Buildings balancing transparency and safety
Contemporary architecture embodies transparency, openness and lightness. What material could capture and convey these qualities more perfectly than glass? Whether used in facades, atriums, walls or partitions, glass opens up spaces, floods them with natural light and creates seamless transitions between inside and out. Through the play of light, mirror-like reflections and harmonious resonance with the natural environment, glass structures blend gracefully with their surroundings while maintaining a distinctly modern appearance. Yet, regardless of the chosen building material, safety must always play a foundational role alongside aesthetic appeal – especially in critical situations such as fire.
What may initially seem like just an elegant and refined surface material is often actually a highly engineered product: glazing made of fire rated glass. Within only a few seconds, this special type of glazing reacts to rising temperatures, thereby protecting people and spaces from flames, smoke and hazardous radiant heat – without compromising the building’s design or visual appeal. Depending on the system’s specifications, the integrated fire rated interlayers within the glass foam up and expand to form an insulating, opaque barrier. Even under extreme heat, the glazing remains stable, safely sealing off the fire compartment and preventing life-threatening heat from transferring to the protected side. However, fire rated glass alone is not sufficient to stop flames, smoke, and heat from penetrating the structure. That is why, at KuhnOdice, we offer an optimal combination of fire rated glass and accessories, providing comprehensive solutions that seamlessly blend safety with architectural design.
Fire rated glass is designed to block smoke and heat for up to 180 minutes, helping to contain fires and protect escape routes.
Each component enhances the system’s overall safety
Fire rated glass features inherent properties that make it resilient in the event of fire. However, to leverage its full protective potential, it needs to be integrated with a tried and tested, certified glazing system.
Strongest together: safety through synergy
The performance of any fire rated glazing system depends on the functional coherence of its individual components. While the fire rated glass itself plays a central role, the glazing frame, intumescent seals, glazing tapes, and fire rated silicone are equally vital to the system’s overall effectiveness.
In an emergency, each component fulfils a clearly defined function: the glass withstands heat and flames, while the intumescent seals and the glazing tape expand under fire exposure to tightly seal off joints and transition areas, thus preventing the spread of smoke and flame. The frame provides structural stability, maintaining the integrity of the assembly even at high temperatures.
Only when all these elements are precisely coordinated and operate as an approved system can the required fire resistance period be ensured – and with it the reliable protection of people, buildings and assets.
The fire rated glazing system comprises fire rated glass, framing, fixings and seals. All these components are carefully engineered to work in perfect synergy, ensuring optimal protection against heat and fire.
KuhnOdice provides premium quality products designed to create reliable glazing systems
Fire rated glass and how it works
Fire resistant glass consists of multiple layers of glass – typically toughened safety glass or float glass – incorporating an intumescent interlayer that expands under the effect of heat. Depending on its specifications, this type of glazing can resist smoke, heat and flames for 30, 60, 90 or even 180 minutes and is classified in accordance with the European fire resistance ratings E, EW and EI. Under fire conditions, the interlayers expand into an insulating solid foam (char) that usually also produces a cooling effect and gives the glass an opaque appearance.
The illustration below shows how the process unfolds in the event of a fire.
Fire rated glass – classifications E, EW and EI explained
According to European Standard EN 13501‑2, fire rated glass is categorised into three main classes: E, EW and EI. These indicate how long and to what extent the glass provides protection in the event of a fire.
E – Integrity
The glass prevents flames and smoke from passing through for the specified period (for example, E30 = 30 minutes) but does not restrict the transmission of heat radiation.
EW – Integrity + Radiation Reduction
The glass prevents flames and smoke for the rated period while also reducing the transmission of radiant heat.
Besides ensuring integrity, it lowers heat radiation on the side facing away from the fire, thus reducing temperature rise in adjacent areas.
EI – Integrity + Insulation
Alongside integrity, this class of glass provides effective thermal insulation.
It offers the highest level of protection: In addition to ensuring resistance to flames and smoke, the temperature on the unexposed side remains virtually unchanged.
The required classification depends on architectural constraints, building design, intended use, and the applicable regulatory framework. Crucially, the glass and framing system must be tested together to ensure the required protective performance. Would you like to know more? We would be delighted to offer advice and assist you in selecting the solution that best suits your needs!
To not only meet but also reliably demonstrate compliance with various classification requirements, we operate our own state‑of‑the‑art testing facilities. There, we create the conditions necessary to test the glass and complete glazing systems under realistic circumstances from the earliest stages of development. This ensures that every fire rated system performs as intended whenever an emergency arises.
Wet glazing vs. dry glazing – the right frame makes all the difference
Beyond perfectly coordinated components, the glazing method itself plays a decisive role in fire protection.
In wet glazing, the glass is permanently bonded to the frame using fire resistant silicone or mortar. This method produces an exceptionally strong, airtight connection that remains reliable in the event of a fire. Wet glazing is particularly suited to applications requiring a high level of sealing, such as timber frames. Elastic sealants compensate for surface irregularities and ensure complete airtightness, making wet glazing a common standard for wooden windows.
Dry glazing, by contrast, uses flexible, intumescent sealing profiles and glazing tapes that expand under heat to seal the joints. It is mainly applied to plastic or aluminium‑framed windows, where durable, maintenance‑free rubber seals can be used and easily replaced if necessary.
The choice of glazing method depends on architectural constraints, aesthetic requirements and the required fire resistance class.
Together with our partner Pyroguard, we offer carefully selected fire rated glazing solutions that enable architects, planners/designers and installation specialists to realise their vision of living and working spaces that are safe, functional, and aesthetically appealing.
Safety in every detail
Whether it’s façades, walls, partitions, or atriums, modern glass architecture demands more than visual perfection – it also requires carefully planned fire protection. True safety lies not in the glass alone, but in the seamless synergy of expertly tested components – glazing, seals, and framing – ensuring every detail integrates perfectly within the system. Only when each element is precisely attuned can a comprehensive protective solution be created that saves lives and minimises damage in an emergency, while preserving the signature transparency and lightness at the heart of contemporary architecture.
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