Emerging Trends Influencing Innovation in Fire-Rated Glazing  

Advances in technology increase sustainability, views, and installation ease

Sponsored by Vetrotech Saint-Gobain North America | By Amanda C Voss, MPP

Photo courtesy of Vetrotech Saint-Gobain North America

Advances in fire-rated glazing adhere not only to stringent life-safety requirements, they also facilitate greater sustainability.

Preserving health, safety, and welfare are fundamental aspects of building design practice. Fire-rated glass is an essential asset in this practice. Fire-rated glass is classified as a life-safety building material and its use is governed by the International Building Code (IBC). To receive its rating, glass is assessed by performance during standardized testing. How long the glass will stop the spread of fire and smoke determines how the glass is classified. Typical clear glass will fail at a temperature difference approaching 250°F. Fire-rated glasses can protect people and property at temperatures exceeding 1,600°F.

Beyond life safety and code, new innovations in fire-rated glazing can also support sustainable construction practices, shaping a future of safer, healthier, and more environmentally responsible structures. As decarbonization and green building requirements influence fire-rated glass, incorporating pioneering fire-rated glass products provides creative design options while still adhering to current model building codes. The new generation of fire-rated products is available in larger sizes that can withstand a fire for longer periods of time, and many fire-rated products can provide solar control and better energy efficiency.

Fire-Rated Glazing 101

It is important to understand the categories of fire-rated glass products, as well as the related test standards and current building code requirements for specifying architectural fire-rated glazing.

The most critical areas of application for fire-rated glazing are fire doors, the elevator lobby, atrium wall assemblies, fire exit staircases, egress corridors, exterior walls, car parking areas that occur within the basement, areas of refuge, and data server or instrument control rooms. Other building elements that may contain fire-rated glass are windows, partitions, curtain walls, skylights, glass floors, and smoke barriers.

Fire-Protective and Fire-Resistive Glazing
Fire-rated glazing falls into one of two categories: Fire Protective and Fire Resistive.

Fire-Protective glazing defends against smoke and flames. Products with Fire-Protective labeling do not protect against radiant heat and do not need to be installed in a fire-rated frame. This glass is rated for between 20 and 180 minutes of performance. Examples of Fire-Protective products include wired glass, tempered glass, and ceramic glass.

Fire-Resistive glazing defends against smoke, flames, and radiant heat. The product is rated for between 60 to 180 minutes. Under ASTM E199, qualifying products protect against radiant heat and must be installed within a fire-rated frame to achieve performance. For a frame system to achieve fire-resistive status, the complete assembly, both glass and frame, must maintain the same fire rating. This allows all the elements of the system to work and perform together. Thermally broken steel profile systems used in conjunction with fire- and safety-rated glazing products provide a barrier to radiant and conducted heat transfer. The glazing unit’s interlayer(s) absorbs energy from fire and limits transmission of radiant heat to the non-fire side.

Intumescent glazing, introduced in the 1990s, is the glass of choice for Fire-Resistive glazing. It is the most advanced in design. Intumescent glazing works by compartmentalizing smoke, flames, and the dangerous transfer of radiant heat. During manufacture, there are two main methods of production. In the first method, heat-absorbing polymer is placed between two layers of tempered glass. In the second method, thin layers of transparent intumescent material are sandwiched between layers of either tempered or annealed glass. Intumescent glazing ranges between ¾-inch up to 4-inch thickness.

During a fire, intumescent glazing reacts in specific and predictable ways. When heated, a series of reactions occur: first, the exposed layer of glass cracks. This activates the first layer of intumescent material. The panel then becomes opaque, reducing heat transmission. Under prolonged heating this intumescent layer is eventually degraded and the second layer of glass cracks. The process repeats itself through all layers present in the glazing. The number of layers is dependent on the fire rating. Critically, when exposed to fire, glass on the unexposed surface remains cool and does not slump.

Photo courtesy of Vetrotech Saint-Gobain North America

Glazing undergoing performance testing at International Fire Testing Services.

Directly Comparing Fire-Protective and Fire-Resistive Glazing Performance
As discussed, fire-protective glazing contains smoke and flames but does not protect against heat. During a fire, heat is transported through glass via the transfer of thermal energy by invisible electromagnetic waves, or radiation. While fire-protective glazing is effective at containing the flames and spread of a fire, it cannot shelter occupants from heat transfer. Additionally, fire-protective glazing cannot exceed greater than 25% of the total wall area. The most typical fire ratings for fire-protective glass are 45 minutes and 90 minutes.

