Fire Protective Coating System for Outdoor Critical Infrastructure
At NanoTech Materials, we provide industry-leading passive fire protection solutions designed to protect critical infrastructure from the increasing threat of wildfires. Using our proprietary Insulative Ceramic Particle (ICP)™ technology, NanoTech Material’s Wildfire Shield provides an industry breakthrough approach to passive fire protection for critical, open air wooden infrastructure such as: Earth retention walls, firebreak fences, excavations, retaining walls, underground wooden structures, marine locations, historic buildings, and more.
Discover how NanoTech’s fire protective technologies safeguard infrastructure and assets.
The Growing Challenge of Fire Mitigation in Open-Air Environments
Wildfires
Acres Burned
Personnel Assigned
Source for statistics is the Incident Management Situation Report published by the National Interagency Coordination Center
As wildfires grow more intense and fire seasons lengthen, the challenges of protecting infrastructure and critical assets in open-air environments are becoming increasingly complex. Traditional fire mitigation methods, such as cementitious and intumescent coatings, are no longer sufficient to address these heightened risks. To effectively mitigate fire in these conditions, it’s crucial to understand why current materials fall short and where the gaps in protection exist.
Additional Challenges in Open-Air Fire Mitigation
Inadequate Protection for Wooden Infrastructure
Wooden structures like utility poles, barrier fences, and timber lagging are particularly vulnerable to fire spread. Traditional coatings fail to prevent rapid heat transfer and flame spread, leaving these critical assets exposed in fire-prone regions. More reliable, long-lasting solutions are essential for safeguarding wooden infrastructure.
Vulnerability in Open-Air Environments
Concrete shoring systems, often seen as the only option for protecting open-air wooden infrastructure, are costly, heavy, and inflexible. These drawbacks increase project timelines and limit adaptability to site conditions, making them less practical for many applications. A more efficient and cost-effective solution is essential for safeguarding wooden infrastructure in fire-prone areas.
The Problem with Today’s Solutions
High Costs of Concrete Shoring Systems
When it comes to protecting critical infrastructure like highway timber lagging and retaining walls, concrete shoring systems are often viewed as the default choice. However, they come with significant drawbacks—most notably, the cost. Concrete shoring systems can cost up to three times more than NanoTech Materials’ advanced fire protective coating systems applied to wood timber lagging.
Limitations and Risks of Intumescent Coatings
Intumescent coatings rely on high temperatures—typically between 200°C and 250°C—to activate. During this delay, fire can spread, reducing the protective window. When activated, these coatings swell to form a barrier that slows flame spread, but this process often releases harmful chemicals, creating toxic fumes that pose risks to health and the environment. Additionally, the swollen coating can lose its integrity due to environmental factors or physical damage, making it unreliable in open-air environments.
Heavy and Fragile Cementitious Coatings
Cementitious coatings are inherently heavy and brittle, adding significant weight to structures and making them prone to cracking under environmental stress or structural movement. These cracks compromise their fire mitigation capability, leaving structures vulnerable. Furthermore, cementitious materials require thicker application layers, more labor, and additional logistical effort, making them impractical for large-scale or outdoor applications.
How We’re Different: The NanoTech Advantage
The Cost-Effective Solution for Wood Timber Lagging
Wood timber lagging offers significant advantages over concrete for highway and retaining wall projects, including lower costs, faster installation, and greater design flexibility. However, without proper protection, its flammability makes it vulnerable to wildfires, driving up insurance costs and rebuilding expenses. NanoTech’s Wildfire Shield provides an affordable fire protective solution, enhancing the safety and durability of timber lagging at a fraction of the cost of concrete.
Key Benefits of Wildfire Shield-Coated Wood Timber Lagging:
- Cost Savings: Up to 67% less expensive than concrete shoring systems.
- Enhanced Fire Protection: Prevents heat transfer and flame spread, maintaining structural integrity.
- Faster Installation: Streamlined application process minimizes project timelines.
Wildfire Shield
Revolutionary Passive Fire Protection for Wooden Infrastructure
NanoTech Materials’ Wildfire Shield leverages innovative technology to provide advanced fire resistance for wood timber lagging. Designed to protect public infrastructure in wildfire-prone areas, Wildfire Shield ensures long-lasting durability for highway retaining walls, soil-retaining walls, and barrier walls built with wood timber lagging. Its superior performance makes it the ideal solution for public fire mitigation efforts.
Key Features:
- Superior Fire Resistance: Withstands temperatures up to 3,272°F (1,800°C), providing unmatched protection for wood timber lagging and the critical walls it supports. Wildfire Shield prevents severe fire damage, safeguarding infrastructure from intense wildfire conditions.
