Contego’s New D603 Floor Ceiling Assembly from UL Finally Puts An End to The Cementitious Nightmare for Fireproofing Decks
Gone are the days of horrifically ugly sprayed on “oatmeal” that delaminates.
Contego has been famous for cutting-edge super thin film intumescent technology – and now has a UL intumescent deck assembly for corrugate pan decking that exceeds two hours! Contego is thin, light, smooth, green and affordable as well.
As Mel Martin, in charge of Contego’s Canadian Business Development, says “It’s not a question of if it [cementitious fireproofing] will fall off, but when.”
Contego’s adhesion of 631 PSI, according to our ASTM D4541 test, is twice that of our one closest competitor and between ten and fifteen times better than most of the rest.
Structural steel is protected with Contego’s thin film intumescent coating. You can see below the pervasive damage that spray-on fireproofing typically inflicts on steel.
Here’s a shot of the two types of fireproofing side by side on steel beams (cementitious behind and thin film in front).
Of course, beams and columns also benefit from a thin film intumescent, but more on that in another post.
For now, would you prefer this:
All of that brown discoloration is the steel rotting away under the cementitious product.
Or would you prefer this:
Historically, there were no options beyond cementitious. SFRM (Spray-Applied Fire Resistive Material) was the only way to get a rating on deck systems. No more. In the past, the only other reason to continue using SFRMs was because they were perceived as being cheap. Now people are finding severe damage to their structures where SFRMs have been applied. Some damage so bad that the building can’t be spared and people are realizing a lower initial cost is a terrible bargain just a few short years down the road.
Cementitious fireproofing tends to become dislodged and fall off.
With the medical community also warning against the use of SFRMs, the potential legal liabilities make SFRMs the last thing you should use.
Now all of that has changed. For those who like UL, our new D603 intumescent deck assembly clears the way to an astonishingly thin and smooth coating that can be top coated to unleash a world of creative options.
Just as important, after reviewing the raw data, the Contego intumescent deck assembly was nowhere near failure at 2 hours, so the real rating is well beyond that mark. In the near future, we will run the same test extended to three or four hours as well as a very thin coat that is consistent with our ASTM-E119, UL-263,ULc-S101 test done at Intertek in 2009.
https://contegointernational.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/contego-logo-redder.png00Lisa Schwartzhttps://contegointernational.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/contego-logo-redder.pngLisa Schwartz2017-05-08 05:48:192024-07-17 15:24:09Exciting News: This is a Truly Revolutionary Intumescent Deck Assembly
We are excited to share perhaps the most exceptional set of test results ever announced regarding any intumescent fire barrier and its ability to protect spray polyurethane foam insulation (SPF).
SPF is unmatched as an insulation product, as well as an excellent sound and moisture barrier. It must be protected from fire, though, in any situation where the space is being occupied or used as storage. There are a few ways to protect spray polyurethane foam insulation, but nothing matches Contego’s reactive intumescent fire barrier coating. Contego is thin, beautiful, completely non-toxic and easily applied.
Until Contego, test results were limited to a maximum of 15 minutes, which qualified it as a “thermal barrier”. (There is a lesser rating for unoccupied space called an “ignition barrier”, but there are several products that can do this, so that is of little interest to us.)
Now all of that has changed. You can check out a live burn of spray polyurethane foam in the video below (2nd half):
Even though a few spray foam products are marketed as being fireproof, you can see that they are not. However, with two coats of Contego’s intumescent fire barrier, SPF is protected well above and beyond code requirements. Even repeated burns can’t get to the foam when coated with Contego.
Here’s the exciting part. Note that all metrics were flat by 6:00.00 and remained so until the end of the test. Had the test been able to run for multiple hours, it is only logical to assume it would have performed no differently than it did at 6:00.00. This is further supported by our EN-13823 test outcome, which you can view (here-part 1 and here-part 2), that also flat lined in under six minutes and stayed flat for an additional 20 minutes before the test was terminated. Is one hour now possible? How about two? Frankly, it would have been able to go all day.
Click here to view the formal, finished report from UL describing the results of using Contego fire barrier on GACO western foam using the UL-1715 standard.
