Fire Retardant Technology and the Fight Against Wildfires

Wikipedia defines a fire retardant as any substance, other than water, that reduces the flammability of materials or delays combustion.

The destructive power of wildfires striking the western United States has exposed the need for innovation in this area to help reduce the damage created when fire strikes.

The annual Fire Season Outlook released by the Predictive Services Group at the National Interagency Fire Center reports that the western United States will enter the 2010 fire season drier than normal. According to the report, the drier conditions suggest higher-than-normal wildfire potential for the Northern Rockies of Montana and Idaho; parts of eastern Washington; northwestern Wyoming; and a portion of south-central Oregon stretching down into the northeastern corner of California.

Buildings are constructed in the United States to conform to one or more codes designed to protect lives and property. One of the prime considerations of building codes is fire protection. Specific fire resistive requirements are based on the building’s occupancy, intended use, location and design characteristics. Code requirements are insured by using materials and construction techniques that have performed up to the specified degree in laboratory tests.

Over the last century, several varieties of fire-retardant materials have been implemented. For example, asbestos and cement were first combined in the early 1900s to form an innovative new building material called cement asbestos board (CAB). Unfortunately, even though this material was very effective in slowing the progression of fire, subsequent concerns about health risks involving asbestos have long spurred searches for safer alternatives.

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Source: Construction Today