NFCA

An Association of Contractors and Manufacturers Providing Passive Fire Protection to Structural Materials

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The NFCA represents contractors who install passive fireproofing products to protect building structural materials from fire and manufacturers who provide those products. Member contractors install sprayed fireproofing, intumescent coatings and fireproofing board products. Contractors are approved to install these materials by fireproofing product manufacturers and some are covered by the UL Qualified Contractor Program.

The NFCA works to improve the proper use and application of industry products through development of standard practices and educational programs for both product users and members.

NFCA News

April 23, 2009

Successful NFCA Education Conference Completed in Charleston

The 2009 NFCA Education Conference was held in Charleston, SC attended by a large group of contractors and suppliers. The conference was focused on improving actions to assist getting through these economic times, improving productivity with new technology, developing a Quality Management Manual, and a code action update. A special ToolKit session was provided by equipment manufacturers to allow one on one answer to contractor’s equipment and operating questions.

Fails Management Institute provided a program on “Weathering the Storm – Managing Your Business in a Turbulent Economy”. This two hour program provided many examples of improving a contractors operation focusing on the organization, strategy and execution. Root causes of why business fail gave insight into what not to do. In each area of discussion FMI pointed to “best practices” that are fundamental to protecting the firm ensuring long term viability.

Using GPS capability of mobile phones and job site clocking into work was covered in detail by personnel form TeleNav Track, and The Job Clock. Both systems offer integration of field information into accounting records while understanding where field personnel are located at any point in time. Current NFCA contractors are using both systems to improve their field productivity and reduce accounting errors and cost.

The ToolKit session included equipment manufacturer and accessory suppliers allowing attendees direct access to manufacturing personnel. The following companies participated in this program: Alabama Metal Industries (metal lath), Nathan Kimmel Co., Titan/ Spraycraft, Inc., and Walker Equipment Company.

The revised NFCA Quality Management Manual was presented to the attendees to be used in developing their own company manual in preparation to becoming a UL Qualified SFRM Contractor. Currently four contractors are under UL contract to become qualified. Forty nine NFCA contractor personnel have passed the UL DRI examination from 34 companies. The next NFCA Training program and UL DRI examination will take place on May 5-6 in Raleigh, NC. Details may be found on the NFCA web site at www.nfca-online.org.

April 23, 2009

ICC Code Changes for 2009 International Fire Code Will Benefit Industry

Several changes affecting Fireproofing will be published in the 2009 edition of the ICC International Fire Code. These include the following:

  • An Annual visual inspection of accessible fire-resistance rated construction by the owner. Systems must be properly repaired, restored or replaced when damaged, altered, breached or penetrated. This change should increase the amount of patching of fireproofing throughout the life of a building.
  • Section 403.18 requires the minimum bond strength in high rise buildings to be as follows:
      • When the height is more that 75 feet up to 420 feet the minimum bond strength is 430 psf
      • More than 420 feet the minimum bond strength is 1000psf

The changes will promote the use of medium density products on these high risk buildings.

  • Table 503 – Allowable Height and Building Areas will have the height reduced by 1 story for Type III B buildings. More business, mercantile and storage buildings will fall under Type IIA which will require a 1 hour classification.
  • Section 202 – Primary structural frame – Cross Bracing. This section increases the amount of cross bracing to be fireproofed with a change in definition. This section now includes the following: “Bracing members that are essential to the vertical stability of the primary structural frame under gravity loading shall be considered part of the primary structural frame whether or not the bracing member carries gravity loads.”

April 23, 2009

New Officers and Board of Directors Elected

A new slate of officers and directors were elected during the NFCA business meeting in Charleston, SC. The 2009 officers and directors are:

President         Howard Towler           Acme Fireproofing                             Jenks, OK
Vice President   Robert DeSilva        Allstates Fireproofing, Inc.                Riviera Beach, FL Treasurer        Jeff Danneker             W. R. Grace & Co.                             Cambridge, MA
Secretary         Kevin Kitchens           Southern Fireproofing Company, Inc.Greenville, SC

Director          David Cockrum          Mader Southeast                                 Orlando, FL
Director          Richard Clayton         Clayton Coatings, Inc.                        Everett, WA
Director          Jose A. Lopez             AISLA Citec, Inc.                               San Juan, PR
Director          Kurt Neff                    Isolatek Corp.                                     Stanhope, NJ
Director          John Taglienti             East Coast Fireproofing                     Walpole, MA
Director          Charles Merriman      Carboline, Inc.                                    St. Louis, MO
Director          Bubba Winston           American Coatings, Inc.                     Ashland, VA
Director          Jonathan Wohl            Lawrence B. Wohl                              Port Chester, NY
Director          Henry Vogel               State-Line Products of South Florida  Ft. Lauderdale, FL

April 8, 2009

North Carolina NFCA Training for SFRM Contractors and UL DRI Examination

The NFCA announces that the next SFRM Contractor Training Program and UL Qualified Contractor Examination will take place on May 5-6, 2009 at Underwriters Laboratories in Research Triangle Park, NC. This will allow contractors located on the East Coast to more easily take the first step in becoming a UL Qualified SFRM Contractor. Full details and registration information for this training program is attached.

At this time 51 contractor personnel have successfully completed the NFCA training program and passed the UL DRI examination. One contractor has been approved by UL and many are working to complete the process to become a UL Qualified SFRM Contractor.

Program details, schedule, and registration forms are available in the following document:

NFCA DRI Training Program

Contact the NFCA with any questions.