- Prevents Flame Spread and Heat Transfer: Wildfire Shield minimizes heat transfer and halts flame progression, preserving the structural integrity of walls built with wood timber lagging. By slowing fire spread, it provides vital time for evacuation and emergency response.
- Tailored for DOT Public Projects: Specifically engineered for high-risk public infrastructure, Wildfire Shield meets the needs of engineers, contractors, and government agencies. It delivers reliable fire mitigation for walls constructed with wood timber lagging, such as: Highway Retaining Walls, Soil-Retaining Walls, and Barrier Walls in Wildfire Zones.
Lightweight, Flexible, and Reliable
Wildfire Shield is lightweight and flexible, making it easy to apply and resilient under environmental stress. Unlike brittle cementitious coatings, it adapts to structural movement and varying conditions without cracking, ensuring long-lasting protection for wood timber lagging walls in open-air environments.
No reportable VOCs
Our solution is a water-based acrylic coating with no reportable VOCs or harmful chemicals emitted during an active fire. Wildfire Shield emits no smoke during heat exposure, making it ideal for projects requiring compliance with strict safety and environmental standards.
Instant Activation for Rapid Protection
Unlike intumescent coatings, which require high temperatures to activate, Wildfire Shield forms a protective char barrier immediately upon heat exposure. This rapid response provides essential early-stage fire protection for timber lagging walls, reducing heat transfer and halting flame spread.
Durable and Long-Lasting
Tested for multi-hour protection, Wildfire Shield maintains its effectiveness over prolonged fire exposure. Unlike cementitious materials that degrade under heat or stress, it delivers consistent performance for wood timber lagging, ensuring the safety of retaining walls, highway structures, and more.
Take Action Today and Protect What Matters Most
Now that you’ve explored the unparalleled passive fire protection capabilities of NanoTech’s Wildfire Shield and Battery Shield, it’s time to take the next step. Whether you’re safeguarding critical infrastructure from wildfires or ensuring the safe transportation of batteries, NanoTech’s solutions offer the protection you need.
Real-World Fire Mitigation Solutions in Action
At NanoTech Materials, we don’t just talk about fire protection—we deliver results. Our advanced passive fire protection solutions have been successfully deployed in a variety of real-world scenarios, from safeguarding critical infrastructure in wildfire-prone areas to ensuring the safe transport of batteries and other sensitive materials. With proven performance across a range of industries, our products are protecting assets and saving lives in some of the most challenging fire environments.
Here’s a glimpse of how NanoTech’s Wildfire Shield is making an impact:
Outdoor Ecosystem and Critical Wooden Infrastructure Protection
As wildfires grow more destructive, protecting critical wooden infrastructure such as utility poles, barrier fences, and timber lagging on highways is crucial. NanoTech Materials’ Wildfire Shield offers a groundbreaking fire mitigation solution with its lightweight, nanotechnology-based coating that forms a protective char barrier upon heat exposure. Unlike traditional methods, this advanced technology slows flame spread and defends essential infrastructure from extreme heat, ensuring communities remain resilient.
Wood Infrastructure Defense Coating Community Barrier Protection
As wildfire seasons grow longer and more intense, protecting homes and critical wooden infrastructure has become an urgent challenge. NanoTech Materials’ revolutionary Wildfire Shield addresses this problem with a lightweight, nanotechnology-based coating that forms a char barrier under extreme heat, preventing fire from spreading. Designed to safeguard assets in fire-prone areas like California, Wildfire Shield offers a breakthrough alternative to traditional methods, helping communities build a safer, more resilient future.
Wooden Infrastructure Defensible Coating for Private Property
As wildfires grow more destructive in fire-prone states like California, protecting wooden infrastructure has become essential. NanoTech Materials’ Wildfire Shield provides a proactive defense, offering advanced protection to preserve assets and enhance safety in the face of devastating fires.
Discover how NanoTech’s passive fire protection technologies are changing the landscape of fire safety.
Explore more of our success stories and see the full range of case studies on our [Case Studies Page].
Thinking Beyond Wood
Battery Shield
Innovative Fire Mitigation for Battery Storage and Transport
NanoTech Materials’ Battery Shield is a fire-resistant cellulosic paneling designed for high-risk scenarios involving battery fires. Easily inserted into flammable packaging like cardboard boxes, it acts as a barrier to prevent flame spread during transit and storage.
Key Features:
Fire-Resistant Panels
Provides a protective barrier within packaging to contain and prevent fire spread from battery ignition.
Engineered for Safety in Transit
Ideal for shipping companies, manufacturers, and recyclers handling batteries and electronics, minimizing risks of costly incidents.
Sustainable Materials
Made from responsibly sourced cellulosic materials, offering a fire-resistant solution that supports environmentally conscious operations.