A fire alarm reports a fire; automatic suppression stops it. Fireproofing, in turn, keeps the building standing while people evacuate and firefighters work.

Here are the main types of suppression systems, their pros and cons, and what fireproofing and fire resistance ratings mean.

What types of fire suppression systems are there?

Water (sprinkler and deluge), foam, gas, powder, aerosol and water mist. The choice depends on what is being protected: water for offices and shopping centres, gas for server rooms and archives, foam for fuel stores, powder or gas for electrical switch rooms.

DITI SERVICE installs, repairs and maintains water, foam, gas and powder systems.

Why is gas suppression better than water for a server room?

Water destroys electronics and documents as surely as fire. Gas suppression puts out a fire by lowering the oxygen concentration or interrupting the combustion reaction, and leaves no residue on equipment.

Important: people must leave the room before the gas is released, so the system includes a delay, a "Gas — leave now!" sign and a block when the door is open.

What is structural steel fireproofing?

Steel does not burn, but at 500–600 °C it loses its load-bearing capacity, and structures can collapse within 15–20 minutes of a fire. Fireproofing products (intumescent paints, sprayed plasters) increase how long a structure withstands fire.

We have carried out fireproofing at oil depots, factories, government aviation hangars, Tashkent Airport, Karshi railway station and the Uzbekneftegaz head office.

What is a fire resistance rating?

It is the time in minutes for which a structure keeps performing in a fire: R — load-bearing capacity, E — integrity, I — insulation. For example, R 90 means a column holds for 90 minutes.

The required rating is set by the standards according to the building's fire resistance class.

Where we have carried out fireproofing

DITI SERVICE has increased the fire resistance of steel structures at the Chinabad and Pakhta oil depots, government aviation hangars, Tashkent Airport, Karshi railway station, the Uzbekneftegaz head office, the Ministry of Geology, the Fergana oil refinery, the Navoi cement plant and the Tashkent Conservatory.

We select the coating and its thickness to achieve the required fire resistance for each type of structure.

Choosing a suppression system: 4 questions

1) What are we protecting — people, equipment, documents, goods? 2) Can water be used without causing damage? 3) Will people be in the room when the system discharges? 4) What do the standards require for this room?

The answers decide the system: water for most public buildings, gas for server rooms and archives, foam for flammable liquids, powder or aerosol for small plant rooms.

Maintaining suppression systems

Suppression systems need regular checks: agent pressure and mass in the cylinders, release circuits, pipework and sprinkler heads, pumps, and alarm and interlock functions.

DITI SERVICE installs, repairs and maintains water, gas, foam and powder systems.

Key takeaways

  • Water — offices and malls; gas — server rooms and archives; foam — fuel; powder — switch rooms.
  • Gas suppression doesn't damage electronics, but people must leave before release.
  • Steel loses load-bearing capacity at 500–600 °C.
  • Fire resistance is expressed as R, E, I plus minutes.