections.
Other solutions.
Difficult problems require creative solutions. Perhaps there is no room for passive fire protection or it interferes with other functions. We have several projects where we have been able to offer a solution that still fulfils the relevant regulations and standards.