Fire rating periods are the single biggest cost driver in structural fire protection, yet many buyers receive a specification that simply says 90 minutes without understanding where the number came from or what moving it means. This guide explains the framework used across Dubai and the UAE.
Where the rating comes from
The UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice sets structural fire resistance requirements by occupancy, building height and construction type, enforced through Civil Defence approval of the design. Typical outcomes: low rise industrial buildings often carry 30 to 60 minute requirements, mid rise commercial 60 to 90, and high rise or high hazard occupancies 120 minutes. The consultant fixes the rating in the fire strategy; the applicator and supplier then meet it.
What the minutes actually mean
The rating is the time, in a standard cellulosic furnace test, for which the protected steel must stay below its critical failure temperature, commonly around 550 degrees Celsius. It is not a prediction of a real fire timeline. It buys evacuation and firefighting time, which is exactly what Civil Defence regulations are structured around.
How the rating changes coating thickness and price
For thin film intumescent coatings, required dry film thickness rises steeply with the rating and with the section factor of each steel member. Moving a design from 60 to 90 minutes can roughly double the intumescent volume on lightweight sections. This is why accurate member schedules matter at enquiry stage: pricing from a real section list with Hp/A values produces a firm number, while pricing from tonnage alone produces a guess. Our article on section factors explains the calculation.
Certification and approval documents
Civil Defence approval expects listed and registered products with test evidence to recognised standards, assessment to EN 13381-8 or testing under BS 476 for cellulosic exposure, and loading tables matching the tested range. The 2026 code cycle tightened documentation and traceability expectations for structural fireproofing, so keep batch records and application logs from day one.
For hydrocarbon environments such as refineries, the cellulosic framework does not apply; epoxy passive fire protection tested to UL 1709 takes over, covered in our Chartek guide.
MENA Industrial Supplies supplies Interchar intumescent systems with the certificates and loading tables consultants request, from Dubai stock. Send your member schedule for a same day material take off.