After decades of faithful service, many offshore installations are currently in their upgrade phase. Cables that have worn out after years of exposure to the harsh conditions are being replaced and the fire protection systems for cables and pipelines are being put back in order. The latter still tends to cause problems. For example, at penetrations where hot pipes run through. A Dutch company developed a solution for this that is not only suitable for shipbuilding and offshore, but can also be used in industry and the energy sector, for example.
The solution consists of fire-resistant hose sections, non-combustible, fibre-free thermal insulation shell sections as an alternative to stone wool or ceramic fibre mats. These are specially developed by fire-resistant pipe penetrations and meet the requirements of the IMO FTP 2010 code. The sections are coated with unprecedented fire-resistant properties.
For fireproofing, hot pipe penetrations are first filled all around with fireproof hose sections. Then the shell sections, once coated, can be applied. Finally, the whole is finished with a specially developed sealant that acts as a ceramic protective layer when fire occurs. The system can be handled by one man, as the video below shows.
Source: BEELE Engineering BV
