Researchers at MISIS University have unveiled a new fire resistant steel grade designed for heavy industrial and civil projects. The material is intended for use in shopping and business centers, warehouses, transport hubs, and multi-storey parking structures. When exposed to a controlled fire scenario, structures made from this steel can maintain their load bearing capacity for about 30 minutes at a temperature of 600°C, providing a critical window for safe evacuation. MISIS shared these findings with socialbites.ca.
The initiative responds to the demand for reliable fire protection in large public spaces. A catalytic trigger for development was the 2018 blaze at the Kemerovo Zimnyaya Vishnya shopping center, which highlighted gaps in fire resistance for building components. Fires in shopping malls and logistics facilities have remained a pressing concern, underscoring the importance of materials that tolerate high temperatures without compromising structural integrity.
The new steel can operate for up to half an hour without fire resistant coatings, which translates into meaningful cost reductions for metal structures. Production costs can fall by roughly half per ton, with savings approaching 60 thousand rubles. In addition, faster installation times and reduced maintenance contribute to shorter overall construction timelines. Perhaps most crucially, the formulation mitigates toxic emissions that can accompany coating materials in a fire, lessening potential environmental and health risks. The steel’s high strength allows for lighter structural designs, which further shortens assembly times and the total duration of a build.
Alexander Komissarov, head of the Hybrid Nanostructured Materials research laboratory at MISIS, explained that the team achieved the fire resistance by carefully adjusting alloying elements and applying precise thermomechanical processing during production. The breakthrough relies on a fine grained ferrite-bainitic structure formed through controlled rolling and accelerated cooling at specific temperature and deformation rates. This approach yields a material that retains structural capacity under severe heat while remaining economically viable for large scale use. The explanation was provided to the media by MISIS researchers involved in the project.
Full fire resistance tests were conducted at the All-Russian Fire Defense Institute under the Ministry of Emergencies, at the Central Research Institute of Building Structures named after VA Kucherenko. These tests included collaboration with the Association for the Development of Steel Construction to validate the performance claims and ensure compliance with interim safety benchmarks.
At present there are ongoing negotiations with one of the country’s leading property developers to explore the deployment of fire resistant rolled steel on the lower floors of residential complexes that house social facilities. The aim is to demonstrate practicality in real world settings and to create a blueprint for broader adoption in public housing and mixed-use developments. The collaboration seeks to align material properties with typical load scenarios found in multiuse buildings while preserving cost effectiveness and installation efficiency.
Earlier MISIS work also produced advancements in other materials research, including a long acting fertilizer derived from glass and urea, underscoring the center’s broad commitment to material science and sustainable construction practices. The current fire resistant steel project forms part of MISIS’s broader strategy to deliver safe, economical, and scalable materials for complex urban environments. Market readiness will depend on further field trials, supply chain readiness, and alignment with building codes across jurisdictions. The research team continues to monitor performance data from test facilities and is preparing technical documentation to support broader adoption across North American markets. [citation attribution]