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:
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.
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.

Latest News

Steel Industry to Showcase Importance of Recycling at Greenbuild

November 14, 2018

Steel industry commemorates America Recycles Day and 30th Anniversary of the Steel Recycling Institute on November 15, 2018.

SJI to Host Webinar on Evaluation and Modification of Open Web Steel Joists and Joist Girders - Part II

November 12, 2018

The "Evaluation and Modification of Open Web Steel Joists and Joist Girders - Part II" webinar will be held on Wednesday, November 21, 2018 from 11:00 am to 12:15 pm EST, followed by a 15-minute Q&A session.

AISI Publishes New Cold-Formed Steel Research Report on Load Bearing Clip Angle Design

October 30, 2018

The report presents the second phase of a research project aimed at developing design methods for three limit states of cold-formed steel clip angles—shear, compression, and pullover of the screw connections.

NCSPA Publishes Webinar on the Production and Usage of Polymer-Coated Corrugated Steel Pipe Products

October 26, 2018

NCSPA has completed an online video that takes the viewer step-by-step through the production of TRENCHCOAT™ protective film and its application to steel for polymer-coated corrugated steel pipe products.

Metal Roofing Alliance Searches for Top Survivor Home of 2018

October 23, 2018

The Metal Roofing Alliance is seeking stories from homeowners with metal roofs who survived Mother Nature’s wrath for a chance to earn the title of MRA’s Top Survivor Home of the Year and a $1,500 grand prize.