The versatility and other advantages of stainless steel were used by Bitcon Industries in the manufacture of the fire doors and window frames for the renovation and extension of Johannesburg International Airport’s (JIA’s) domestic terminals. Bitcon fire-door frames, which are normally supplied in mild steel, were especially produced in stainless steel for this installation to match the decor of the terminals. The end-result combined the elegance of high-precision stainless steel with Bitcon’s advanced fire-door technology, says Bitcon director Bob Vollmer. “The benefits of producing the JIA doors in stainless steel included, for example, corrosion-, denting-, and abrasion-resistance. Consequently, in a high-traffic area such as JIA, stainless steel was the most cost-effective option. “The stainless-steel fire doors and matching stainless-steel window frames supplied for JIA also provided ease of cleaning and inherent hygienic properties, as the doors and frames can be maintained in a germ-free, clean condition merely with a detergent wash,” adds Vollmer. Stainless steel’s higher strength allows for the use of lighter gauges in the manufacture of window frames. “Today’s stainless steel can be cut, welded, formed, machined and fabricated as readily as conventional steels, which is another positive factor that led to the selection of the material for the JIA fire doors and window frames,” contends Vollmer. “Stainless-steel fire doors also resist scaling and retain their strength even at high temperatures.” The JIA stainless-steel fire doors and matching window frames were specified by the JIA fire consultant, Protection Projects, of Johannesburg. The architect for the airport renovation project was Kishore Magar Architects.

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