Revolutionary FIRETEX product protects one of France’s largest conference and events venues

Located around 140km to the south of Paris the CO’Met conference and events venue is one of the largest in France.  Due for completion in 2022 Orléans Métropole has taken a unique approach to this project with a singular focus on creating a modular and flexible venue with up to 33,000m2 of exhibition space, a sports hall with as many as 10,000 seats, which will be home to the Orléans Loiret Basketball Team, and a conference centre which can accommodate up to 2,000 people.

The architectural design was created to exemplify the characteristic style of the Loire Valley, of which Orleans is the capitol and with a modern twist the external façade is adorned with a network of LEDs designed by artist Yann Kersalé which can compliment the events being staged.

Described by the project team, the CO’Met development is “Virtuous from an environmental point of view”, being designed to limit energy requirements and use renewable energy and sustainable materials.

Solution

FIRETEX FX6002 Ultra-Fast Drying Intumescent Coating was first launched onto the market in 2019, revolutionising the industry with its unrivalled drying times, superb mechanical resilience, weathering durability, and application characterises which help in attaining an excellent standard of aesthetic finish. 

Upon receipt of the contract for the structural steelwork for the project, the fabricator, MAEG, contacted Sherwin-Williams and suitable coating specifications were drawn up to satisfy the 90 minutes fire protection requirement.  

The expert engineering team then evaluated the project designs and provided comprehensive details for the appropriate fire protection of the structural building frame.  The proprietary and third-party certified estimating software facilitating rapid updates to be made as and when the structural design was changed.

The application of the coating system was supported by Sherwin-Williams Technical Service Team, both the initial in-shop application at the fabricator’s facility and site completion activities once the steelwork was erected.

Outcome

According to MAEG, the ultra-fast drying new generation intumescent coating was easy to apply and removed the bottleneck in production typically associated with the application and in particular the drying of more traditional intumescent coatings. The methacrylate based intumescent enabled largely damage free on-site installation of the protected steelwork, minimising or eliminating rework and allowing the building to achieve its required fire protection. The durable topcoat will also help to maintain the building’s internal good visual appearance.

The Sherwin-Williams Difference

Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine delivers world-class industry subject matter expertise, unparalleled technical and specification service, and unmatched regional commercial team support to our customers around the globe. Our broad portfolio of high-performance coatings and systems that excel at combating corrosion helps customers achieve smarter, time-tested asset protection.

We serve a wide array of markets across our rapidly growing international distribution footprint, including oil and gas, water and wastewater, bridge and highway, steel fabrication, resin flooring, food and beverage, rail and power, marine and passive fire protection.