Fire-resistive glazing defends against smoke, flames, and radiant heat. During a fire, prolonged exposure is possible, and egress is facilitated with fire-resistive glazing. The glazing does not transfer heat, allowing occupants to move past the glass safely. Typical fire ratings are 60 minutes and 120 minutes. To be truly fire resistive, the fire-resistive glazing must be mounted in fire-resistive framing. In this configuration, the transparent wall assembly is not limited in size or application.

Fire Codes

In most buildings, there will be designated compartments that are designed to keep a fire contained in the event of disaster. These are defined in Chapter 7 of the International Building Code (IBC) as: Fire walls, Fire barriers, and Fire partitions. The IBC provisions govern the materials, systems, and assemblies used for structural fire resistance and fire-resistance-rated construction that safeguard buildings from the spread of fire. Fire-resistive-rated compartmentalization is recognized by NFPA 257 as an effective method of restricting fires to their area of origin or limiting their spread.

Photo courtesy of Vetrotech Saint-Gobain North America

Large expanses of glass are a hallmark of contemporary design, driving glazing technology to meet new benchmarks in safety and sustainable performance.

Fire testing standards include:

  • ASTM E119: Standard Test Methods for Fire Tests of Building Construction and Materials.
  • UL 263
  • UL 10 C
  • NFPA 80: Standard for regulating the installation and maintenance of fire protective openings in walls, floors, and ceilings.
  • NFPA 252: The standard for fire door systems.
  • NFPA 257: The standard for windows, glass block, and other lite-transmitting assemblies.

Fire-rated assemblies must also meet the following code requirements:

  • Occupancy Separation (Table 508.4)
  • Building Elements (Table 601)
  • Fire Separation Distance (Table 602)
  • Fire Barrier Assemblies (Table 707.3.9)
  • Fire Barriers – Section 707
  • Fire Partitions – Section 708
  • Smoke Barriers – Section 709
  • Smoke Partitions – Section 710
  • Fire Door and Fire Shutters (Table 715.4)

Understanding IBC Label requirements for fire-rated glazing is also valuable for the design team. Fire-protection-rated glazing is mandated to bear a label or other identification, permanently placed onto the glazing, showing the name of the manufacturer, the test standard, and information required in IBC Section 716.3. that shall be issued by an approved agency. These markings can include the following designations:

  • W: Meets wall assembly criteria. (ASTM E 119 or UL 263)
  • OH: Meets fire window assembly criteria including the hose stream test. (NFPA 252 or UL 9)
  • D: Meets fire door assembly criteria. (NFPA 252 or UL 10B or UL 10C)
  • H: Meets fire door assembly “Hose Stream” Test. (NFPA 252 or UL 10B or UL 10C)
  • T: Meets 450°F temperature rise criteria for 30 minutes. (NFPA 252 or UL 10B or UL 10C)
  • XXX: The time in minutes of the fire resistance or fire protection rating of the glazing assembly.

CONSTRUCTION TRENDS AND THEIR IMPACTS ON FIRE-RATED GLAZING

The global construction glass market is anticipated to grow at a 7% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2021 and 2031 to reach a valuation of over $90 billion by 2031. The market surpassed $46 billion in 2020, with a 5% CAGR between 2016 and 2020.1 “The need for building construction glass is being driven by urbanization and demand from residential and commercial sectors. The increasing demand for lighter, stronger, and more energy-efficient construction glasses will continue to drive construction glasses production,” stated a Fact.MR survey on sales of construction glass.2

“Offering new modes of visual pleasure and spatial experience, glass has benefited from major advances in engineering and structural innovations,” noted Daniel Fox, AIA New York.3 Glass offers unique advantages over other construction materials. It transmits natural daylight and is unaffected by typical weather. The color of glass does not shift or morph due to changes in the environment, allowing it to maintain the original design aesthetic envisioned for a much longer time. Glass is also highly recyclable; it can be shaped and reused numerous times. Its raw materials are sand, soda ash, and limestone, as well as recycled glass, making it sustainably sourced. This recyclability and availability has allowed glass to emerge as a cost-effective alternative over other building materials. Glass is 100% recyclable and can be endlessly recycled with no loss of quality, according to the Waste and Resources Action Programme.4

