Offering optimal aesthetics and high durability, glass is an ideal choice for designers looking to meet both style and safety concerns. Across a wide range of applications, safety professionals and industrial engineers alike work to find reliable solutions for stopping the spread of flames and heat that can endanger human life and valuable property. In such situations, glass can play a critical role in containing flames and preventing serious damage.
Standard tempered glass products have a fairly high heat rating; these materials generally shatter around 500 °F. But this is not high enough to ensure optimal safety. Fire-rated glass, on the other hand, is specially manufactured to be able to withstand high heat. These materials hold up in temperatures above 1500 °F, making for a highly reliable fire barrier that can prevent the spread of flames, fire, smoke, and extreme radiant and conductive heat. For instance, using fire-rated glass for doors can greatly decrease the chances of injury and death.
Fire-rated glass and glass products are subjected to a range of tests to ensure viability in emergency situations; much like personal safety gear, fire-rated glass is designed to withstand even the most dangerous environments, and testing helps to determine the expected performance and fire rating for glass types. Individual glass ratings are based on the duration for which the material can withstand extreme heat, as well as the thermal shock the material can endure when cold water from fire hoses or sprinklers comes into contact with the super-heated surface.
Offering optimal aesthetics and high durability, glass is an ideal choice for designers looking to meet both style and safety concerns. Across a wide range of applications, safety professionals and industrial engineers alike work to find reliable solutions for stopping the spread of flames and heat that can endanger human life and valuable property. In such situations, glass can play a critical role in containing flames and preventing serious damage.
Standard tempered glass products have a fairly high heat rating; these materials generally shatter around 500 °F. But this is not high enough to ensure optimal safety. Fire-rated glass, on the other hand, is specially manufactured to be able to withstand high heat. These materials hold up in temperatures above 1500 °F, making for a highly reliable fire barrier that can prevent the spread of flames, fire, smoke, and extreme radiant and conductive heat. For instance, using fire-rated glass for doors can greatly decrease the chances of injury and death.
Fire-rated glass and glass products are subjected to a range of tests to ensure viability in emergency situations; much like personal safety gear, fire-rated glass is designed to withstand even the most dangerous environments, and testing helps to determine the expected performance and fire rating for glass types. Individual glass ratings are based on the duration for which the material can withstand extreme heat, as well as the thermal shock the material can endure when cold water from fire hoses or sprinklers comes into contact with the super-heated surface.
