For main contractors delivering commercial construction projects in Ireland, the passive fire protection subcontract is one of the most consequential specialist appointments on the project. Not because it is the largest subcontract by value, though on steel-frame commercial buildings it can be significant, but because the consequences of getting it wrong reverberate through the project in ways that affect the programme, the building control completion process, and the long-term liability of the main contractor.
A fire protection subcontractor who cannot keep up with the structural steel erection programme delays the follow-on trades. A subcontractor who does not provide adequate documentation makes the building control completion certificate submission more difficult and potentially requires remedial work to produce documentation that should have been generated during the installation. A subcontractor who applies fireproofing at inadequate thickness creates a building control risk that may only come to light at the worst possible moment.
This article is a practical guide for main contractor project managers, commercial managers, and procurement teams who are responsible for appointing and managing passive fire protection subcontractors on commercial construction projects in Ireland and Northern Ireland. It covers the procurement process, the programme considerations, the technical oversight responsibilities that sit with the main contractor, and the documentation that must be obtained from the fire protection subcontractor to support the project completion.
FireShield Ireland works with main contractors on commercial construction projects across all 32 counties of Ireland and throughout Northern Ireland. Our full service information is at https://fireshieldireland.com/services/commercial-fire-protection/.
The Main Contractor’s Responsibilities for Passive Fire Protection
The main contractor on a commercial construction project in Ireland has specific responsibilities in relation to passive fire protection that go beyond simply appointing a subcontractor and leaving them to get on with it.
Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 in the Republic of Ireland and the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 in Northern Ireland, the principal contractor has duties in relation to the management of contractors on site, including specialist subcontractors carrying out fire protection work. These duties include ensuring that all contractors are competent for the work they are carrying out, that there is co-ordination between different contractors whose work may interact, and that health and safety information is communicated effectively across the site.
In relation to building control compliance, the person who carries out the works on a commercial project in Ireland is responsible for submitting the completion certificate at the end of the project confirming that the building as built complies with the Building Regulations. On most commercial projects this is the main contractor. The completion certificate is supported by documentation from specialist subcontractors, and the main contractor is responsible for obtaining this documentation from each subcontractor as a condition of the subcontract.
In practice this means that the main contractor cannot simply take a passive interest in the passive fire protection subcontract. The programme must be managed to allow the fireproofing to proceed in the correct sequence. The quality of the installation must be overseen as part of the main contractor’s site management responsibilities. And the documentation must be obtained from the subcontractor progressively during the project rather than left until the end when any gaps are harder to fill.
Procurement: What to Include in the Subcontract Package
The procurement process for the passive fire protection subcontract should begin at the pre-construction stage, not after the structural steel erection has started. Early procurement allows the fireproofing programme to be integrated into the overall construction programme before it is finalised, avoiding the programme conflicts that arise when the fireproofing is treated as an afterthought.
The subcontract package issued to tenderers should include the structural drawings with all section information required to produce the project-specific thickness schedule, the specification for the fireproofing system including the required fire resistance period for each element of structure, the programme requirements for the fireproofing and the interfaces with follow-on trades, the documentation requirements for the subcontract including the contents and format of the completion documentation package, the health and safety requirements for contractors working on site, and the insurance requirements for the subcontract.
Including the documentation requirements explicitly in the subcontract package is important because it establishes from the outset what the subcontractor is required to deliver and avoids disputes at the end of the project about what documentation should be provided. The documentation requirements should include the product data sheets and technical certificates, the fire resistance calculations for each structural section type, the project-specific thickness schedule, the quality control records from the installation, and the completion certificate.
For Monokote spray applied fireproofing, the procurement decision in Ireland is resolved by the specification. FireShield Ireland is the only licensed Monokote applicator in Ireland, which means there is one tenderer for this element of the work. For intumescent coating work and for other passive fire protection elements, competitive tendering is the standard approach.
