Fire Rated Coatings for Steel & Concrete: Market Insights

Introduction

Structural fire protection coatings have become a critical component of modern fire safety strategies, particularly in buildings where exposed steel and concrete are central to architectural expression. These coatings serve to limit the heat accumulation in the structure, thus impeding the fire endurance of the materials, which, in turn, extends the time to evacuate the occupants and keeps the structure from collapsing too soon.

Since there is an increasing focus of regulators on the fire safety of building structures, the application of fire resistant coatings is being specified at the design stage of a project rather than being considered as a last minute concession to the building code requirements.

In April 2024, major European fire authorities issued a joint statement in which they supported the reinforcement of inspection protocols for structural fire protection, stressing the need for thickness verification and proper application, in large commercial buildings. The consequent surge in customer demand for the traceability and certification of coating systems had also led to the utilization of digital inspection tools. Those manufacturers who could demonstrate proven product performance and had application support were able to secure a better market position.

Besides industrial and infrastructure projects being a part of the market, in September 2024 developers of infrastructure projects in India and the Middle East specified the use of intumescent coating for exposed steel in station and concourse areas of rail and metro projects. This requirement has been spurred by tighter fire safety regulations for spaces used by large numbers of people. Such sites tend to go for coatings that not only provide fire protection but also have good resistance to damage resulting from humidity and pollution.

Understand how structural fire resistance solutions align with glazing specifications and project compliance needs in the Fire Resistant Glass (FRG) Market Report.

Major Trends, Drivers, and Challenges

The transition to performance based fire engineering is the main factor that has influenced the growth of the structural fire protection coating market. Nowadays, engineers are designing buildings with exposed steel structures, thus there is a great need for fire resistance performance which can be validated through testing. In November 2024, ArcelorMittal joined forces with fire engineering consultants on projects that specified intumescent coatings compatible with high strength steel grades for commercial towers.

A significant change has been the preference of thin film intumescent coatings compared with the old bulky encasement methods. Besides, architects like coatings that can offer them visual transparency and more usable floor space. In July 2024, Sherwin Williams extended its thin film fire protection coating range in Europe and thus, targeted the products for high rise commercial and mixed use developments where design flexibility is a must.

Another area where structural fire protection coatings are finding their way is in infrastructure and industrial facilities such as airports, data centers, and energy plants. These assets require extended fire resistance ratings so that they can limit downtime and asset loss. In January 2025, Jotun announced the supply of fire protection coatings for a sizable airport expansion project in the Middle East, bringing out the case of demand from transport infrastructure.

Application quality is still the foremost challenge. Fire protection coatings necessitate very accurate thickness measurement and only certified applicators are allowed. An improper application can lead to a loss of the intended characteristics and also make the approval invalid. Consequently, suppliers are putting applicator training and inspection support at the center of their efforts. In 2024, AkzoNobel expanded its fire protection training programs for approved contractors in Asia Pacific.

Moreover, price sensitivity continues to hamper, especially the retrofit projects. Surface preparation, limited access and downtime further increase the cost of the projects. The public sector projects budget approval often becomes a bottleneck which slows down the adoption. Furthermore, cementitious coatings are still the preferred ones in a few industrial settings only because of their lower material costs, although their disadvantages in terms of space and weight remain.

The market for structural fire protection coatings is forecast to sustain stable growth as the fire safety regulations put more emphasis on structural performance. Demand is going to be the strongest for the commercial high-rise buildings, transport infrastructure, and industrial facilities with exposed steel elements. Those suppliers who are presenting tested coating systems, certified applicator networks, and digital inspection tools will be in the best positions to secure long-term contracts.

It is generally agreed that with greater acceptance of performance-based design, structural fire protection coatings will increasingly be considered not merely as optional safeguards but as vital elements of building safety and asset protection strategies.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Definition and Scope
3. Structural Fire Risk Overview
4. Coating Types and Performance Characteristics
5. Performance Based Design Trends
6. Infrastructure and Industrial Demand Analysis
7. Application, Certification, and Training Requirements
8. Cost and Retrofit Challenges
9. Outlook and Strategic Opportunities

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