Andrew-Anthony James is a final-year Construction Management student at Western Sydney University with hands-on experience in concrete, formwork, and fire-resistance research. He has industry experience across construction and precast manufacturing, and recently completed experimental fire-testing focused on mitigating concrete spalling. He enjoys practical problem-solving, technical analysis, and project design.

Andrew-Anthony James

 

Fire-induced concrete spalling remains one of the most critical challenges in structural fire safety, particularly in high-rise and large-scale buildings where failure can lead to rapid loss of structural integrity. Traditional mitigation methods, such as polypropylene fibres, are widely documented but often limited by cost, practicality, or inconsistent performance in real fire scenarios. My project aims to investigate a promising alternative: the use of intumescent coatings as a passive fire protection solution for concrete slabs. This study combines a detailed literature review with controlled experimental testing to examine whether ammonium polyphosphate based intumescent coatings can effectively reduce or prevent spalling during high-temperature exposure. Concrete slabs were cast, cured, and coated prior to testing. A series of fire exposure tests were then conducted, using thermocouples positioned at the flame centre and on the unexposed rear side of each specimen to record real time thermal behaviour. Five total samples were tested, three were coated and two uncoated controls. The results demonstrated a clear performance difference, the coated slabs exhibited no visible cracking or spalling for the full 60 minute exposure, while the uncoated controls began to crack and spall within the first 10 minutes. The strong char layer formation observed on the coated specimens suggests that intumescent coatings can act as an effective thermal barrier, reducing heat transfer into the concrete and limiting internal pressure build-up, which is a major cause of explosive spalling. The findings contribute to an under-researched area of fire safety engineering and highlight the potential for intumescent coatings to become a practical and scalable protective solution for reinforced concrete elements. The project also creates a basis for future research on microstructure, post-fire strength, and long-term coating durability.