Priceless fire safety at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
Like other PFP coatings, Hempafire Pro 315 Fast Dry is applied in thin layers to structural steel. When exposed to fire, it expands to form an insulating char, which enables the steel to retain its loadbearing capacity for longer, giving extra time for evacuation and emergency response. Unlike other PFP coatings, however, Hempafire Pro 315 Fast Dry is designed with applicator efficiency in mind.
Due to the lower loadings of Hempafire Pro 315, we can now use less paint resulting in quicker drying times. This is a big advantage to our business as it will improve our delivery times and maximise our overall productivity and throughput.Artur Marques, Chief Executive Officer, Nanosteel S.A
The challenge
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the main international airport in the Netherlands and the third-busiest airport in Europe with more than 71 million passengers during 2019. The airport is currently being expanded, with part of the project including a new 55,000 square metre pier which will provide Amsterdam Airport Schiphol with eight new aircraft gates.
With a strong commitment to fire safety, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol boasts an extensive training programme for firefighters to ensure the fastest possible response time in case of emergency. It was no surprise therefore that the airport wanted a high quality PFP (passive fire protection) coating for the 6,000 tons of structural steel in the new building.
Nanosteel, the main coating application company on the project, was looking for a PFP coating that provides at least 60 minutes passive fire protection – and is fast and easy to apply.
The solution
Our solution was Hempafire Pro 315 Fast Dry, an advanced PFP coating that delivers excellent passive fire protection and is optimised to reduce cost and time during application. For Nanosteel, Hempafire Pro 315 Fast Dry had a number of advantages.
Exceptionally low loadings
Thanks to a 19.5% volume saving compared to competitor products, Nanosteel could apply thinner dry film thicknesses, which reduced paint consumption and drying times. As a result, Nanosteel could coat more steel in less time.
Hempafire Pro 315 Fast Dry remains easy to apply, even at high film thicknesses, and gives an excellent finish. For Nanosteel, this meant less damage in transit and reduced touch-up work onsite – further increasing efficiency gains.
Reduced complexity
Because Hempafire Pro 315 Fast Dry can be used for all steel profiles in corrosive environments from C1 to C4, Nanosteel only needed to work with one PFP coating, significantly reducing project complexity.
At a glance
(60 minutes cellulosic fire)
- Country: Netherlands
- Owner: Royal Schiphol
- Group Steel construction: Bysteel
- Paint application: Nanosteel, MMO
- Main contractor: Ballast Nedam-TAV
- Environment: C2 to C4
- Intumescent products used: 43361 / 43601
- Total coverage: 12,091 m²
- Application: Airless spray
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