Guarding against devastating fires

Liquid Plastics Group Marketing director Phil Richardson.

Phil Richardson, group marketing director, Liquid Plastics, discusses how fire safety is an extremely important to preventing construction delays.

Fire is a major issue for all industry sectors in all parts of the world — what can begin as a small spark can lead to devastation and untold costs. The construction industry is one that is particularly susceptible, as a fire during the building process can put contracts back for months or even years, and the potential risk to the health and safety of workers is unimaginable.

Last year saw several construction-related fires in Dubai alone, with the fire and resulting tragedies during the construction of the Fortune Tower in the Jumeirah Lake Towers area of Dubai, and previously the Khalid Al Attar Tower 2 on Sheikh Zayed Road. But with the rate of construction showing no signs of slowing down, and the pressure on contractors to get buildings completed, how do construction industry professionals avoid the risks?

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All buildings in the UAE must adhere to The Fire Protection Federal Law for 1991, with other international standards – such as those from the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) – also being recognised. In order to conform, fire safety and protection measures should be considered at the design stage, where it is the responsibility of architects and developers to consider what safety measures to put in place and which fire-resistant building materials to use. In addition it is important to give thought to the application methods of the chosen building materials, including the roof waterproofing systems.

Liquid Plastics — a manufacturer of cold applied waterproofing systems — recently hosted a unique event, called “Don’t Get Your Fingers Burnt,” in conjunction with the UK Institute of Fire Safety Managers.

The event provided an exclusive opportunity for construction industry professionals to learn more about fire risks, and demonstrated to architects, contractors, and specifiers that there are alternative options to high risk roof waterproofing methods such as hot bitumen and torch-applied felts.

Our main goal whilst in Dubai was to highlight the importance of including fire safe processes at the very early stages of design, and to ensure that only certified products are used during the construction process.

Many professionals who work at the specification stage are not fully aware that traditional methods of applying roofing systems often require temperatures in excess of +500°C to +800°C using gas torches, and hot air or hot gas guns.
 

These methods have been used for many years, resulting in countless roof fires, and occasionally causing severe damage and even the loss of entire buildings.

During the event we were also fortunate to be joined by the director general of the Dubai Civil Defence, major general Rashid Thani Al Matrooshi, who provided an introduction speech and also commented that cold applied roofing products would be the preferred choice for all buildings in Dubai as they are very safe and present zero risk during the construction process.

Liquid Plastics introduced its answer to flame free, heat free roof waterproofing in the UK several decades ago. Since that time our product – Decothane – has evolved into the top of the range waterproof roof membrane we see today on buildings such as Sharjah airport, Ethiopia’s palace at Bahir Dar, and currently in use on the roof of Abu Dhabi Airport

Decothane is a moisture triggered, polyurethane system that is cold applied in liquid form, thus eliminating the need for any heat or flame during application.

This makes Decothane completely safe to apply and avoids any risk of fire in contrast to the numerous risks associated with using hot works during a roof application. Furthermore there is no need to transport heavy machinery up many storeys to the roof area as Decothane can be simply applied straight from the tin.

Its liquid application also means that Decothane can easily encapsulate detail work and upstands within its seamless, elastomeric membrane without the risk of joints and other weak points that can lead to early failure of the waterproofing system.

It is also this elasticity that allows Decothane to tolerate structural movement without cracking. All work can be carried out with minimal disruption and without causing any danger to other contractors working on the building.

When applied in solar reflective white, Decothane will reflect damaging UV rays from the sun and emit the majority of heat that is usually absorbed. This results in a lower surface temperature on the roof and in turn decreases the amount of heat that is transferred into the building below.

Ultimately building owners can achieve cost savings through the reduction of energy use that is typically associated with cooling a higher temperature building.

As a result Decothane has earned the Energy Star® accreditation from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and can contribute to the Emirates Green Building Council’s (EGBC) LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) points, which help to recognize a building as being environmentally friendly.