All kinds of architectural projects require fire-rated glass. Discover how it has evolved over the years.
"Have nothing in your house," William Morris said, "that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful."
It's a noble thought but one that can be difficult to execute in practice. Often, factors such as safety and practicality compromise an object's aesthetic appeal – or override it completely.
For some time, this was the case with fire-resistant glass. For more than a century, buildings were fitted with wire glass – a product that's more fragile and less aesthetically appealing than today's safety glass.
However, as the decades have gone by, advances in glass fabrication have meant that products meeting Morris's strict criterion are available.
The shift from wire glass to today's wireless creations is one of innovation and ingenuity as manufacturers strove to balance beauty and functionality.
So, where did it all begin? Before we answer that question, let's make sure we're on the same page about fire-resistant glass. What do we mean by it, exactly?
What is fire-resistant glass?
Fire-resistant glass (or fire-rated glass) is a glass product that meets fire-resistance standards. In the UK, the relevant standard is BS EN 1364-1:2015.
Sometimes, you'll see fire-rated glass marketed as "heatproof" or "fireproof", but this is a misnomer. There's no such thing as a glass product that will resist fire forever. Instead, it's rated according to how long it can withstand fire. The higher the number, the better.
So, how do today's fire-rated glass products differ from earlier iterations? To answer that question, we need to go back to the late 19th century, a time when the glass industry was firing on all cylinders.
Wire glass
There's nothing new under the sun – and the use of fire-resistant materials is no exception. Thousands of years ago, to take just one example, Chinese people coated wood in vinegar and alum before adding an outer layer of clay.
Glass, too, is nothing new. But glass as a material specifically designed to protect against fire only began at the end of the 19th century.
It was a time when the history of safety glass was being written. In 1874, toughened glass was invented. In 1903, laminated glass arrived on the scene. And in 1892, Frank Shuman patented wire mesh glass.
Until the early 21st century, this was the most recognisable type of fire-resistant glazing. But it had a problem.
Wire glass didn't meet international regulations for impact resistance. In other words, it could stop the spread of fire but would cause injury when shattered. This made it inferior in impact resistance and overall safety to toughened glass and laminated glass, which were designed to break safely.
On top of this, wire glass wasn't winning any awards for beauty. Manufacturers faced a challenge. How could they create a safer, more impact-resistant glass product that wasn't an eyesore?
The answer came at the turn of the millennium in the form of wireless fire-rated safety glass.
From wire to wireless
Wireless safety glass was unveiled in the early 2000s and quickly replaced its wiry predecessor – so much so that in 2006 wire glass was prohibited in the USA.
Its replacement could slow the spread of fire. But it also broke safely, whether toughened (and so breaking into lots of small harmless pieces) or laminated (cracking but not shattering and staying in its frame).
It was a giant leap in fire-resistant glazing. But those early products still weren't winning any beauty pageants. Early examples stood out with bulky frames and inadequate sight lines.
Manufacturers responded with rolled steel framing and other innovations that led to fire-rated safety glass that looked seamless as well as wireless – not a join, fastener or welding mark in sight.
Finally, a product was available that did the job
and looked the part. No longer would architects sigh as they requested its use in their designs. Job done! But there was still room for improvement. This was partly a case of how long the glass could withstand fire.
How do you measure fire resistance?
Fire-resistant glass is measured by how long it can withstand fire. If a glass product is labelled "EI30", for instance, it can protect against fire for up to 30 minutes.
The longer, of course, the better – and one key way in which fire-resistant glass has evolved is exactly this. Today, products are available that withstand fire for up to two hours.
By now, you should be building up a picture of best-in-class fire-resistant glass. It's easy on the eye. It breaks like safety glass. And it can withstand fire for long enough to let people evacuate and the emergency services arrive.
At ToughGlaze, we're proud to provide this with our TG FR product. But TG FR has a special sauce – or rather, a special gel – that makes it stand head and shoulders over its competitors.
About TG FR
TG FR is our flagship fire-rated glass product. It's a toughened laminated glass, meaning it acts like safety glass – all while providing high levels of fire protection.
It works, however, slightly differently from its peers. Where some fire-rated glass products use an intumescent foam layer, TG FR has a special gel fill sandwiched between two panes of glass.
In the event of a fire, this gel turns opaque and forms a protective barrier against the heat, flames and smoke. Eventually, one pane will fall away. But that doesn't mean the fire will spread quickly – this is a glass product that can resist fire for up to two hours.
At the same time, this isn't a product that sticks out like a sore thumb. Instead, its high levels of clarity and transparency allow it to blend seamlessly with your premises.
It's a unique product that does the job and then some. And like all our products, it can be cut to size and customised to meet your project's exact requirements.
So, if you're in the market for state-of-the-art
fire-rated laminated glass, don't hesitate to
contact us for a quick, competitive quote. We look forward to hearing from you.
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