Passive Fire Protection Materials Research Articles

Properties of fly ash-based spray-applied fire resistive materials

Spray-applied fire-resistive materials (SFRMs) are one of the most commonly used passive fire protection materials due to their low thermal conductivity, lightweight, cost-effectiveness, and ease of application. Gypsum and Portland cement are commonly used in SFRMs to bind lightweight fillers and fibres. Due to the wide application of SFRMs, their production consumes large amounts of natural and non-renewable resources and contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. This paper investigates the feasibility of using industrial by-products (e.g., fly ash) and waste materials (e.g., waste glass) to manufacture SFRMs with the aim of reducing the environmental impact. Accordingly, three SFRMs with different densities were developed utilising fly ash blended cement (FAC) and expanded glass. The use of FAC significantly reduced the use of Portland cement by 81% and achieved a 28-day compressive strength of 33.8–46.3 MPa for the binder. The developed SFRMs had average densities of 345 kg/m3, 560 kg/m3, and 698 kg/m3 for low-, medium-, and high-density groups, respectively. The compressive strengths of the SFRMs ranged from 747 kPa to 888 kPa, 6188 kPa to 7314 kPa, and 2343 kPa to 3535 kPa for the corresponding three groups, respectively. Additionally, the bond strengths of the corresponding SFRMs are 14.4 kPa–19.3 kPa (low-density), 34 kPa–40.9 kPa (medium-density), and 51.5 kPa–85.1 kPa (high-density), respectively. All the tested SFRMs met the requirements for density, compressive strength, bond strength, and non-combustibility. The thermal properties of the developed SFRMs were comparable to those of commercially available cementitious-based SFRMs in the same density group. In addition, using FAC instead of Portland cement could reduce carbon emissions by 68.4% and save costs by 38.4% in the Australian context.

The Behavior of Passive Fire Protection Materials Used for Fire Protection of Steel Structures in Standard, Hydrocarbon, and Jet Fire Exposure

Structural steel, when exposed to fire, loses its tensile strength and ability to resist deformation. Both organic and inorganic material-based passive fire protection systems, are being traditionally used to protect steel structures in such scenarios. This study focused on comparing the performance of the same organic and inorganic coatings in standard fire, hydrocarbon fire, and jet fire conditions. Standard, hydrocarbon fire, and jet fire experiments were carried out in full-scale fire resistance furnaces as per ASTM E-119, UL 1709, and ISO 22899-1 respectively. From the results, it was observed that both organic and inorganic materials tend to underperform in jet fire scenarios, when compared with standard and hydrocarbon fire due to the impingement/turbulence effect and the thermo-mechanical effect caused by the velocity of the gas.

Use of Cement Mortar Incorporating Superabsorbent Polymer as a Passive Fire-Protective Layer

Concrete structures, when exposed to fire or high temperatures for a certain time, could suffer partial damage or complete structural failure. Passive fire-protective coating materials are an alternative way to prevent or delay damage to concrete structures resulting from fire. Superabsorbent polymer (SP) is a synthetic material known for its ability to absorb and retain a large volume of water within itself. With this unique property, the SP exhibits great potential for use as a passive fire protection material. Although several studies have been carried out to investigate the effect of SP as a surface coating material for fire protection, very few have been investigated on the potential use of SP mixed with mortar as a passive fire-protective layer. The objective of this study is to introduce the use of SP in plastering mortar as a fire-protective layer for concrete subjected to temperatures up to 800 °C. This study is divided into two parts: (1) investigating the properties of cement mortar mixed with SP at 0.5% (CONC/SP-0.5) and 1.0% (CONC/SP-1.0) by weight of cement, and (2) investigating the potential use of SP mortar as a plastering layer for concrete subject to high temperatures. The experimental results showed that the density and compressive strength of SP mortar decreases with increasing SP dosages. From the heat exposure results, SP mortar exhibited lower strength loss due to the ability to mitigate moisture through its interconnected pore system. As for the use of SP mortar as a plastering layer, the results demonstrated the concrete specimen plastered with SP mortar had a lower temperature at the interface and core than that plastered with plain mortar. This led to a reduced strength loss of 20.5% for CONC/SP-0.5 and 17.2% for CONC/SP-1.0.

