Global passive fire protection is growing
But the challenges of tall building safety continue
Developers are facing issues around water pressure management
According to data from IMARC Group, the global passive fire protection market reached USD4.7 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow to USD6.3 billion by 2034 – driven by many variables that impact tall building safety.
For example, experts say artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly important role in the sector through automated compliance verification, predictive thermal imaging, and real-time monitoring of fire protection systems.
AI-powered IoT sensors are also being used to monitor fire-resistant walls, coatings, and structural systems in real time, while machine learning technologies help identify temperature anomalies and potential fire risks before incidents occur.However, developers are facing issues around water pressure management, fire system reliability and long-term operational sustainability in high-rise environments. Industry experts say one of the most critical issues involves maintaining sufficient water pressure throughout increasingly tall buildings, particularly in desert climates where municipal water supplies often operate at relatively low-pressure levels.But this carries its own risk. While able to bridge the gap, experts warn that large pressure differences between municipal and secondary water supplies can create significant strain on fire protection infrastructure, increasing the risk of over-pressurisation, equipment failure or insufficient water delivery during emergencies.Self-regulating variable-speed pumps can improve energy efficiency by between 30 and 50 per cent compared with fixed-speed systems, helping developers reduce operational costs while supporting sustainability goals, per National Pumps and Boilers.
Advanced fire safety systems are integrated with software, sensors, and analytics platforms capable of continuously monitoring water pressure, flow rates and overall system performance.
These systems can automatically identify maintenance issues, generate performance reports, and alert operators to potential failures before they escalate into critical incidents.
