Structural steel has become a popular choice for developers in recent years.? With the cost of steel currently estimated to be 60 per cent of that in 1981, structural steel has also become the material of choice for some 90 per cent of new commercial and industrial buildings and has the advantage of having a greater strength ratio over traditionally used concrete options.? In terms of style, the material offers far greater flexibility for designers and architects than concrete and allows far more freedom of design.

Effective fire protection is a particularly important consideration for developers when it comes to the selection of materials.? To this end, Phoenix Fire Protection encompasses over thirty years experience in the design, testing and manufacture of corrosion and fire protection coatings for use on structural steelwork.? UK-born Director, Darren Chaplin, better known as Charlie, has been in the fire protection business since the age of 18 and it is this knowledge that has enabled the company to produce a wide range of coatings that will provide architects and engineers with the solutions they need to overcome potential problems caused to steel structures by corrosion and fire.

Phoenix’s range of primers, intumescent basecoats and decorative topseals ensure that the client’s requirements can be met by a single manufacturer.? With offices in the UK, Dubai and Hong Kong, and manufacturing plants in UK, Germany and more recently Thailand complying with the latest ISO9001 and ISO9014 quality standards, Phoenix provides the expertise necessary to write appropriate specifications at the design stage that will be followed throughout the project until the products have been applied successfully on site through the company’s network of approved contractors.? In addition, Phoenix provides full support on-site to clients through its own Contract Support Team.

“Structural Fire Protection and the manufacture of intumescent coatings is still very much a niche business driven by different legislation requirements, and few companies in the world are able to meet all of these whilst also ensuring that the Clients needs are catered for”, admits Chaplin.

“Back in the late ‘60s, the inventors of today’s intumescent technology took their inspiration from ancient Chinese knowledge originating some 2000 years ago.? Named after the Latin verb meaning to swell or to grow, intumescent coatings increase in size as a result of exposure to heat and form a char-like substance which has excellent insulation properties and ensures that the temperature of the steel remains much lower than that of the fire itself.? The steel thus retains its structural integrity and keeps the building stable in an event of fire.? Whilst such technology is used in many different areas of passive fire protection, only four or five companies in the world have proven technology on an international level when it comes to coatings”, he explains.

Today, Phoenix Fire Protection is the first company to manufacture such coatings in Asia, and with its ability to meet with strict legislation requirements, lies at the forefront of Research & Development of their own formulations under the Phoenix name and the manufacturing of products for OEM business for other fire protection companies around the globe.? With an impressive client list that includes brand names such as Rolls Royce, Mercedes, Adidas, Chanel and Walt Disney Imagineering, the ability to provide clients with independently tested products, relevant certification, approvals and warranties is paramount.

“In the beginning, we operated very much as a one-man-band, but the experience that we have collectively gained in various different markets throughout the Industry during the past 20-30 years puts us in an excellent position to become Asia’s leading manufacturer and distributor of intumescent coatings for structural steelwork”, says Chaplin.

For Phoenix Fire Protection, the fact that the company is still very much a small to medium sized enterprise, with headquarters in Hong Kong and a network of exclusive distributors working with specialist applicators in close to ten countries in Asia and the Middle East, allows it to remain competitive as the company continues to win projects based on it ability to deal personally and directly with the architects and designers.

“We are proud of the fact that we are the only manufacturer of intumescent coatings in Hong Kong and the whole Asia Pacific region to have direct representation.? Architects and engineers are now much more educated and informed about the fire protection issues of today and as such their demands for transparency of certification and realistic and meaningful warranties are forever increasing. This is not something that can be provided by distributors selling a range of different products of which they have very little knowledge or experience of the industry and the regulations required. Our experience tells us they enjoy the advantage and comfort of being able to deal directly with the manufacturer”, points out Chaplin.