Aesthetic Trends

Not only is glass on the rise as a percentage of building materials, but there is also increasing customer demand for larger expanses of glass in buildings. Expansive windows, often featuring sleek aluminum frames, have become a defining feature in both contemporary homes and commercial spaces. This shift towards maximizing natural light and unobstructed views transforms a space’s aesthetics and enhances its functionality and energy efficiency. Across the industry, manufacturers report demand for larger glass profiles and an increased focus on energy efficiency. Demand for more glass and bigger glass exposures is a dominant trend that is not going anywhere. Leading manufacturers report an exponential increase in orders for scenic doors and larger expanses of glass, with door panel sizes increasing 10% since 2017.

Glazing that enhances a project’s energy efficiency, daylighting, and natural ventilation is a client priority. As occupants spend more time confined indoors, design preferences are shifting toward larger expanses of glass in windows and doors that preserve exterior views to foster connection with the natural environment. Large windows complement various interior design styles, from modern and minimalist to traditional and rustic. They serve as focal points, allowing a showcase of exterior surroundings or landscape.

Architects are increasingly turning to advanced glazing solutions to obtain all-round performance and to meet the challenges associated with achieving a green building certification rating for their project.5 Advances in coatings and properties can be combined to offer architects a wide array of options that accomplish a range of jobs. Increasing daylighting through windows substantially reduces the electric lighting load and can minimize heating and cooling loads. In fact, improving the lighting system design and incorporating daylighting often provides the greatest opportunities to reduce building energy costs.6 Daylighting and exterior views also improve occupant health. Innovative glazing can today attain very high levels of energy performance, reduce the embodied and operational carbon totals for a site, and accomplish impressive safety ratings, including fire resistance.

Application Scenario: New Secondary School Project Requests Increased Glazing in Fire-Rated Stair Corridor
The design team of a new secondary school has been tasked with increasing daylighting and visible light transmittance in a fire-rated stair corridor through glazing. The school board hopes to allow natural light to enter the building while reducing or eliminating solar radiation and solar heat gain, to enable daylighting without compromising occupant safety, to make the stair assembly more open and appealing with glass, and to provide a connection to the outdoors to increase productivity and improve the emotional health of students. The final goal is to achieve a fully glazed stair enclosure that meets code without compromising design aesthetics.

This request reflects a growing design preference for clearer, larger sizes of fire-rated glass. However, if the design team plans to expand the glazing area in the stair corridor, then a minimum 1-hour fire-resistive glazing should be used to meet code requirements. The IBC requires different ratings for protected openings in a 1-hour exit corridor depending on the glazing application.

In the end, a new glazing technology is selected to secure the school’s goals. A single chamber foaming interlayer fire-resistive glazing technology, which uses two panes of glass and a single chamber, demonstrates fire-resistive performance at 120 minutes. The maximum exposed area for 120-minute products gives the designers 44.9 square feet. This exceeds the industry average of 30 square feet for the exposed area of higher-rated products. The new technology also provides a Visible Light Transmittance as high as 90%, versus the industry average of 82% VLT for multi-chamber products. Ultimately, the designers create a 2-hour stairwell. Ninety-minute Fire-Resistive Glass is used to exceed 100 square inches in the door vision panels while 120-minute Fire-Resistive Glass in Resistive Framing is used for the sidelites and transoms.

Allowing more daylight to enter and reach deeper into facilities, as well as offering larger views uninterrupted by framing, is consistent with biophilic design principles, which can improve the mental and physical health of the buildings’ occupants.

Labor Trends

A shortage of skilled craft labor in the North American construction industry has been an unfortunate trend for more than two decades. As far back as 1999, research called attention to the lack of skilled labor in the construction industry.7 The problem has only increased in the years since.8 In 2017, the Associated General Contractors of America called for improved recruiting and compensation, noting that chronic labor shortages could have significant economic impacts.9 The construction industry averaged more than 390,000 job openings per month in 2022, the highest level on record, and the industry unemployment rate of 4.6% in 2022 was the second lowest on record, higher than only the 4.5% unemployment rate observed in 2019.10

Photo courtesy of Vetrotech Saint-Gobain North America

Skilled labor shortages and the need to look after the well-being of installers are influencing innovation in fire-rated glass.