Numerical assessment of post-earthquake fire response of steel buildings

Accidental actions such as fires and earthquakes are generally referred to as high consequence, low probability events. Current national building regulations consider accidental events as completely independent; therefore, the concurrent or chain occurrence of earthquakes and fires is not accounted for in standard design practice. However, in numerous instances, fires have been observed to develop as a consequence of damage sustained during an earthquake and have resulted in structural failures and loss of human lives. The performance of buildings subjected to post-earthquake fires is a major concern that poses on-going challenges to both fire safety professionals as well as structural engineers, whilst representing a high risk for fire and rescue service personnel.The aim of this study was to assess and attempt to quantify the potential impact of an earthquake on the fire resistance of a moment-resisting steel frame, resulting from the permanent deformations (also referred to as residual drifts) of the members or from the damage sustained by the passive fire protection material during peak deformations. Multiple finite element numerical analyses have been carried out on a 5-storey and a 10-storey internal frame of a building, which have been investigated assuming both the cases of fire protected and uninsulated members. The effect of the earthquake on the fire resistance of the structures has been quantified by directly comparing the time until failure when the frames are subjected to the sole action of fire and when they are exposed to the same fire action after having been subjected to an earthquake.The results indicated that the effect of an earthquake on the fire resistance of uninsulated steel frames is negligible irrespective of the frame height. On the other hand, a significant reduction of the fire resistance was observed in case of protected steel frames, which is directly related to the extent of insulation damage. Furthermore, the collapse mode of the frames changes in a detrimental way, if the damage of the insulation is large enough. While the reduced time until failure may directly affect the safety of the occupants, the collapse mode of a building has implications on the safety of the fire brigades and rescue service, as well as people and properties in the vicinity of the building.

Numerical analysis and structural fire design of protected SHS steel columns with thermally enhanced gypsum-based mortars

Fire protection materials should restrict the temperature increase in steel members to prevent premature steel damage and structural failure in case of fire. The design of fire protection materials must be then precise, efficient, and optimized to make steel structures more competitive in the construction sector, thus reducing the impact of one of the worst disadvantages of steel structures. Therefore, this paper presents a numerical investigation into the performance of gypsum-based mortars enhanced with silica micro and nanoparticles as passive fire protection materials to protect the steel columns against fire. Square hollow section (SHS) steel columns were considered for this investigation. Firstly, finite element models were developed and confronted with observations from experimental tests previously carried out by the authors. Secondly, a parametric study was undertaken to study the role of several parameters on the structural fire performance of such columns when exposed to the ISO 834 standard fire curve, including the fire protection thickness and type (composition), column slenderness and load level. Then numerical and analytical results from current design rules in Eurocodes were compared. And finally, changes to the steel temperature prediction method in current design standards were proposed based on the findings of this study. It was observed that the design predictions excessively underestimated the actual fire resistance of the protected SHS steel tubular columns, especially when fire protection mortars with silica micro and nanoparticles were used. The thermal properties of fire protection mortars as a function of temperature must be considered in the structural steel temperature prediction when subjected to fire conditions. It is then strongly recommended that a new revision should be done in the next generation of Eurocodes on this topic based on the proposed modifications or the presented findings.

수동화재보호 재료가 적용된 구조부재의 화재하중에 대한 강도 특성

In offshore installations, fires cause the structure to lose its rigidity and it leads to structural integrity and stability problems. The Passive Fire Protection (PFP) system slows the transfer rate of fire heat and helps prevent the collapse of structures and fatality. Especially, intumescent epoxy coating is widely used in the offshore industry, and not only is the material cost expensive, but it also takes a lot of time and cost for construction. Several studies have been conducted on the efficient application and optimal design of the PFP system. However, the mechanical properties and the strength of the PFP material have not been considered. In addition, researches on the correlation between the thickness of PFP and the structural behavior were insufficient. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the thermal and mechanical effects of the PFP on the structure when it is applied to the structural member. In particular, it is intended to resolve the change in strength characteristics of the structural members as the thickness of the PFP increases.

Jetfire lab: Jetfire at reduced scale

This article addresses the development of a bench-scale test (jetfire lab) mimicking the fire exposure of the large-scale jetfire facility. An experimental approach was addressed to develop direct correlation and to validate the similitude between bench-scale test and large-scale jetfire. Comparisons were made by testing Zaltex passive fire protection material in the form of panels. Novel setups were designed to make the jetfire lab able to measure time/temperature curves similar to those obtained at a large scale. The assembly of the tested samples was also investigated. An experimental protocol was elaborated to consider the junction between parts of the sample at the reduced scale. Direct correlation was found between the large and the bench scale and it was evidenced that jetfire lab can be used for preliminary study and development of new thermal barriers for fire protection.

