The long-term reliability of Promat’s FENDOLITE® MII cementitious spray system to provide passive fire protection for industrial plants has been demonstrated by the latest ‘excellent’ condition report for a large LPG storage tank, five years since it was upgraded.
The vessel in question is located close to a variety of commercial and residential properties, therefore assured fire protection is critical. In 2014, an upgrade programme to provide hydrocarbon pool and jet fire protection for 120 minutes was undertaken by Promat UK’s recognised applicator Firetech UK. It installed the FENDOLITE® MII system on the vessel body, saddles and concrete plinths, finished with a Sika Liquid Plastic Decothane system as the topcoat.
The upgrading programme, using the spray-applied FENDOLITE® MII system, has enabled the company to minimise the impact on the surrounding neighbourhood in the event of a fire, particularly in respect of local water demand. By applying this proven passive fire protection system, they were able to remove the existing sprinkler system that would have required nearly 200,000 litres of water to meet the 120 minutes passive fire protection requirement. It also removed the big question as to whether enough water could be delivered in the event of a fire.
The latest inspection of the storage tank carried out by Promat UK in 2019, which takes place every two years as agreed at the tender stage and written into the company’s safe case, concluded that the vessel and the topcoat paint system are in an excellent condition with no corrective actions required.
Charles Taylor, Promat’s Oil and Gas Segment Manager said: “Performance in the field reports on applications like the LPG storage tank are the best way to judge the effectiveness of the Promat FENDOLITE® MII system in the long term. This ‘excellent’ condition report five years since installation is, therefore, extremely important as it fully supports the system’s performance expectations and will help other clients shape their decisions when considering future fire protection solutions.”
Promat FENDOLITE® is a single package factory controlled premix, based on vermiculite and Portland cement, which produces a monolithic coating able to withstand the thermal shocks experienced in a high intensity hydrocarbon fire. Although low in density, thus significantly reducing dead load, Promat FENDOLITE® MII is highly durable and will not crack or spall under mechanical impact, making it ideal for use on structures and vessels in the oil, gas, petrochemical and power industries.
It is the first cementitious spray in the world to receive UL2431 certification for “Durability of Fire Resistive Coatings and Materials”. Test results demonstrate that Promat FENDOLITE® MII is resistant against a wide range of mechanical, physical and chemical environmental conditions without suffering a significant reduction to the fire performance.
Supplied as a full system, Promat FENDOLITE® MII is applied only by a network of Promat-licensed applicators for maximum assurance and peace of mind.
Find out more and download a technical datasheet at www.promat-industry.co.uk
