Concrete’s excellent and proven fire resistance properties deliver protection of life, property and the environment in the case of fire. It responds effectively to all of the protective aims set out in European legislation, benefiting everyone from building users, owners, businesses and residents to insurers, regulators and firefighters. Whether it is used for residential buildings, industrial warehouses or tunnels, concrete can be designed and specified to remain robust in even the most extreme fire situations.
Everyday examples and international statistics provide ample evidence of concrete’s fire protecting properties, and so building owners, insurers and regulators are making concrete the material of choice, increasingly requiring its use over other construction materials. Concrete does not add to the fire load, provides fire-shielded means of escape, stops fire spreading between compartments and delays any structural collapse, in most cases preventing total collapse. In comparison with other common construction materials, concrete offers superior performance on all relevant fire safety criteria, easily and economically.
Recent high profile tunnel fires in Europe have demonstrated the need for an appropriate choice of materials for tunnel construction to ensure high safety and reliable availability to traffic. These fires are inevitably of great intensity leading to structural damage and even loss of life. The are significant benefits in using concrete as a road pavement material. Concrete is non-combustible and does not emit harmful emissions during a fire providing maximum safety.
In addition, the concrete mix design has evolved to provide structural stability and robustness for the construction of the tunnel itself.
For more information on this issue please refer to the following position sheet: Improving fire safety in tunnels – The concrete pavement solution
Click here to download "Comprehensive fire protection and safety with concrete" brochure