Tunnel Fire Protection

Passive Fire Protection for Tunnel Linings

Tunnel construction is increasing throughout the world and the benefits offered by passive fire protective coatings are increasingly acknowledged. Tunnel fires vary widely: they may be small with the ignition of a small vehicle carrying a low fire load, or large and intense with the ignition of a fuel tanker. With the general increase in traffic volume and the transport of hazardous goods, the risk of an incident involving fire is increasing.

ISOLATEK Type M-II® is an inorganic coating based on exfoliated vermiculite and Portland cement which provides fire protection to the tunnel lining. ISOLATEK Type M-II will prevent concrete linings from spalling and structural steel elements from weakening during exposure to the intense heat generated in a tunnel fire. It may be applied directly to a concrete or steel substrate or to a secondary expanded lath on complex shaped linings.

Portland cement acts as a binder, and the exfoliated vermiculite is the aggregate which provides the thermal performance and resistance to both hot and cold thermal shock from simultaneous fire exposure and water impingement from fire hoses or sprinklers. ISOLATEK Type M-II is noncombustible and produces no smoke or toxic fumes during its exposure to fire.

The M-II system has been used across the world for various Projects such as

Schipol Tunnel, Holland
Øresund Tunnel, Denmark/ Sweden (16 km)
Westerscheldetunnel, Holland (6.6 km)

A complete Technical Submittal comprising of Certifications, Product Data Sheets, Design Philiosphy and Client List is available on request. Please send your request to technical@newkem.com