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Fire Safety
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Fire Safety
Steel is noncombustible, so it does not contribute to the ignition of fires, the spread of fires, or the size and severity of fires, thus reducing risks to occupants, firefighters and property/business owners.
Unprotected steel frames can be used in a wide range of building occupancies and sizes in accordance with building codes.
For larger and higher buildings, fire resistance rated designs for steel building elements and systems are available with fire resistance ratings of up to four hours using a broad variety of fire protection materials, including concrete, masonry, gypsum board, mineral and ceramic fire boards and blankets, sprayed fire resistant materials (SFRM) and intumescent coatings.
Fire resistance rated designs are available for unprotected steel deck with concrete topping floor systems.
Fire resistance rated designs are available for unprotected concrete-filled hollow steel section (HSS) columns.
Detailed design guidance for the selection of fire resistance rated designs is available from:
AISC's Design Guide 19: Fire Resistance of Structural Steel Framing
MBMA's Fire Resistance Design Guide for Metal Building Systems
SFA's Guide to Fire and Acoustic Data for Cold-Formed Steel Floor, Wall and Roof Assemblies
SJI's Technical Bulletin No. 10 – Design of Fire Resistive Assemblies With Steel Joists
The same fire protection thickness for structural steel-framed deck/concrete floor ratings as found in UL Design No. D982 is now available in either restrained or unrestrained conditions, according to tests performed at Underwriters Laboratories in 2013. Read more at
"Restrained or Unrestrained?" Modern Steel Construction, Sept. 2013
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Underwriters Laboratories (UL) in Canada has implemented load restrictions on structural steel beams in its fire tests for several years. However, the UL has not provided clear load restriction guidelines that are applicable to the U.S. marketplace. Clarification on how to apply load restrictions in the U.S. and suggested solutions for using UL Designs for fire protection with today's steel design codes are available. Read more at
"UL Design Considerations," Modern Steel Construction, October 2015.