ABSTRACT
Accidental fires were responsible of the more critical accidents that took place in the Chemical and Process Industry. In fact, fires may lead to the escalation of extremely severe scenarios by damaging process or storage vessels with consequent material and energy release. Due to the strong fire exposure conditions, the selection and the testing of fireproofing materials is critical. The current contribution presents the results of a study aimed at a better understanding of the performance of fireproofing materials in the protection of critical equipment. The study integrates results from experimental activity and numerical simulation techniques by the definition of specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). KPIs were proposed for the evaluation of PFP behavior, providing concise representations of the simulation results. The study allowed for a better understanding of the dynamics underlying the effective design for passive fire protection, in particular providing elements for the choice and the design of fireproofing materials.
