Intumescent Coating Achieves Excellent Fire Ratings on Specialist Plasterboards
Tech Coatings provides New Zealand’s only tested and endorsed passive fire system for radiation shielding facilities.
Tech Coatings is supplying passive fire solutions to the Canterbury District Health Board’s seven-year remediation project at Christchurch Hospital.
As part of the CDHB’s novel passive fire approach, they chose to apply Tech Coating’s FBL-100 intumescent coating to existing substrates. The appeal of this approach arises from the fact that adding a layer of FBL-100 serves a multitude of purposes, the primary ones being the guarantee to achieve the required FRR when upgrading fire-separating elements and at the same time disposing of the requirement to rip out and replace the existing linings.
The complexity of the Christchurch Hospital project constantly calls for new, adaptable solutions that concurrently need to be provided on short notice.
Most recently, Tech Coatings was tasked to extend its application range to include a tested and endorsed passive fire solution for GIB's X-Block, which is utilised as a lead-free protective barrier for medical X-ray diagnostic rooms to shield staff and occupants against unacceptable levels of radiation.
Tech Coatings tested the addition of FBL-100 to Gib’s X-Block system at FTS Laboratory in Auckland in accordance with AS 1530.4:2014 using the following specimen:
3000 x 3000mm (2970 x 2990mm specimen) Full-Scale test constructed in accordance with NZS 3604,
On 90 x 45mm timber framing with studs at 600mm centres and nogs at 800mm centres,
Lined on the exposed side with one layer of 13mm GIB X-Block Plasterboard, installed in accordance with the GIB X-block Guide with X-Block Jointing compound and GIB Grabber Screws, then coated with 1000μm of FBL-100 coating system,
Lined on the un-exposed side and one layer of 13mm GIB Standard plasterboard, installed in accordance with the GIB Site Guide
Tech Coatings was able to provide the required FRR of -/60/60 when exposed to fire from the GIB X-Block/FBL-100 side and was therefore able to provide a fully tested and endorsed system.
Advantages of the system:
Provides required protection from X-ray radiation and necessary FRR rating
Environmentally friendly as lead free, halogen free and low VOC
Eliminates complex and costly installation procedures
Allows for a uniform appearance and architectural surface finish