“With nearly 1 in 4 construction workers older than 55, retirements will continue to whittle away at the construction workforce,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “Many of these older construction workers are also the most productive, refining their skills over time.”11 The number of construction laborers, the most entry-level occupational title, has accounted for nearly four out of every ten new construction workers since 2012. Meanwhile, the number of skilled workers has grown at a much slower pace or, in the case of certain occupations like carpenter, declined.12 By late 2021, project owners were reporting that up to 25 percent of material deliveries to sites were either late or incomplete.13 In project execution, the combination of higher hourly rates, premiums and incentives, and overtime payments was resulting in overall labor costs as much as double those from pre-pandemic levels. Meanwhile, difficulty accessing skilled and experienced people was leading some owners to report project delays related to issues around the quality and productivity of on-site work.

The construction industry will need to attract an estimated 501,000 additional workers on top of the normal pace of hiring in 2024 to meet the demand for labor, according to a proprietary model developed by Associated Builders and Contractors.14 The outlook for adding skilled workers is not promising. States like Wyoming, Mississippi, and Virginia have 46 to 49 available workers for every 100 open jobs, according to the US Chamber of Commerce.15

Skilled labor shortages and the need to look after the well-being of installers are influencing change in fire-rated glass. Glass that can accomplish significant weight savings empowers architects and contractors with increased customization options and easier installation that requires less personnel. Fire-resistive glazing manufacturers are offering solutions with fewer panes of glass and thinner assemblies that still achieve higher ratings.

Application Scenario: Resolving Labor Shortages with Lighter Glass
The design team renovating a passenger waiting area at a regional airport is confronting the reality of skilled labor shortages. Rather than delaying the project and paying extra to bring in out-of-state installation teams needed for heavy multi-chamber fire-resistive glass, the general contractor and architects are evaluating all the fire-resistive glazing options available. By assessing the advanced technologies on the market, a product that achieves the required fire-resistive rating with a single chamber and just two lites of glass that weighs 31% less than competing systems is selected. It can be installed easily with fewer people. The lighter system also has a tolerance of temperature ranges from -40°F to +140°F and uses strong tempered glass. Worry-free transport from the manufacturer with easier handling and faster installation will help the project stay on budget and on schedule.

POLICY AND SUSTAINABILITY TRENDS DRIVING FIRE-RATED GLAZING CHANGE

There is an undeniable necessity for fire-resistive glazing that can meet increasingly stringent standards and acquire points under various sustainable and environmental certification programs. Fortunately, there are many resources available to aid architects and design professionals in product evaluation.

Assessing Product and Material Transparency

Product and material transparency is necessary to verify whether fire glass will meet product selection standards. Product transparency and certifications are essential building blocks for whole-building certification.

An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a third-party verified and registered document that communicates transparent and comparable information about the total life-cycle environmental impacts of products. Life-cycle assessments (LCAs) are used to provide information on a number of environmental impacts related to the manufacture of the product, including global warming potential, ozone depletion, acidification, eutrophication, and ozone creation. The document can be based on one product or a collection of products that are functionally equivalent. The data included within an EPD describes, at a minimum, the product’s performance characteristics, provides a description of the product’s manufacturing processes, lays out calculation criteria, and discloses environmental impacts from raw material supply, transport, and manufacturing life-cycle stages. Obtaining an EPD is an important information and assessment tool. EPDs allow products to earn points toward green building rating systems. Many rating systems (LEED V4 and beyond), standards (ASHRAE 189.1), green building codes (IgCC), and specific customers require the submission of EPDs for products delivered to the project site. An EPD will satisfy companies and organizations with sustainable supply chain requirements and allow a project team to understand a product’s embodied carbon or Global Warming Potential (GWP). EPDs also allow design professionals to review and select products that show continuous environmental improvement and to verify environmental attributes claimed by the manufacturer. Specifiers can encourage the transparent disclosure of environmental impacts by requiring the submission of EPDs in their bid packages.

The Health Product Declaration (HPD) Open Standard is a process for the accurate, reliable, and consistent reporting of product contents and associated health information. HPDs describe product contents and associated health information and are focused on the chemical composition of materials. The Health Product Declaration Collaborative (HPDC) that oversees HPDs was created and is run by a coalition of building industry architects, designers, and consultants. The organization focuses on building performance through transparency, openness, and innovation in the practices of reporting, disclosing, specifying, and selecting building products.