Please see our Polyurethane Foam Fire Test page if you would like to see other Contego fire barrier tests on spray polyurethane foam insulation.
https://contegointernational.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/contego-logo-redder.png00Lisa Schwartzhttps://contegointernational.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/contego-logo-redder.pngLisa Schwartz2016-01-06 18:51:372024-07-17 15:24:10Contego Fire Barrier Scores Exceptional Test Results on UL-1715
The delamination on this example shows that poor application can cause failure of adhesion just as an explosion can.
Utilizing fire retardant paint for your fireproofing needs is more than just adhering to building guidelines — it can mean life or death. The tragedy of 9/11 made the case for that point forever.
“If the steel in the World Trade Center could have been adequately protected for just a little longer, it might not have fallen,” says Tony Scott, Contego executive vice president.
As flames engulfed the Twin Towers, the steel was exposed to temperatures of more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, hotter than a normal cellulosic fire because of the jet fuel.
However, an even bigger problem was the total failure in adhesion. The impact completely stripped the substrates of their protective coating.
When heated to 1,000°F, steel loses half its strength: For instance, a beam supporting 2,000 tons could only support half that weight at 1,000°F, putting the entire structure at risk. “The World Trade Center collapsed because it could no longer support itself,” says Scott, “The weight of the floors above the failure acted like a pile driver collapsing the floor below. The increasing momentum guaranteed the total destruction of the Towers.”
By making sure you’ve used an intumescent product with excellent adhesion, you’ll keep structural steel (or any underlying substrate) cool and intact during a fire.
Fire retardant paint keeps steel from reaching dangerous temperatures by insulating the substrate, even in extreme conditions. As flames heat the steel, the substrate loses shape. But fire retardant paint with strong adhesion allows the coating to continue to stick to the steel without flaking off.
While the fire might be burning at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, the coating keeps the steel at a safe temperature for as long as possible.
Fire-resistant coatings can’t withstand heat indefinitely, but the aim is to protect the steel long enough so the fire burns out or help arrives.
Furnace fire tests and control burns show that Contego protects steel “extremely well for up to three hours restrained,” says Scott.
For more on the best way to test the adhesion of fire retardant paint and how to pick the perfect fire-resistant coat for your project, download our eBook.
https://contegointernational.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/contego-logo-redder.png00Lisa Schwartzhttps://contegointernational.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/contego-logo-redder.pngLisa Schwartz2015-07-15 19:26:422024-07-17 15:24:119/11 and Why Adhesion Matters with Fire Retardant Paint
Exciting News: This is a Truly Revolutionary Intumescent Deck Assembly
Contego’s New D603 Floor Ceiling Assembly from UL Finally Puts An End to The Cementitious Nightmare for Fireproofing Decks
Gone are the days of horrifically ugly sprayed on “oatmeal” that delaminates.
Contego has been famous for cutting-edge super thin film intumescent technology – and now has a UL intumescent deck assembly for corrugate pan decking that exceeds two hours! Contego is thin, light, smooth, green and affordable as well.
As Mel Martin, in charge of Contego’s Canadian Business Development, says “It’s not a question of if it [cementitious fireproofing] will fall off, but when.”
Contego’s adhesion of 631 PSI, according to our ASTM D4541 test, is twice that of our one closest competitor and between ten and fifteen times better than most of the rest.
Structural steel is protected with Contego’s thin film intumescent coating. You can see below the pervasive damage that spray-on fireproofing typically inflicts on steel.
Here’s a shot of the two types of fireproofing side by side on steel beams (cementitious behind and thin film in front).
Of course, beams and columns also benefit from a thin film intumescent, but more on that in another post.
For now, would you prefer this:
All of that brown discoloration is the steel rotting away under the cementitious product.
Or would you prefer this:
Historically, there were no options beyond cementitious. SFRM (Spray-Applied Fire Resistive Material) was the only way to get a rating on deck systems. No more. In the past, the only other reason to continue using SFRMs was because they were perceived as being cheap. Now people are finding severe damage to their structures where SFRMs have been applied. Some damage so bad that the building can’t be spared and people are realizing a lower initial cost is a terrible bargain just a few short years down the road.
Cementitious fireproofing tends to become dislodged and fall off.
With the medical community also warning against the use of SFRMs, the potential legal liabilities make SFRMs the last thing you should use.