Small-scale fire performance assessment of intumescent coatings on metal tubes containing ammonium nitrate. A stepping-stone towards their application as a fire safety measure on road transportation tanks?

Ammonium nitrate is used in vast amounts globally, first and foremost as a component of fertilizers and explosive formulations. This usage necessitates its transportation which, as for most hazardous materials, involves certain risks. For oxidizing materials such as ammonium nitrate, the ultimate consequence of road transportation incidents is usually considered to be fire followed by explosion. Even though the probability in general is low, substantial reduction in its risk is a great gain for public safety. Thus, identifying novel and improving current safety measures for risk reduction, is an important aspect in the field of hazardous materials. Herein, a series of experiments are reported, which demonstrate the fire protection performance of two state-of-the-art intumescent passive fire protection materials on small-scale metal test tubes containing ammonium nitrate. Albeit being initial experiments on laboratory-scale, these results provide a promising starting point for further investigations on the potential of these materials for the fire protection of ammonium nitrate when carried in metal tanks. At its best, a prominent protection of ammonium nitrate from heat exposure was observed, as the temperature was kept well below its boiling point for more than 2.5 h. Successively, it resulted in a complete recovery of the sample material. This was in large contrast to the observed results for the unprotected test tubes, which led to complete decomposition of the sample after 11 min.

FIRE RESISTANCE OF STEEL AIR DUCTS WITH COMBINED FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEM

The results of research of fire resistance of steel air ducts with the combined system of fire protection in the conditions of fire influence according to the standard temperature regime according to DSTU B V.1.1-4 are resulted. Steel air ducts were investigated, in the design of which two fire protection systems were used, in which passive fire protection material material (fiberglass "IPS-T-1000") and reactive fire protection material materials ("Endotherm HT-150" and "Endotherm 250103") were used. The research method is applied, which is based on the provisions of DSTU B V.1.1-16. The essence of this technique is that the samples of steel ducts are installed in the vertical support structure of the furnace and exposed to fire. According to the obtained experimental data, the integrity and thermal insulation capacity of air ducts are evaluated. According to the results of the research, the peculiarities of temperature distribution on the unheated surface of air ducts in the conditions of fire influence and characteristics of fire resistance of steel air ducts with the combined fire protection system are determined. It is shown that the temperature is most important on the unheated surface of the duct near the place of its compaction in the vertical enclosingstructure. The temperature on the surface of the duct at a distance of 325 mm from the enclosing structure is several tens of degrees lower than the temperature on the surface of the duct at a distance of 25 mm from it. The period of time to achieve the loss of thermal insulation capacity of air ducts and the class of their fire resistance, which is EI 45. The direction of further researches which are focused on revealing of dependencesbetween a time interval before achievement of loss of thermal insulation capacity and thickness of layers of the combined system of fire protection for steel air ducts is defined. This detection will determine the optimalparameters of the combined fire protection system for steel air ducts, acceptable to ensure their fire resistance for a wide range of duration of fire exposure at a standard temperature.

Design analysis of a steel industrial building with wide openings exposed to fire

In order to design a fire-resistant steel structure, the change in the physical and mechanical properties of the steel at high temperatures must be known. As the temperature of steel structural elements increases during fire, their strength decreases considerably. After a certain temperature, these strength drops reach critical levels. Therefore, collapses and various deformations (buckling, arching, etc.) occur. To prevent these collapses during the fire, various fire protection materials must be applied to the structural members such as column and beam. Columns are the most critical structural elements in a steel bearing system. While the possible collapse of the columns may cause the collapse of the whole structure, the beams alone may not cause the collapse of the structure, and the column-beam junctions directly affect the spread of fire. Since there will be many openings and gaps in industrial buildings, the spread and growth of a possible fire becomes very serious. Special fire protection measures are therefore required. In this study, the behavior of a steel industrial structure designed and designed under the influence of Standard Fire (ISO 834) was investigated, the distribution of the temperatures in the structural elements was determined, the required fire protection material was selected, and both protected and unprotected steel temperatures were determined. This design against fire is designed to provide fire resistance for 1 hour (60 min) for this structure. During this period, the type and optimum thickness of the protection material to be applied before reaching the critical temperature values for which the strength of the steel material would lose and would be damaged and compared with the temperatures that would occur in the structural elements without applying fire protection. According to the findings of the study, it was concluded that 25 mm drywall box protection material should be applied on the inner columns and 20 mm on the edge columns and 15 mm on the corner columns. In addition to this, it was concluded that spray beams (intumescent coating) of different thicknesses between 15-20 mm were applied to the beams depending on the location and the load to be affected and the type of joint. After these applied passive fire protection materials, the temperatures obtained in the structural elements reached to 500-550 as a result of 1-hour fire design. These temperatures are acceptable temperature values given the strength drop in critical temperature ranges for steel under the 1-hour fire condition.