Certain manufacturers may provide further product documentation, such as a Declare Label from the International Living Future Institute™. Manufacturers voluntarily disclose product information on Declare labels, which are designed to provide clear information to specifiers and consumers. These labels report all product ingredients and use a simple color code system to flag chemicals of concern. ILFI designed Declare to facilitate identification of Red List-free materials and establish a transparency-driven ingredients label and product database. A Declare Label can be thought of as a “nutrition label” for the building industry to identify the ingredients contained in a product. It discloses all ingredients that make up 100 ppm or more of the final product, by weight. It also screens product ingredients against the ILFI Materials Red List, which is a chemical guide that calls out chemicals of concern with descriptions and links to additional information. The Red List contains the worst-in-class materials that are prevalent in the building industry. The chemicals on the Red List are singled out for polluting the environment, causing bio-accumulation up the food chain until they reach toxic concentrations, and for harming construction and factory workers. Responsible manufacturers are taking major steps to eliminate Red List chemicals from their manufacturing processes. Beyond ingredients, Declare provides further information on a product’s final assembly locations, life expectancy, end-of-life options, and overall compliance with relevant requirements of the Living Building Challenge (LBC).

Assessing Carbon Measurements

A product or material’s carbon footprint is calculated from two contributing stages: operational carbon and embodied carbon. Operational carbon refers to the carbon emitted during the in-use phase of building and includes the use, management, and maintenance of the product, as well as energy and water consumption. Embodied carbon represents the carbon emissions released during the lifecycle of a building material, from the extraction of the raw materials needed to produce it to processing and disposal of waste at the end of its useful life. Between 65% and 85% of total embodied carbon emissions are produced during the product phase–raw material acquisition, supply, transport, and manufacturing. Largely overlooked historically, embodied carbon emissions account for around 11 percent of all carbon emissions worldwide.16 Calculating a product’s embodied carbon represents a new challenge for the built environment. The World Green Building Council estimates that the built sector is responsible for 39% of global carbon emissions. Adding together embodied carbon and operational carbon gives the total or whole-life carbon footprint of a product or material.

Just as an EPD creates better product transparency, there are tools that facilitate comparison of building emissions at both the construction material and project scale. The EC3 Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator allows owners and green building certification programs to assess supply chain emissions. The tool sets embodied carbon limits and reductions, establishing an optimum embodied carbon level and highlighting available reductions for a project. The Athena Sustainable Materials Institute Impact Estimator, first released in 2002, provides a cradle-to-grave life cycle inventory profile for an entire building. Users enter basic design information, such as bay size and loads, and the software calculates the bill of materials and the associated environmental impacts. Athena is a whole-building LCA tool that can be used to explore the environmental footprint of different material choices and core-and-shell options. This software can model over 1200 structural and envelope assembly combinations for quick and easy comparison and can be uploaded through Building Information Modeling (BIM).

Fortunately for design teams navigating fire-rated glazing selection, there are many additional resources available to aid in product evaluation. The Mindful Materials, with its Common Materials Framework, is a coalition-built framework designed to organize and align sustainability data so that it can be consistent across platforms, pledges, and organizations. The Sustainable Minds Transparency Catalog provides help by simplifying the delivery of product transparency information. Products are organized by CSI category, offering the ability to compare information by manufacturer.

Photo courtesy of Vetrotech Saint-Gobain North America

The most significant innovation developed to meet the combination of market trends is the introduction of fire-resistive glass with a single intumescent chamber and just two pieces of glass for all ratings.

CREATING A MARKET SOLUTION WITH ADVANCED FIRE-GLAZING TECHNOLOGY

The combined forces of code, market trends, and sustainable materials are driving significant innovation in fire-glazing technology. One of the most significant advances is the introduction of fire-resistive glass with a single intumescent chamber and just two lites of glass for all ratings. This technology provides a fire-resistive glass with a single foaming interlayer chamber with two lites of tempered safety glass that is sealed to be completely moisture resistant. The chamber is filled with an environmentally friendly and transparent chemical mixture based on U-stable alkali silicate, which reacts in the event of fire. This intumescent middle layer expands as an opaque foam, limiting heat transmission by compartmentalizing the fire and reducing panic by blocking the view of the affected areas. This product satisfies the highest demands of fire protection while offering robust handling and UV stability, with numerous configurations available. The glass can then be set in a complete line of code-compliant, fire-rated assemblies including smoke barriers and fire-rated doors. These system solutions bring together approved framing, doors, and glazing for an all-in-one fire-rated barrier, satisfying UL 263 and ASTM E119 standards for wall assemblies and UL 10 C standards for door assemblies, for up to 120-minute fire-rated partition capability.

