New Generation Intumescent Fire Protection for Iconic Amsterdam Towers

The Y-Towers are two iconic buildings along the IJ waterfront in Amsterdam next to the “space-like” EYE Film Institute and A’DAM (Amsterdam Danse and Music) Tower. One tower will house the Maritim Amsterdam, the flagship congress and conference hotel for the German Maritim Group. The second tower will be a high-quality residential building offering 179 dwellings and 120 long-stay apartments.

The Y-Towers form part of a collection of six skyscrapers on the northern bank of the River IJ. Each tower has a character of its own. The two Y-Towers also differ in their architecture, although their shared plinth makes them part of one building. Reaching a height of 110 metres, the hotel tower is the tallest, with a modest yet sleek in appearance, its vertical sides are faced in anthracite-coloured rough stone. In terms of architecture, the 101-metre-high residential tower is more expressive, with its staggered horizontal bands of sand-coloured natural stone.

Solution

Sherwin-William passive fire protection experts worked with the steelwork fabricator, MAEG, who they had cooperated with previously on similar projects, to provide a coating system which would ensure the steel was protected against fire for the designated 90 and 120 minutes.  The need for fast application times, to keep to the production schedule, and for damage free on-site installation of the coated steelwork were also essential requirements of the project. 

The solution to provide the required damage resistant PFP coating involved the newest product from the Sherwin-Williams FIRETEX® range of intumescent coatings, FIRETEX FX6002. The specification called for FIRETEX C69 primer, FIRETEX FX6002 methacrylate intumescent coating and Acrolon® 7300 topcoat.  The epoxy blast primer is ideal for shop application and the acrylic urethane topcoat has excellent damage resistance and good colour retention. This system has been tested to provide up to 2 hours fire protection over an extended period.

Outcome

According to MAEG, the super-fast drying new generation intumescent coating recommended for the project was easy to apply, allowed for a high speed of production, and damage free on-site installation. Allowing the towers to achieve their required fire protection. The durable topcoat will also help to maintain the good visual appearance of the towers’ exposed internal steelwork.

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.