European Journal of Technology and Design

11-17

Authors: M.A. Othuman Mydin

For buildings and other constructions, fire protection is a must. The fear of uncontrolled fires and the desire to avoid their consequences is as ancient as human civilization. This fear has obvious enduring roots: unwanted fire is a destructive force that takes many thousands of human lives and destroys large quantities of asset. The primary objective of fire protection is to limit loss of properties and lives in the event of unexpected fires. Active fire protection is effective and efficient in most situations. However, passive fire protection, which includes the use of fire-proofing materials, provides an on-site fire resistance measure to prolong the longevity of load-bearing structures. Certainly, the nature, causes and scope of such events have changed considerably over millennia but fear and avoidance have remained as a primary human reaction and as an important human objective, respectively, for virtually every society. This paper will discuss on risk posed by fire, the passive fire protection components, conventional protection materials and thermally reactive materials. From the review, it can be concluded that Active fire protection is effective and efficient in most situations passive fire protection, which includes the use of fire-proofing materials, provides an on-site fire resistance measure to prolong the longevity of load-bearing structures.