Security & Fire Protection
A clearer view on glass specification
Minimally framed 60 minute (60/0) glass fire doors using PYRAN® S
For life safety applications, glass is at the forefront of technology. Correctly understanding fire glass specification is critical to ensuring a safe environment for all aspects of our everyday lives.
Fire resistant glass can be used in a multitude of applications within a building, from partition walls to fire doors, from windows to glass floors. Each application requires detailed consideration to be able to correctly match the necessary materials, such as the seals between a frame and the glass, as this is essential for fire resistance. Fire resistant glass is not able to function independently and we use the term ‘glazing system’ to describe the key components in combination. If we change one component without validating that change, how can we be sure that the system will still function correctly in a fire? The short answer is that we can’t and a key message to specifiers and surveyors is, don’t accept replacement materials without the appropriate fire test evidence to support them.
It is important to understand that framing materials such as timber and metal behave differently under extreme fire conditions. Timber burns and shrinks when subjected to fire so specific densities and dimensions are necessary. Conversely, steel expands and distorts, so allowances for expansion and movement are required. Therefore, by using third party approved products it enables us to design in a safe way.
With the latest fire sealing technologies now available, it makes it possible to join glass panes edge-to-edge. This increases the visible glass area creating a light and brighter environment. This can be particularly beneficial in applications such as office partitions sharing light and providing uninterrupted viewing. Fire resistant door designs have also greatly improved, where there was once limitations on the area of glass within a fire door it is now possible to produce 60 minute fire rated double glass doors with a simple looking upper and lower rails clamped to the glass and slim extrusions to the vertical edges holding intumescent and smoke seals. All the above designs are providing maximum transparency with minimal framing in addition to a fire barrier.
For some areas of a building fire ratings up to 120 minutes integrity (120/0) are required. The solution: SCHOTT PYRAN®
S with ultra-clear transparency, is the
long established brand to meet window, partition and door requirements. If heat insulation is also needed, such as for critical escape routes, then SCHOTT PYRANOVA®
provides the maximum protection for up to 120 minutes integrity & insulation (120/120). As noted above these fire ratings will only be achieved when the glass is installed within a glazing system offering the same or greater performance.
SCHOTT UK LTD TEL: 01785 223166 41
PYRANOVA® Secure & NOVOLAY® Secure resist multiple forms of attack
It’s not just walls that are required to be fire rated. By inserting a glass aperture into the floor more borrowed light can be projected into a building. When considering a glass floor it is essential that not only fire but also a load bearing capacity can be achieved. PYRANOVA®
glass has been fire tested within a
system to withstand over 5,000kg per square metres of load both in the normal state and during a fire. This allows safe egress from a building even when other routes of escape may be blocked.
In some buildings, fire safety is just the start. Is security also an important issue and consideration for you or your client? There are different levels of security that can be achieved in combination with fire resistance using our specialist glass products. Why make a building look dark and intimidating when you can use glass instead to provide a bright environment. Glass allows areas, or people, to be observed whilst still maintaining security and safety.
The threat from fire following a bomb blast or petrol bomb attack is very real. How do you mitigate against this type of attack? SCHOTT NOVOLAY® and PYRANOVA®
secure
secure glasses have both been tested in various formats to resist bullets, bomb blast and even fire attack in some circumstances. When the highest levels of protection are required, such as BR7 ballistic, P8B manual attack and El 60 fire resistance, then these threats can be combatted by incorporating the special glass types produced by SCHOTT into purpose made laminates. This enables thinner, lighter, more transparent glass that can be better integrated into modern building design.
Understanding all these elements can be a daunting task but SCHOTT are the specialists when it comes to glass design. If you are involved in specification, surveying or designing fire resistant or security glass elements then we are able to offer advice on specification and installation whether it be project specific or of a more general nature.
Martin Brown, Technical Sales Manager at SCHOTT UK will explain how fire resistant and security glass is used within buildings to enhance light levels whilst still maintaining a safe environment for those inside at the DCE CPD seminars in Coventry (11/9), Grimsby (19/9), Leeds (10/10) and Liverpool (27/11). To register, free of charge, go to
www.dcecpd.co.uk
SEE THE DIFFERENCE CLEARLY WITH SCHOTT GLASS
WWW.SCHOTT.COM/UK
INFO.UK@
SCHOTT.COM
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