Using the unique interlayer also makes new fire-resistive single-chamber glass products clearer, lighter, and more sustainable than any other fire-resistive glass on the market. Aesthetically, the thinner makeup of the new glass, at 37mm versus 51 mm, allows for several design advantages. These include enhanced visible light transmittance (VLT) – with the single chamber product having a VLT of up to 90%, versus 82% for conventional systems. They also allow for a clearer maximum exposed area: 44.9 ft2 versus 30.1 ft2. This maximizes views uninterrupted by framing.

For laborers and installers, this new single chamber fire-resistive glazing is lighter than existing technology by as much as 31%, with a weight of 12.1 lb/ft, as opposed to 20.9 lb/ft at 120-minute ratings. The lighter weight and thinner glass makeup are designed to make an installer’s job less physically stressful. Worry-free transport with easier handling and faster installation helps projects stay on budget and on schedule.

Meeting Sustainability Requirements

In addition to increasing clarity and reducing weight, single-chamber fire-resistive glass with just two lites for all performance ratings is revolutionary for its sustainable properties. Embodied carbon represents carbon emissions released during the lifecycle of a building material, and between 65% and 85% of total embodied carbon emissions are produced during the product phase – raw material acquisition, supply, and transport and manufacturing. Because new fire-resistive glass products with a single chamber require less glass in production than existing technologies, their embodied carbon is up to 35% less for a 120-minute product, versus a multi-chamber or multi-laminate product with the same rating. Knock-down or cut-to-size products reduce waste generation during construction. Verified EPDs, as well as HPDs, ensure maximum transparency throughout its life cycle.

Glazing options for single-chamber fire-resistive glass include enhanced thermal insulation and double or triple-glazed insulated units and incorporate solar control or low-emissivity coatings. This allows light to enter the building while reducing or eliminating solar radiation and solar heat gain. In turn, this can reduce a building’s heating and cooling load and can reduce dependence on electricity for lighting. Additionally, the larger spans of glass facilitated by the new technology enable daylighting without compromising occupant safety. Allowing natural light into a space creates a high level of visible light transfer and provides a connection to the outdoors to increase occupant productivity and health.

Achieving Certification with Fire-Resistive Glazing

Fire-resistive glass with a single-chamber foaming interlayer and two lites of glass for all performance classifications can earn project points under various green building certifications.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the world’s most widely used green building program, created by USGBC as a leadership standard defining best practices for healthy, high-performing green buildings.

Potential LEED credits:

  • Energy & Atmosphere
  • Prerequisite: Minimum Energy Performance

 

  • CREDIT: Minimum & Optimized Energy Performance

 

  • Materials & Resources

 

  • CREDIT: Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)

 

  • Option 1: Environmental Product Declaration
  • Materials & Resources
  • CREDIT: Sourcing of Raw Materials

 

  • Option 2: Leadership Extraction Practices
  • Materials & Resources
  • CREDIT: Purchasing – Facility Maintenance and Renovation (Option 1: Products and Materials)
  • Materials & Resources
  • CREDIT: Material Ingredients

 

  • Option 1: Material Ingredient Reporting

 

  • Declare Label
  • Materials & Resources
  • CREDIT: Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction

 

  • Whole-Building Life Cycle Assessment
  • Materials & Resources
  • CREDIT: Construction and Demolition Waste Management
  • Indoor Environmental Quality
  • CREDIT: Daylight
  • Indoor Environmental Quality
  • CREDIT: Quality Views
  • Indoor Environmental Quality
  • CREDIT: Daylight and Quality Views
  • Indoor Environmental Quality
  • CREDIT: Acoustic Performance
  • Indoor Environmental Quality
  • CREDIT: Occupant Comfort Survey
  • Indoor Environmental Quality
  • PREREQ: Indoor Environmental

 

  • Quality Performance

The next version of LEED, LEED v5, is planned for release in 2025. The draft for Operations and Maintenance: Existing Buildings was released in September 2023. Within this draft, possible fire-rated glazing contributions include the following categories:

  • Energy and Atmosphere
  • Minimum Energy Performance (Prerequisite)
  • Energy Performance and Commissioning (14 possible points)
  • Occupant Satisfaction Survey (5 possible points)
  • Fire-rated glass aids in minimizing solar heat gain and reducing the load on HVAC systems, increasing building energy efficiency.

