Fire-rated glass – transparent protection against fire, smoke and gas
Fire-rated glass has come to establish itself as an essential element in the construction arena, and its potential for use extends far beyond conventional buildings. The extension to other industries, such as shipbuilding, aeroplane and rail vehicle construction, offers significant benefits in terms of safety, efficiency and innovation.
Our fire-rated glass is a specially developed material designed to withstand high temperatures whilst maintaining its structural stability over a certain period of fire exposure period. Our fire-rated glass thus makes a significant contribution to preventive fire protection and helps professionals to operate in compliance with safety requirements.
Fire-rated glass by KuhnOdice – crystal-clear safety when fire strikes
How fire-rated glass works
Fire-rated glass is a special type of safety glass designed to slow down the spread of fire and smoke, with a view to helping gain valuable time for evacuation and extinguishing operations.
It consists of several layers of glass plus a special interlayer material that combines the glass layers to form a laminated safety glass element. In the event of a fire, the glass pane facing the fire breaks first, whereupon the neighbouring interlayer material will expand. This chemical reaction creates an insulating barrier that prevents the composite structure from breaking altogether whilst also inhibiting the spread of flames and heat. This process applies to every single pane of glass in the structure, each of which becomes opaque in the process.
Fire-rated glazing unlocks its full potential within an overall system including dedicated frames, seals and fixings. All of these elements are designed to join forces and work together in preventing the passage of flames and fire gas for a specified period of time.
Fire-rated glass on ships – compartmentation in the event of fire
Fire-rated glass plays an important part in ensuring safety on board of ships as it fulfils multiple important functions:
- Prevention of fire spread: Fire-rated glazing forms a robust barrier against the spread of flames, smoke and toxic gases across the various areas of the ship. It is capable of withstanding fire and heat for a period of 30 to 60 minutes.
- Thermal insulation: Fire-rated glass not only protects people and property against fire, but also exhibits thermal insulation properties that prevent high temperatures from quickly reaching adjacent areas.
- Compliance with safety regulations: Fire-rated glazing helps to comply with the stringent fire safety standards for ships, including (but not limited to) A0, A15, B0 and B15 classifications in accordance with IMO regulations.
- Enhanced evacuation procedures: Delaying the spread of fire provides more time for evacuation and rescue operations.
- Structural integrity: The fire-resistant protective glazing is impact-resistant (classified as 1B1 or 1C1 to BS EN 12600) and retains its functionality even under mechanical stress.
- Versatility: Fire-rated glass can be used in various areas and structures of the ship, e.g. in bulkheads/partition walls, doors, windows and other glazings
- Sound insulation: Fire-rated glass for ships often also offers excellent acoustic properties (e.g. 37 dB sound insulation).
- Weight optimisation: Modern fire-rated glass is relatively lightweight, which helps to reduce the ship’s overall deadweight tonnage.
Classifications for fire-rated glazing
The use of fire-resistant glass is subject to stringent regulations and standards, and official fire rating can only be obtained if the glass is in compliance with all safety requirements of the target industry. Fire-rated glazing is categorised into various classes that differ depending on how long the respective glass under investigation can withstand exposure to fire. More specifically, classification serves to define the ability of a structural component (building element) with compartmentation (i.e. area-separating) function to withstand fire exposure from one side. The resistance classes are determined by independent testing institutes and recorded in an approval document. The document sets forth all installation specifications and provides a detailed structural description of the element.
Why choose fire-rated glass by KuhnOdice?
Our fire-rated glass has been rigorously tested and certified by recognised institutions and thus complies with all legal requirements. It is toughened and equipped with special gel chambers that provide not only protection against the passage of flames, smoke and harmful gases, but also thermal insulation for periods of 30 to 60 minutes. The glass is certified to classes 1B1 and 1C1 in accordance with BS EN 12600 (pendulum impact test); also, it offers excellent acoustic properties and is UV-resistant.
Get in touch
KuhnOdice Germany GmbH
Jaegersgrund 10
57339 Erndtebrueck
Germany