Finite element study on composite slab-beam systems under various fire exposures

This paper presents an investigation of the thermal performance of composite floor slabs with profiled steel decking exposed to fire effects from floor. A detailed finite-element model has been developed by representing the concrete slab with steel decking under of it and steel beam both steel parts protected by intumescent coating. Although this type of floor systems offers a better fire resistance, passive fire protection materials should be applied when a higher fire resistance is desired. Moreover, fire exposed side is so crucial for composite slab systems as the total fire behaviour of the floor system changes dramatically. When the fire attack from steel parts, the temperature rises rapidly resulting in a sudden decrease on the strength of the beam and decking. Herein this paper, the fire attack side is assumed from the face of the concrete floor (top of the concrete assembly). Therefore, the heat is transferred through concrete to the steel decking and reaching finally to the steel beam both protected by intumescent coating. In this work, the numerical model has been established to predict the heat transfer performance including material properties such as thermal conductivity, specific heat and dry film thickness of intumescent coating. The developed numerical model has been divided into different layers to understand the sensitivity of steel temperature to the number of layers of intumescent coating. Results show that the protected composite floors offer a higher fire resistance as the temperature of the steel section remains below 60C even after 60-minute Standard (ISO) fire and Fast fire exposure. Obtaining lower temperatures in steel due to the great fire performance of the concrete itself results in lesser reductions of strength and stiffness hence, lesser deflections.

Development of a paste for passive fire protection mainly composed of granulated blast furnace slag

AbstractIn this study, the behavior of granulated blast furnace slag as a component of passive fire protection materials is evaluated. To investigate the performance of blast furnace slag, different replacement levels from 0 to 80 wt% have been analyzed. Different properties, such as physical, mechanical, and insulating capacity and leaching, have been thoroughly analyzed. Pastes made of a combination of granulated blast furnace slag and gypsum can be potentially used as a component in construction materials for passive protection against fire. The results indicate that the mechanical properties diminish when the slag content increases. It was concluded that replacements lower than 60 wt% comply with all the mechanical demands. A slight reduction of the insulating capacity was observed when the slag content was increased. Additionally, no heavy metal leaching problems have been detected.SignificanceThe current research presents the results of a study to reuse granulated blast furnace slag in fire‐resistant pastes with gypsum. Blast furnace slags decrease the thermal diffusivity of the paste at high temperatures, improving its insulating capacity. It facilitates its use in specific and high‐value applications with similar properties to commercial materials and increases the recycling rate with any heavy‐metal leaching problem.

Predicted temperature development on protected cellular steel beam (CSB) under fire exposure

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the predicted temperature behaviour of the protected cellular steel beam (CSB) with circular web openings at elevated temperature through finite element simulation. Design/methodology/approach Temperature development along the CSB were analysed and used for parametric investigation. In addition, this research paper investigates the novelty application of various intumescent coating thicknesses covering the whole CSB to cut down the temperature development along the beam section. Findings From the simulation outcomes, it shows that intumescent coating has a significant effect in reducing the temperature development along the CSB section. Thicker intumescent coating contributes to a higher temperature drop at the bottom tee section than the upper tee section. Originality/value The use of structural CSB has gained popularity among engineers and architects. This type of beam allows serviceability ducts and pipes to pass through the main steel web section under the flooring system, thus providing larger headroom for designers. Nevertheless, in any structural steel building, it is highly risky for CSB to be exposed to fire hazard if it were triggered accidentally. To mitigate and reduce fire exposure risk which might compromise the strength and stiffness of CSB, a passive fire protection is proposed to minimise the risk. One of the common passive fire protection materials used for steel beam section is intumescent coating. Intumescent coating is by far the cheapest solution to protect CSB as compared to other passive fire protection system. Intumescent coating can absorb some portion of heat exposure which subsequently translates a lower temperature development along the CSB section.

