FIRE & ELECTRICAL SAFETY
FIRE RESISTANT GLASS: THE FACTS
Simon Ellison, Technical Sales Manager at Pyroguard, explains the history behind fire resistant glazing, and looks at the current market.
The Great Exhibition project at Crystal Palace in 1851 was the first time glass was used as a building material, creating a structure with the biggest area of glass ever seen. This project is regarded as one of the finest innovations of the 19th century and so it is unsurprising that since then, the application of glass in architectural design has continued to be extremely popular. However, this amazing building was completely destroyed by fire in late November 1936 and never rebuilt. Innovations in glass technology and a focus on fire safety and regulation since that time means that had the Crystal Palace been built using the fire resistant glass products on the market today, it may still be standing.
Fire resistant glass exists to reduce the spread of heat and smoke in a building from the result of a fire, enabling critical time for people to escape and buildings to be saved. In 2019, the global fire resistant glazing market is expected to reach a size of over £4 billion, indicating just how much this product is being used.
There are many different types of products to choose from, each offering varying levels of fire protection. This can be confusing for specifiers, builders, contractors and installers and so having a basic understanding of the different types of product available could make all the difference. To keep things simple, fire glass can be sorted into four main types: monolithic embedded wire, laminated float, modified toughened and laminated modified toughened.
Monolithic embedded wired glass is the original fire resistant glass which is used mainly for budget applications, or to match existing wired installations. The downside of this product is the unsightly wired mesh, a feature no longer required for fire protection as the result of more technically advanced products entering the market.
Laminated float glass is renowned for its application flexibility, price and lead time. It can be manufactured as a stock sheet and held locally at an approved glass stock holders, cut to
order upon a customer’s requirement. This glass is exceptionally high performing and can be expanded to cover glass at higher classification for up to 60 minutes through the addition of glass and active intumescent interlayers. To achieve this, specialist cutting equipment is not required meaning overall costs can be reduced.
Modified tough glass has to be manufactured to bespoke sizes and cannot be modified after the toughening process, leading to slightly longer lead times. Manufacturing this product is a specialist procedure, utilising a special heat and cooling profile which induces the desired stresses within the glass. Modified tough glass can withstand demands of fire testing and achieve high classification.
Laminated modified tough glass originates from modified toughened products that have been altered to give enhancements above the original product. If installed in a project requiring extra security including financial institutions, specialist medical centres or detention centres, an additional layer can be added. Special reactive intumescent interlayers can also be added depending on a project’s requirements, giving enhancements such as radiation control for up to 120 minutes.
These different types of fire resistant glass all meet the required fire resistant classification demands and can be adaptable to more specific requirements in individual projects. It is clear just how critical fire resistant glass is as a safety feature in a building. Choosing the correct type of fire glass for a project and knowing how it will be perform is the first step in ensuring people and property will be protected.
www.pyroguard.eu 40
www.tomorrowshs.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60