“We have learned that you don’t need to be a five billion dollar company to gain a majority market share.? Larger companies who need to maintain various profit centres for the benefit of their shareholders simply can’t compete with us.? They are also trying to improve a large number of different products in different industries, whereas we are focusing and specialising on one”, he adds.

Chaplin estimates that Phoenix currently accounts for around 80 per cent of the market in Hong Kong, and is able to boast an impressive list of recent projects which includes five projects at Hong Kong Disneyland, Hong Kong International Airport’s new Haeco Hanger No. 2, the newly renovated Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hotel and the renovation of the Peak Tower.? DHL’s new distribution centre and Chanel Tower in Causeway Bay are also on the list.

Phoenix is also involved with the North Satellite concourse at the city’s airport, the new heliport at Shun Tak and the extension of the HKCEE, a building which Chaplin was assigned to work on ten years ago through his previous employer.

The company can be credited with some 90 per cent of the Taiwan market, with semi-conductor plants, LCD screens and computer chips high in demand, and a 600,000 square metre structural steel project representing one of the largest intumescent paint projects in the world to date.

Since opening an office in Dubai 18 months ago, Phoenix has won approval for all their products in the Middle East and has also secured a number of high profile projects in the region including the Royal Hanger at Bahrain International Airport, the New Convention and Exhibition Centre in Doha, Qatar, and seven warehouses at HIDD Port.

Phoenix stands alone as market leader in Asia by being able to manufacture and provide a complete system which includes an extensive range of primers, intumescent basecoats and decorative topseals which normally might be produced by three different companies.?

“In my experience, when you have two or three different products applied onto the same substrate, in some cases by two or three different contractors, the potential for problems will increase.? In such a scenario, no single company will want to take ownership should any problem arise. At Phoenix, we are not only able to manufacture and supply all of the required materials but we also ensure they are applied by a single approved and trained contractor, backed up by our own contract support guys.? This means that we can provide the Client with meaningful and realistic warranties to support the products themselves. You cannot get this from a distributor”, says Chaplin.

It is important to understand that for any performance product to function properly, the application of the material is as important as the product itself.? If products are applied onto incorrectly prepared substrates then problems may easily occur.? Surface preparation and the correct choice of corrosion protection coatings are vital to ensure optimum performance and protection.

Fire protection of steelwork using coatings is a three step process involving primer, basecoat and topseal.? Phoenix’s range of primers has been specifically designed to be suitable for galvanised and non-galvanised steelwork alike and to ensure that the required levels of corrosion protection can be achieved whilst providing compatibility with Phoenix’s own range of water-based environmentally- friendly intumescent basecoats.? All basecoats are suitable for on-site and off-site application and offer up to two hours of fire resistance, while low dry film thickness ensures that a highly aesthetic finish can be achieved as a feature of the design whilst providing a competitive solution to meet the necessary levels of fire protection.
Phoenix topseals have been designed to provide durability to both internal and external steelwork, and are available in over 2000 colours enabling freedom of design within the steel structure itself and the overall final design.?
Research and development also ranks high on Phoenix’s list of priorities and the company invests over US$250,000 per year in the fire testing of new products and approvals alone. In addition, the fact that they purely focus on one technology allows them to progress further. Furthermore, all basecoats have been independently tested and approved to BS476: Part 21 at NATA approved laboratories and assessed by the world’s leading consultants such as WFRC, BRE and IFC Group.?
The company’s manufacturing plants in UK, Germany and Thailand are also inspected by such laboratories and consultants at least twice a year as part of the stringent requirements associated with third party certification. This is a service which provides Clients with independent evidence that the approvals and certification, together the manufacture of the products themselves, are compliant with the latest regulations and ensures that what has been tested is what will be supplied on site.
With increasing demand for steel frame buildings across the globe, combined with ever changing and revolutionary building designs, the need for a versatile range of coatings that can provide both long term protection against corrosion and fire has never been more relevant. To be able to provide this directly from a single manufacturer is something that will ensure that the “Phoenix” brand name will continue to fly into the future!