The WELL Building Standard is an evidence-based system for measuring, certifying, and monitoring the performance of building features that impact health and well-being. It is also the world’s first building standard focused exclusively on human health and wellness. The standard is divided into 10 concepts: Air, Water, Nourishment, Light, Movement, Thermal Comfort, Sound, Materials (specifically deals with material transparency), Mind, and Community.

WELL v2 contributions:

  • Concept: Light
  • Concept: Thermal Comfort
  • Precondition: Thermal Performance
  • Concept: Sound
  • Concept: Materials
  • Optimization: Materials Transparency
  • Concept: Materials
  • Optimization: Materials Optimization

The latest advances in fire-resistive glazing can satisfy the needs of a shifting market. Vitally, they also meet the demanding standards of today’s market, both in life safety requirements and occupant desires for design. New fire-resistive glazing technology enables these benefits without compromising occupant safety. Health, safety, and welfare remain a fundamental aspect of building design practices. Incorporating fire-rated glass products provides creative design options while adhering to current model building codes. Today’s fire-rated glass seamlessly integrates safety and sustainability, enhancing environmental performance and occupant well-being.

END NOTES


1 “Construction Glass Sales are increasing at 7% CAGR amid Rising Focus on Sustainable Living: Fact.MR.” Fact.MR. PR Newswire®. August 23, 2021. . Retrieved April 17, 2024.
2 Ibid.
3 Fox, Daniel. “New Glass Shatters Old Perceptions.” AIA New York. October 30, 2007. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
4 “How is glass recycled?” The Waste and Resources Action Programme. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
5 “How glass can contribute to more energy efficient buildings.” Guardian Glass. 2022. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
6 Hayter, Sheila J. and Paul A. Torcellini. “A Case Study of the Energy Design Process Used for A Retail Application.” NREL/CP-550-28129. August 2000. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
7 Abdol R. Chini, Brisbane H. Brown, and Eric G. Drummond, “Causes of the Construction Skilled Labor Shortage and Proposed Solutions”, Associated Schools of Construction Proceedings of the Annual Conference, (April 1999): 187-196.
8 Hughes, Sarah Bratton. “New Labor Norms: A Case Study in Construction”. American Century Investments. May 4, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
9 Associated General Contractors of America, “Seventy Percent of Contractors Have a Hard Time Finding Qualified Craft Workers to Hire Amid Growing Construction Demand, National Survey Finds”, August 29, 2017.
10,11 “Construction Workforce Shortage Tops Half a Million in 2023, Says ABC”. News Release. Associated Builders and Contractors. February 3, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
12 “With Labor Shortages in Construction, Organizations Must Evaluate Upskillng and Reskilling Options”. Anser Advisory. January 19, 2024. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
13 “Bridging the labor mismatch in US construction”. McKinsey & Company. March 28, 2022. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
14 “ABC: 2024 Construction Workforce Shortage Tops Half a Million”. Associated Builders and Contractors. January 31, 2024. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
15 “Understanding America’s Labor Shortage: The Most Impacted States”. U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
16 “Towards zero-carbon building”. Thought Leadership. Climate 2020. World Green Building Council. Accessed June 14, 2023.

 

 

Amanda Voss, MPP, is an author, editor, and policy analyst. Writing for multiple publications, she has also served as the managing editor for Energy Design Update.

Originally published in Architectural Record

Originally published in June 2024

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
  1. Confidently draft fire-rated glazing specifications that meet code, satisfy environmental requirements, and navigate project glazing necessities.
  2. Examine how aesthetic trends and skilled labor shortages have influenced the design and adaptation of fire-rated glazing technology.
  3. Analyze applicable environmental standards and certifications to examine how fire-rated glazing can contribute to decarbonization and green building requirements.
  4. Explain how the introduction of innovative fire-rated glazing, using a single intumescent chamber to meet all ratings, can meet multiple market challenges, including sustainability goals and optimization of points under LEED and WELL.