Potholes and Fireproofing?

Pothole season is upon us!

We spend millions on hours and resources in fighting what at times seems to be a losing battle with these demons of the roadway. Multiple crews are repairing this failure of the roadway’s intent, on a daily basis, usually patching with a like minded asphalt only to have the pothole reappear in a few days or weeks.

Except for the title of this argument, what does pothole repair have to do with fireproofing?  First, can we all not agree that nothing of any good comes from either; a failure of the roadway pavement prevents successful usage for its intended design, and likewise nothing good will ever come from damaged fireproofing, also preventing successful usage for its intended design.

Secondly, my argument is in the means and method of repair. At best these “repairs” usually serve as nothing more than a filler waiting for the real repair that may or may not occur in the future. There is little or no adhesion and it does not resemble a permanent repair. The permanent repair is usually stimulated by visual determination or by driver complaints as the potholes can be seen and felt.

Current accepted practices of the fireproofing industry are that any “repair” should be executed using the exact same material as originally installed. We know there can be issues with identification and availability of material; for brevity we will assume we’ve gotten past those issues.

We also know that adhesion plays a crucial role in fireproofing.  Without testing or verification, we are merely filling a void while having no idea if it will work and how long it will last. In fireproofing we do not have the leniency of being able to see or feel missed voids as we find with potholes in our streets. In fireproofing, we are talking about saving the lives of the buildings occupants.  Fireproofing carries the burden that it is usually covered up with ceiling or gypsum or some other finish material knowing it probably will not seen by human eyes for years or decades, but will be required to perform upon any unexpected need.

This is the exact reason for having developed a fire test, independently, to verify that our claim Universal Fireproofing Patch as a successful “patch” material. This assures that your overall fireproofing has the same integrity as intended by design, and has been proven as effective as the original undamaged fireproofing.

Check out the only fireproofing patch that is UL Certified and verified by ITS and VTEC Laboratories.