Programme Management: Integrating Fireproofing into the Construction Programme
The fireproofing programme is one of the critical paths in the construction programme on any commercial steel-frame building. The structural steel cannot be concealed above a suspended ceiling or behind wall finishes until the fireproofing has been completed and verified. This creates a direct dependency between the fireproofing and the ceiling installation, the mechanical and electrical first fix above ceiling, and every other follow-on trade that works in the area after the ceiling is installed.
Getting the fireproofing programme right means understanding the sequence of structural steel erection, the areas that will be made available for fireproofing at each stage of the programme, the application rate achievable by the fireproofing subcontractor in each area, the drying time required before follow-on trades can work in the fireproofed area, and the verification and documentation activities that follow the application before the area can be signed off.
The most common programme error on Irish commercial construction projects in relation to fireproofing is not allowing sufficient time between the completion of the structural steel erection and the start of the ceiling installation. On a busy commercial site where programme is tight and subcontractors are competing for access to the same spaces, the pressure to start the ceiling installation before the fireproofing is complete is significant. Resisting this pressure is important, because once the ceiling is installed, access to uncoated or inadequately coated steel is no longer possible without removing the ceiling, which is expensive and time-consuming.
FireShield Ireland provides programme estimates for the fireproofing element of any project based on the structural drawings, and attends pre-construction programme meetings to input into the construction programme at the fireproofing stage. We identify programme risks and interfaces at pre-construction stage so they can be addressed in the programme before construction starts rather than managed as live issues on site.
Primer Compatibility: A Critical Interface Between Main Contractor and Subcontractors
One of the most common technical problems that arises on Irish commercial construction projects involving structural steel fireproofing is a primer compatibility conflict between the primer applied by the steel fabricator and the fireproofing system to be applied by the fire protection subcontractor on site.
The steel fabricator applies a shop primer to the structural steel at the fabrication stage for corrosion protection during transportation and storage on site. The fire protection subcontractor applies the fireproofing system on site after the steel is erected. For the fireproofing system to bond properly to the primed steel surface, the primer and the fireproofing must be compatible. Not all primers are compatible with all fireproofing systems.
Identifying and resolving primer compatibility issues is primarily a technical responsibility of the fire protection subcontractor, who should confirm compatibility before the fabricator applies the primer. The main contractor’s role is to ensure that this confirmation happens at the right time, specifically before the fabricator is instructed to prime the steel.
If the primer compatibility issue is not identified until after the steel has been primed and delivered to site, the options are limited and all of them are expensive. The primer may need to be removed from the steel on site, which is labour intensive and disruptive. An alternative fireproofing system compatible with the applied primer may need to be specified, which requires a change to the design and building control documentation. Or the steel may need to be returned to the fabricator for repriming, which has significant programme and cost implications.
The simple and cost-free solution is to ensure that the fire protection subcontractor confirms primer compatibility before the steel is primed. This requires that the fire protection subcontract is awarded before the steel fabrication programme reaches the priming stage, which is another reason why early procurement of the fire protection subcontractor is important.
Site Oversight: What the Main Contractor Should Be Checking
The main contractor has a responsibility to oversee the quality of work carried out by all subcontractors on site, including the passive fire protection subcontractor. For structural steel fireproofing, this oversight involves several specific checks that the main contractor’s site management team should carry out during the installation.
Surface preparation should be checked before the fireproofing application begins in any area. The steel surface should be clean and dry, free from contamination that would prevent adhesion. Any areas of the steel that have been damaged during transportation or erection and require repair before fireproofing should be identified and repaired before the fireproofing starts.
Application should be monitored to confirm that the fireproofing is being applied to all steel surfaces that require protection. In a busy construction environment with multiple trades working simultaneously, it is possible for areas of steel to be missed, particularly in complex connection areas or in locations that are partially obscured by other work.
Thickness verification records should be reviewed periodically during the installation. The fire protection subcontractor’s quality control records showing the thickness measurements taken during and after each application session should be available for inspection by the main contractor’s site management team. Any areas identified as deficient in the thickness records should be confirmed as having been remedied before the follow-on trades move into the area.
