Fire-rated Glazing Industry Ripe for Innovation

A few days ago, I read an article about a young architect in Toronto named Tom Ngo, who is developing a reputation for producing architectural drawings that “gleefully ignore reality.” Although some critique his logic-defying concepts—it is impossible to build structures with candy-cane like stilts and support stairwells with air—I was reminded of the value of unconventional thinking. If we never question the status quo or explore new methods, we will be left with a ... [More]

Shattered School Safety: Is Bullet-resistant Glass the Answer?

In the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, glass is at the forefront of many discussions to improve school safety. In some cases, offenders have used glazed areas as an entry point, begging the question: If schools used bullet-resistant glass, would students be safer? The answer is not so simple.  Bullet-resistant glass is relatively expensive and in some products the composite layers can be highly flammable. When manufacturers layer thermoplastic and polycarbonate bet... [More]

2013 Fire-rated Glass and Framing Forecast

According to McGraw Hill’s Construction Outlook 2013, the construction industry is starting to show small signs of recovery. The caveat in the report is the improvements are contingent on avoiding a recession early in the year. Jeff Dietrich, a senior analyst for ITR Economics, takes a more cautiously optimistic approach in a recent Glass Magazine article, noting “2013 will see changes in taxes, but the economy overall is relatively stable and still growing, albeit at a milder pace t... [More]

Code Trade-offs: A Problem, Not a Solution

In 1984, the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry reprinted a letter to the editor of Dallas Morning News titled: “In Dallas, TX, the Move to Rely on Sprinklers for Fire Protection as an Acceptable ‘Trade Off’ Comes Under Question.” Nearly three decades later, this topic remains heavily debated: Are code trade-offs a solution or a problem? Let’s take a look at the trade-off that allows E-occupancies to have exit corridors with no fire rating when sprinkle... [More]

Haven’t we Dodged Enough Fire Safety Bullets?

A professor of fire science said firefighters “really dodged a bullet” during the recent 1 World Trade Center work materials fire.  When the fire started, there was no water flowing through the building’s standpipe.  This forced firefighters to use a special pumper truck to supply water to fight the fire – a process that takes extra time in a situation where every minute counts.  Others debate whether there was even a bullet to dodge in the 1 World Trade C... [More]

Locked and Loaded: Is your company ready for action?

It could be the altitude, or it could be the approximately 28,000 people in the construction industry that lost their jobs last month, but I’ve spent a few too many hours on airplanes this June thinking about the state of the glazing industry.  On the one hand, the outlook is dismal.  The consistently slow construction market means many companies are still feeling the effects of growing unemployment claims, tight profit margins, higher healthcare costs and slow client pay. But ... [More]

What Radio Frequency Technology can Teach us About Fire and Life Safety

I recently read an article about how a group of researchers at the University of Calgary’s Schulich School of Engineering are developing a new tool that uses radio frequency technology to monitor the real-time movements of people and equipment on construction sites.  If a worker or piece of equipment gets too close to an edge or predetermined hot spot, the tool triggers an alarm to alert the worksite.   Over the course of a decade, it’s not hard to imagine how this sy... [More]

What’s All the Talk About Clearer Fire-rated Glass?

A few years back, design professionals started asking fire-rated glazing manufacturers and suppliers to further enhance the aesthetics of fire-rated glass.  In response, some manufacturers and suppliers (disclaimer: yes, this includes TGP) went back to the drawing board to reconfigure processing methods.  How can we reduce the color in fire-rated ceramic glass?  Can we reduce surface imperfections formed during glass production?   The result of all these questions? Ans... [More]

Five Things You Can Expect From This Blog

I believe successful relationships start with clear expectations – even digital ones built on fire-rated glass and framing. No one wants to read a blog that’s really a cloaked sales pitch. Or spend more time hearing about someone’s kids than what you actually came to the site to read about. So, out of all fairness, if you’re going to lend me valuable minutes out of your day, here is what you can expect from my posts. 1. Fire-rated glazing insights, not breaking news Th... [More]