Fire-Rated Glass and Framing Deliver Design Goals
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Fire-rated glazed floor system allows light deep into building interiors. Photo courtesy of Technical Glass Products |
Specialized Applications
Recent manufacturing developments now allow specialized applications such as fire-rated glazed floor systems and fire-rated glazed curtain walls.
Fire-rated glazed floor systems. Fire-rated glazed floor systems allow glazing in spaces that previously would have required alternative opaque fire-stopping materials like concrete and corrugated steel. Architects and designers can use the system to bring daylight deep into building interiors, and to create dramatic visual effects between different building levels.
Fire-rated for two hours, one recently introduced glazed floor system that can be used as a durable, non-slip walking surface, is approved for loads up to 150 psf and is UL-listed for both interior and exterior applications. It also allows for decorative color finishes and sandblasted glass. "We're seeing architects starting to break away from the traditional fire-rated mold, with unconventional applications like fire-rated glass floors that double as a floor and skylight," reports Devin Bowman, national sales manager, Technical Glass Products. "As architects push the design envelope with fire-rated glazing, we anticipate seeing many more outside-the-box projects."
Fire-Rated Curtain Wall and Doors Solve Aesthetic Design Challenges |
Glazing is a key design feature of the IMAX theater, conference center and open gallery space of the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville, Ore.,-home of the world-famous Spruce Goose airplane. Architects, Scott/Edwards Architecture, LLP, of Portland, Ore., created an 80-foot tall atrium enclosed by glass on the north and south sides. To further extend the expansive feel of the space, they also incorporated two open staircases.
The fire-rated glass had to: be clear and wireless with frames that matched the building's exterior glazed curtain wall as closely as possible; block the spread of flames and smoke for up to two hours; shield people exiting the building from the high heat of a structural fire; and provide safety impact resistance since the glass would be in a floor-to-ceiling configuration. Scott/Edwards selected transparent wall panels installed in fire-rated curtain wall frames. Together, the glass and frames are fire-rated for two hours and meet the highest impact safety ratings for glazing, CPSC 16CFR1201 Category II. Since the doors leading to the stairs on each level were also required to be fire rated, the architects used 90-minute heat barrier-tested doors. While somewhat heavier than a traditional aluminum door assembly, the ability to provide narrow style, full-lite fire doors meant the architect could meet all of the performance and aesthetic requirements of the project. |
Photo by Pete Eckert, Eckert & Eckert, Inc., courtesy of Technical Glass Products |
During construction, the building management team requested a design change: eliminate an enclosed emergency stair at the back of the building and redesign one of the existing open staircases to provide a fire-safe exit. Enclosing one of the very prominent staircases with masonry, gypsum or similar fire-blocking materials would have marred a dramatic feature-three-story-high stairs that opened onto the atrium. Instead, the architects proposed fire-rated glass and frames to enclose the stairs.Â
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Fire-rated curtain wall has durable steel frames to help reduce maintenance. Photo courtesy of Technical Glass Products |
Fire-rated glazed curtain walls. Suitable for multi-story expanses of glass in locations where total glazing exceeds 25 percent of wall area, a typical narrow-profile steel frame curtain wall is fire-rated for up to 120-minute applications. It may be specified for interior and exterior applications and is tested for positive pressure and as a heat barrier. (See Sidebar "Fire-Rated Curtain Wall and Doors Solve Aesthetic Design Challenges.")
Conclusion
Aesthetic advances in fire-rated glazing have opened up an extraordinary range of solutions that are now driven by design and not constrained by manufacturing limitations. With clarity and smoothness that is very close to that of ordinary glass, fire-rated ceramic glass can bring new light to a range of applications. For those installations requiring more rigorous fire resistance compliance, transparent wall panels also deliver visually attractive options.
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| Technical Glass Products (TGP) is the recognized leader in the fire-rated glass and framing field, offering the FireLite® family of ceramic glazing, Pilkington Pyrostop® transparent wall panels, and Fireframes® fire-rated framing. The company provides AIA-registered continuing education, project consultation, product specifications, CAD drawings and rapid-response quoting. www.fireglass.com |
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