The threat of fire has been among humankind's constant concerns, and fireproofing is one of the most common means of prevention. The earliest fireproofing materials were tiles and clay, installed to protect timbers and walls from stray sparks from cookstoves and fireplaces. Yet little could be done to prevent a spark from landing on a thatched roof, or to keep lightning from striking.

Wood was, and continues to be, one of the cheapest types of building material, but where wood buildings are crowded together at the center of cities, a small accident involving fire can decimate an entire city. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 prompted a call to architects to devise fireproof buildings. In response to this, William Jenney designed the Home Insurance Building in 1884, featuring an iron framework that held up the external "skin" of the building. Jenney's construction launched a revolution in structural design...