Numerical analysis of performances of passive fire protections in processing facilities

The oil and gas industry have developed and advanced rapidly over the past few decades and the use of a fire protection system (FPS) in this industry is inevitable. A fire protection system assists in preventing fire occurrence as well as mitigating the consequences of a fire. An FPS can be categorised as active, passive and/or inherent. Effectiveness and performance of FPS relies heavily on the combination of various fire protection systems. Among these fire risk reduction strategies, passive fire protection (PFP) system is one of the most common strategies applied to mitigating fire impact. However, a comparative effectiveness analysis of various PFP systems has not been performed before despite their wide applications. This study presents a numerical assessment of performances of various commonly used PFP materials in oil and gas refinery facilities to determine their effectiveness in preventing fire escalation. Maximum Credible Accident Scenario (MCAS) methodology is used to obtain the three most credible fire scenarios among 27 fire scenarios and they are simulated using Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) software. This study considered 1 cm and 10 cm thickness of PFP. The obtained results are used for the effectiveness analysis of various PFP materials based on maximum heat flux received by equipment and equipment wall temperature. The study revealed that cementitious material and cellular glass have better performance than other considered PFPs in preventing the temperature rise of equipment when exposed to hydrocarbon fires. This study will provide a key insight into PFP selection and optimisation to mitigate fire impact and prevention of fire escalation.

Numerical modelling of heat transfer through protected composite structural members

Among many various types of passive fire protection materials (i.e. plaster boards, sprayed materials and intumescent coatings) thin film intumescent coatings have become the preferable option owing to their good advantages such as flexibility, good appearance (aesthetics), light weight to the structure and fast application. Despite their popularity, there is also a lack of good understanding of fire behaviour. In general, experimental methods are used to push this knowledge with labour and high-energy consumption and extremely expensive processes. With the development of computer technology, numerical models to predict the heat transfer phenomena of intumescent coatings have been developed with time. In this work, the numerical model has been established to predict the heat transfer performance including material properties such as thermal conductivity and dry film thickness of intumescent coating. The developed numerical model has been divided into different layers to understand the sensitivity of steel temperature to the number of layers of intumescent coating and mesh sizes. The temperature-dependent thermal conductivity of intumescent coatings can be calculated based on inverse solution of the equation for calculating temperatures in protected steel according to the Eurocodes (EN 1993-1-2 and EN 1994-1-2). However, as the temperature distribution in the intumescent coatings is highly non-uniform, that Eurocode equation does not give accurate coating thermal conductivity-temperature relationship for use in numerical heat transfer modelling when the coating is divided into a number of layers, each having its characteristic thermal conductivity values. The comparison study of steel temperature under Standard (ISO 834) and Fast fire conditions against Eurocode analytical solution has also been made by assuming both constant thermal conductivity and variable thermal conductivity. The obtained results show close agreement with the Eurocode solution choosing a minimum certain mesh, number of layer and best-fitted thermal conductivity of the intumescent coating.

Effective thermal conductivity of fibrous fireproofing materials

The study of the protection performance provided by fibrous fireproofing materials asks for simple and reliable models for the description of their thermal behavior in accident scenarios involving industrial fires. This paper focuses on the development and validation of a physical model for effective thermal conductivity in highly porous fibrous materials used in industrial fireproofing applications. Unlike other literature models, that include several adjustable parameters, the proposed model mainly relies on physical and easily measurable properties of the material (void fraction, average fiber diameter, bulk conductivity of the phases, etc.). The model was validated against experimental data measured for three commercial passive fire protection materials. If compared with the models currently available in the literature, the proposed model shows a better correlation to the experimental data, especially at higher temperature, where radiation is the predominant phenomenon.

Experimental analysis on flexural behaviour of RC beams strengthened with CFRP laminates and under fire conditions

Carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates have been used on strengthening reinforced concrete, steel and timber members due to their excellent flexural performance, lightness, ease of application and corrosion resistance. However, in a fire, other detrimental factors may arise due to the high thermal exposure. This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation on the flexural behaviour of reinforced concrete (RC) beams strengthened with CFRP laminates in fire conditions. The main objective was to assess the behaviour in fire of the strengthening system on the beams thermally insulated with different fire protection systems. Fire resistance tests on beams protected with sprayed vermiculite-perlite (VP), expanded clay aggregates (EC) or ordinary Portland cement (OP) based mortars, were carried out. The tests carried out under the present research were innovative because unlike the ones conducted by other authors the beam in testing and its supports were completely inside the furnace. Furthermore, the testing beam supported a concrete slab that tried to simulate its interaction with the surrounding building structure. The results showed above all that the beams with passive fire protection materials provided an integrity of their resistance for long periods of fire exposure, especially the ones protected with VP mortar.

