Back to blog

Fire Resistant Building Materials - Your Full Guide

Posted on 4th July 2023

The successful protection of your building from fire starts with choosing the right flame retardant materials. To ensure you’re using the right fire resistant building materials it’s important to review their fire stopping abilities prior to construction and take adequate measures based on this.

There are a number of factors to take into account when selecting the correct fire resistant materials. Those can include load-bearing capacity, conductivity or speed of decay.

Let’s have a look at some of the best fire resistant building materials and their exact properties!

What are the Most Fire Resistant Building Materials?

Bricks

Individual bricks have great heat resistance properties with the ability to withstand temperatures of 800°C to 1200°C. The main reason for this is their manufacturing process. Bricks are normally fired in a kiln at high temperatures.

In a building, however, bricks are held together by mortar which as a material doesn’t have the same level of fire resistance. Most mortar is fire resistant to a certain extent since it's a mix of clay, sand and cement.

The problem arises when mortar is heated up too quickly. The dramatic increase in temperature causes mortar to expand and crack, lowering the load-bearing capacity of the wall.

Despite this, brick is one of the most fire resistant building materials, used for both internal and external walls. To further protect them from fire, bricks are also used in combination with other materials such as plaster or gypsum boards.

Glass

When exposed to heat and cooled down, glass cracks and shatters. In high-rise buildings it’s essential to use reinforced, toughened glass. This type of glass is much more resistant to fire and quick changes in temperature.

Steel

Steel is known for its high tensile strength and structural integrity. It’s resistant to degradation and can withstand the effects of rust and rot, however, it can’t hold out against high temperatures.

When exposed to high temperatures, structural steel will start to weaken and collapse. At 600°C steel will start to lose load-bearing abilities and at 1400°C it completely melts. To improve the fire resistance of structural steel, understanding the potential risks and managing them with adequate passive fire protection is a must.

Concrete

Concrete’s tolerance to heat is dependent on its exact composition. As a baseline, reinforced concrete will withstand a temperature of up to 1000°C for about an hour before it loses its strength.

Gypsum

When it comes to fireproof interior finishes, gypsum boards are the most common structural material. Gypsum burns slowly and stops fire from spreading. In addition, gypsum boards will normally have a non combustible core which further improves their fire resistance.

Our fire consultants use gypsum boards in structural steel fire protection and compartmentation to ensure your building is protected.

How to Ensure Your Building is Completely Fireproof?

There are different measures you can take to completely fireproof your commercial or residential building. Here at GRJ we carry out complete passive fire protection surveys to give you peace of mind and protect your property.

Our experienced consultants will review your project and its fire protection, suggest the best fireproofing materials to use and provide you with a detailed report. Contact us today to inquire about our services.