Now all of that has changed. For those who like UL, our new D603 intumescent deck assembly clears the way to an astonishingly thin and smooth coating that can be top coated to unleash a world of creative options.
Just as important, after reviewing the raw data, the Contego intumescent deck assembly was nowhere near failure at 2 hours, so the real rating is well beyond that mark. In the near future, we will run the same test extended to three or four hours as well as a very thin coat that is consistent with our ASTM-E119, UL-263,ULc-S101 test done at Intertek in 2009.
Most of Contego’s data on steel can be viewed here on our Steel Fire Test page.
Additional UL data can be viewed on UL’s website here.
Contego Fire Barrier Scores Exceptional Test Results on UL-1715
We are excited to share perhaps the most exceptional set of test results ever announced regarding any intumescent fire barrier and its ability to protect spray polyurethane foam insulation (SPF).
SPF is unmatched as an insulation product, as well as an excellent sound and moisture barrier. It must be protected from fire, though, in any situation where the space is being occupied or used as storage. There are a few ways to protect spray polyurethane foam insulation, but nothing matches Contego’s reactive intumescent fire barrier coating. Contego is thin, beautiful, completely non-toxic and easily applied.
Until Contego, test results were limited to a maximum of 15 minutes, which qualified it as a “thermal barrier”. (There is a lesser rating for unoccupied space called an “ignition barrier”, but there are several products that can do this, so that is of little interest to us.)
Now all of that has changed. You can check out a live burn of spray polyurethane foam in the video below (2nd half):
Even though a few spray foam products are marketed as being fireproof, you can see that they are not. However, with two coats of Contego’s intumescent fire barrier, SPF is protected well above and beyond code requirements. Even repeated burns can’t get to the foam when coated with Contego.
Here’s the exciting part. Note that all metrics were flat by 6:00.00 and remained so until the end of the test. Had the test been able to run for multiple hours, it is only logical to assume it would have performed no differently than it did at 6:00.00. This is further supported by our EN-13823 test outcome, which you can view (here-part 1 and here-part 2), that also flat lined in under six minutes and stayed flat for an additional 20 minutes before the test was terminated. Is one hour now possible? How about two? Frankly, it would have been able to go all day.
Click here to view the formal, finished report from UL describing the results of using Contego fire barrier on GACO western foam using the UL-1715 standard.
Please see our Polyurethane Foam Fire Test page if you would like to see other Contego fire barrier tests on spray polyurethane foam insulation.
9/11 and Why Adhesion Matters with Fire Retardant Paint
The delamination on this example shows that poor application can cause failure of adhesion just as an explosion can.
Utilizing fire retardant paint for your fireproofing needs is more than just adhering to building guidelines — it can mean life or death. The tragedy of 9/11 made the case for that point forever.
“If the steel in the World Trade Center could have been adequately protected for just a little longer, it might not have fallen,” says Tony Scott, Contego executive vice president.
As flames engulfed the Twin Towers, the steel was exposed to temperatures of more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, hotter than a normal cellulosic fire because of the jet fuel.
However, an even bigger problem was the total failure in adhesion. The impact completely stripped the substrates of their protective coating.
When heated to 1,000°F, steel loses half its strength: For instance, a beam supporting 2,000 tons could only support half that weight at 1,000°F, putting the entire structure at risk. “The World Trade Center collapsed because it could no longer support itself,” says Scott, “The weight of the floors above the failure acted like a pile driver collapsing the floor below. The increasing momentum guaranteed the total destruction of the Towers.”
By making sure you’ve used an intumescent product with excellent adhesion, you’ll keep structural steel (or any underlying substrate) cool and intact during a fire.
Fire retardant paint keeps steel from reaching dangerous temperatures by insulating the substrate, even in extreme conditions. As flames heat the steel, the substrate loses shape. But fire retardant paint with strong adhesion allows the coating to continue to stick to the steel without flaking off.
While the fire might be burning at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, the coating keeps the steel at a safe temperature for as long as possible.
Fire-resistant coatings can’t withstand heat indefinitely, but the aim is to protect the steel long enough so the fire burns out or help arrives.
Furnace fire tests and control burns show that Contego protects steel “extremely well for up to three hours restrained,” says Scott.
For more on the best way to test the adhesion of fire retardant paint and how to pick the perfect fire-resistant coat for your project, download our eBook.