The Association For Specialist Fire Protection Publishes New Advisory Notes On Fire Protection Of Structural Steel

The Association for Specialist Fire Protection has published three new Advisory Notes offering guidance on the fire protection of structural steel.

2021 version

Addressing specific concerns identified by the industry, the ASFP's Advisory Note 19 sets out its position on the use of critical steel temperatures above 650°C.

In an update to the previous edition from July 2020, the 2021 version notes: 'It is vital to ensure that the appropriate limiting temperature is used in the specification of a reactive coating. Use of an elevated temperature (above 650°C) without the appropriate engineering checks could potentially leave a structure under-protected in a fire situation.'

Advisory Note 19

A second opinion must be sought from a structural engineer with an appropriate experience

Advisory Note 19 reinforces the best practice guidance contained within Advisory Note 12 that provides guidance on best practices for specifying reactive coatings for structural steel fire protection. 

This is published jointly by the ASFP and the British Coatings Federation and advises that if a limiting temperature of above 650°C is specified, then a second opinion must be sought from a structural engineer with appropriate fire design and engineering experience.

Advisory Note 23

The second new Advisory Note sets out the ASFP position on secondary steelwork. Advisory Note 23 offers a useful flowchart to assist in determining whether protection is necessary and how best to provide it in different scenarios. The document defines what is deemed to be primary and secondary steelwork.

It advises: 'Steel bracing members required to provide stability to the structure at the fire limit state should have adequate fire resistance unless alternative load paths can be identified.'

Advisory Note 24

Advisory Note 24 introduces proposed revisions to some of the tables in the fifth edition of the ASFP’s Yellow Book about fire protection for structural steel in buildings.

The revisions focus on the use of Yellow Book critical temperatures for the UK.