Protection of completed fireproofing from damage by other trades should be managed as part of the overall site management. All trades working in areas of completed fireproofing should be briefed on the requirement to avoid unnecessary impact or damage to the coating. Damage should be reported to the fire protection subcontractor immediately for repair and re-verification.
Managing the Interface with Follow-On Trades
The interface between the fireproofing subcontractor and the ceiling installation contractor is the most critical programme interface in the construction programme from a passive fire protection perspective. The main contractor must manage this interface explicitly rather than leaving it to the subcontractors to resolve between themselves.
The protocol for this interface should be established at the pre-construction stage and communicated to both subcontractors. It should include the criterion for releasing an area for ceiling installation, specifically the completion and verification of the fireproofing including the thickness check records for that area, the process for the fire protection subcontractor to notify the main contractor that an area is complete and ready for the ceiling installation, the main contractor’s process for confirming that the area is released for ceiling installation, and the procedure for dealing with any remedial fireproofing work identified after the ceiling installation has started.
A formal area release process, where the fire protection subcontractor signs off each area as complete and the main contractor countersigns the release for ceiling installation, provides a clear record of the sequence of work and protects both parties in the event of any subsequent query about the completeness of the fireproofing.
Obtaining the Completion Documentation
The completion documentation from the fire protection subcontractor is required for the building control completion certificate submission. Obtaining this documentation progressively during the project, rather than leaving it until the end, is good practice and avoids the situation where the building control certificate is delayed because documentation is missing or incomplete.
The documentation that should be obtained from the fire protection subcontractor includes the product data sheets and technical certificates for the fireproofing system applied, the fire resistance calculations for each structural section type, the project-specific thickness schedule, the quality control records from the installation, records of any remedial work carried out, and the completion certificate. All of this documentation should be included in the building’s health and safety file and operation and maintenance manual, which are required to be handed over to the building owner at practical completion.
We provide all of this documentation progressively during the project and in a complete package at completion. Our documentation is prepared in a format suitable for inclusion in the project health and safety file and for submission to local authority building control authorities in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Common Disputes and How to Avoid Them
Several recurring disputes between main contractors and fire protection subcontractors on Irish commercial projects can be avoided by clear contract terms and good project management.
Disputes about the extent of the work are the most common category. The scope of the fireproofing subcontract should be defined clearly in terms of the specific structural elements to be coated, the areas of the building to be included, and any elements that are excluded. Ambiguity in the scope definition leads to disputes about whether specific elements or areas are included in the subcontract price.
Disputes about programme arise when the programme window available for the fireproofing is less than what is required to complete the work to the required standard. These disputes can be avoided by establishing the fireproofing programme window at the pre-construction stage based on realistic estimates of the application time required, rather than fitting the fireproofing into whatever time is left after the other programme activities are scheduled.
Disputes about documentation arise when the subcontract does not specify clearly what documentation is required and when it is to be provided. These disputes can be avoided by including explicit documentation requirements in the subcontract and making progressive provision of documentation a condition of payment at each valuation.
Working with FireShield Ireland as a Main Contractor
FireShield Ireland works with main contractors on commercial construction projects across Ireland and Northern Ireland on a regular basis. We are familiar with the programme demands, the documentation requirements, and the site management expectations of the major main contractors operating in the Irish commercial construction market.
We engage with main contractors at the pre-construction stage to provide programme estimates, input into the construction programme, confirm primer compatibility with the steel fabricator, and establish the area release protocol with the ceiling installation contractor. On site we manage our own work to the programme, provide regular progress updates, maintain quality control records that are available for inspection at any time, and provide the completion documentation in the format and at the time required by the main contract.
We are available to attend project meetings, site visits, and pre-construction co-ordination meetings at any stage of the project. Contact us to discuss your project requirements.
https://fireshieldireland.com/services/passive-fire-protection/
https://fireshieldireland.com/services/structural-steel-fireproofing/
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