Nullifire S707-120 was specified as a fire protection solution for the Global Change Institute's Living Building located at the University of Queensland (UQ). The water-based intumescent, which can achieve two-hour fire protection, was selected for its proven superior performance as well as low environmental impact.
The pioneering design of the Living Building at UQ is aligned with the world’s increasing focus on sustainability. Since the building was designed to consume fewer resources than others of the same size, the builders, McNab chose to use high performance and low environmentally impacting construction products during the build phase.
When it came to the protection of structural steel elements, McNab’s search for the best solution brought them to Nullifire’s SC 700 Series water-based fire protection solution.
The beautiful atrium in the building has a large number of supporting steel columns, all of which required fire protection as detailed within the BCA. As a water-based intumescent capable of achieving two-hour fire protection, Nullifire S707-120 was specified for a number of reasons including a low VOC rating; low odour, low overspray and easy containment allowing onsite application; and compatibility with several aesthetic top coats.
For the GCI building, a water-based urethane was chosen as it offers UV stability on beams exposed to the elements.
GCI’s Living Building has won many awards, including Steel Excellence in Buildings - Large Projects (2014).
To date, Nullifire has been specified in a number of Australian University projects including Queensland University Advanced Engineering; University of Western Sydney UWS Werrington; and University of Central Queensland Rockhampton.
