The unique condition that allows heat to bypass its protective thermal barrier is defined as, and should be considered to be, a thermal short circuit. Within the context of spray fireproofing a thermal short circuit provides an avenue through which the high heat, presumably from a fire, can transfer from the source to the structural steel effectively short circuiting the monolithic barrier of fire-resistant materials.
Thermal short circuits within the fireproofing industry generally take one of two forms. One, those thermal short circuits that are inherent to the means and methods of the design or construction process; hangers or stiffeners would be examples. And two, those that are the result of physical damage; damaged fireproofing, that I assume everyone knows must be repaired. Our conversation today will focus on compromised fireproofing by some penetrating attachment that is inherent to the means and method of the design and the construction process. These penetrations, for discussion purposes, can be subdivided into three general attachment categories: small-scale, thin gauge and structural penetrations.