A propane burner test for passive fire protection (PFP) formulations containing added halloysite, carbon nanotubes and graphene

Passive fire protection materials (PFP) have been characterised quantitatively using a constant heat flux propane burner test, with the PFP attached to a steel substrate. The burner test was able to produce a large, constant heat flux, to simulate a severe fire condition. The heat transferred through the PFP was calculated from the temperature rise of the steel. A simplified model is discussed, to account for different combinations of substrate thickness, PFP thickness, heat flux and exposure time. It was found that, despite the complex processes of resin decomposition and intumescence, heat transmission could be modelled, to a reasonable approximation, by treating the PFP as a material with single point values of apparent thermal diffusivity and conductivity. This leads to an equation that can be used to characterise PFPs and indeed to specify their required thickness.The burner test was employed to interpret the effects of adding small quantities of three nano-materials: halloysite nanotubes (HNT), multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNP), to a standard PFP formulation. It was found that HNT addition resulted in a significant performance improvement, whereas the other nano-materials did not produce an improvement.

A propane burner test for passive fire protection (PFP) formulations containing added halloysite, carbon nanotubes and graphene

Abstract Passive fire protection materials (PFP) have been characterised quantitatively using a constant heat flux propane burner test, with the PFP attached to a steel substrate. The burner test was able to produce a large, constant heat flux, to simulate a severe fire condition. The heat transferred through the PFP was calculated from the temperature rise of the steel. A simplified model is discussed, to account for different combinations of substrate thickness, PFP thickness, heat flux and exposure time. It was found that, despite the complex processes of resin decomposition and intumescence, heat transmission could be modelled, to a reasonable approximation, by treating the PFP as a material with single point values of apparent thermal diffusivity and conductivity. This leads to an equation that can be used to characterise PFPs and indeed to specify their required thickness. The burner test was employed to interpret the effects of adding small quantities of three nano-materials: halloysite nanotubes (HNT), multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNP), to a standard PFP formulation. It was found that HNT addition resulted in a significant performance improvement, whereas the other nano-materials did not produce an improvement.

Passive-Fire-Protection Optimization in Offshore Topside Structures

This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains highlights of paper OTC 26579, “Passive-Fire-Protection Optimization in Offshore Topside Structures,” by Ali Sari, Genesis Oil and Gas; Ekkirala Ramana, Technip Malaysia; and Sepehr Dara and Umid Azimov, Genesis Oil and Gas, prepared for the 2016 Offshore Technology Conference Asia, Kuala Lumpur, 22–25 March. The paper has not been peer reviewed. Copyright 2016 Offshore Technology Conference. Reproduced by permission. Applying sufficient passive fire protection (PFP) on topside structural-steel members is critical. Simplified and conservative approaches are available to estimate the extent and amount of PFP necessary. The main concern with simplified approaches is that they can lead to overapplication of the PFP, resulting in substantial increase in topside weight. These methods also may result in underestimation of the required amount of PFP, which can compromise structural integrity. This paper presents a risk-based approach for PFP-scheme development. Introduction The structural-integrity assessment and fire-response analysis of offshore plat-forms in fire focus on providing safe escape routes for personnel for a specified period of time and minimizing the probability of damage and fracture in primary structural steel, hydrocarbon-equipment supports, secondary steel along the primary escape routes, and pressurized hydrocarbon pipes and vessels. In order to achieve this, PFP is used extensively in offshore topside structures. A PFP material is a good thermal insulator, and application of PFP on steel components of the topside structure results in a delay of the heat transfer to the protected members. Therefore, material degradation and thermal expansion are postponed in protected members. Consequently, structural integrity of the escape routes and safety of hydrocarbon pipes and vessels can be retained for a specified period of time, depending on the rating of the PFP material (properties and thickness). On the other hand, if PFP is used excessively, a considerable amount of cost will be imposed related to PFP material, installation, inspection, and maintenance and a considerable amount of dead load will be added to the structure. Therefore, investigations on the optimal application (e.g., choosing the right places—members, joints, vessels, and pipes—along with the right material in the appropriate thickness) in offshore platforms can result in cost-effective use of PFP while still achieving the purpose of the PFP application. Existing PFP-Optimization Approaches Global Fire (Individual-Member Failure). The global fire analysis method for identifying PFP application on a top-side structure requires analysis of the whole structure when entirely exposed to the most severe fire loading. The PFP scheme is then developed on the basis of the structure’s response. This method is very conservative and results in an excessive amount of required PFP to resist the fire loading.