New Bulletin :
Inspection of Concrete Passive Fire Protection
Training
Objective : The reader should understand how
to inspect concrete fireproofing and assess its
suitability for service. This paper
focuses on concrete/cementitious fireproofing,
the most common fireproofing found in process
plants.
Inspection
of Fireproofing : Fireproofing should be
inspected annually and immediately following
fires, explosions, turnarounds, or unusual
structural movement due to earthquakes,
unusually violent upsets, mechanical impacts or
extreme weather (hurricanes, tornadoes, floods,
etc.) During these inspections the
fireproofing should be surveyed for:
-
Cracks
(hairline cracks are normal, but any crack
that can be seen into is cause for concern).
-
Delamination, softening, staining or
bulging.
-
Weather
related damage (colour change, powdering, or
thinning of coat).
-
Signs of
water intrusion including unsealed
penetrations through the fireproofing,
calcite deposits and rust stains.
-
Loss of
fireproofing materials as a result of
fire/explosion (spalling) or mechanical
abuse.
-
Areas
where the fireproofing was removed for
maintenance activities and not replaced.
Softening,
delamination, bulging, rust stains and calcite
deposits may be indicative of water intrusion,
adhesion failures, improper
installation/preparation or other major
problems. In these cases, selectively
remove small sections of fireproofing to examine
the substrate and reinforcing wires. Once
the root cause of the problem is identified it
should be addressed and the fireproofing system
repaired or replaced.
Damage can negate or reduce the protection
provided by the fireproofing system and can lead
to corrosion of the underlying structural steel.
Therefore, repair or replacement should be
undertaken at the earliest opportunity.
For additional
information, refer to API Publication 228,
(Fireproofing Practices in Petroleum and
Petrochemical Processing Plants) and HSE Onshore
Information Sheet No. 12/2007, Advice on
Acceptance Criteria for Damaged Passive Fire
Protection (PFP) Coatings.
Previous Bulletins :
Petroleum Bulk Plant Incidents by USFA
- February 2010
Evaluating fire response needs and determining
the best response solution
- January 2010
Access and Water Supply :
Underground Water Pipe Depth-of-Cover
- December 2009
The Value of Water Flow
Information
- November 2009
