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TGP is committed to being your one source with many solutions for specialty glazing needs, whether for fire-rated glass and frames, or innovative architectural glass products to help make your design ideas a reality. We offer rapid-response quotes, and a range of other supports for architects, designers and glaziers, including project consultation, product specifications and CAD drawings. Visit us online at www.fireglass.com (fire-rated) and www.tgpamerica.com (architectural), or contact us by e-mail at sales@fireglass.com. |
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Easy Specification for Fire-Rated GlazingThanks to research and technological developments in material manufacturing and testing, architects and designers today have many different options for incorporating fire-rated glass in buildings - to meet code requirements, as well as aesthetic and other performance needs such as energy savings. However, with the wide array of choices, knowing which types of fire-rated glazing are suited for a particular application can be challenging.
To make the specification process simpler, TGP offers the Product SpeciFIRE®, a tool that allows for ready identification of the appropriate glass and framing for a given fire rating. All you do is answer a handful of simple yes/no questions. And if you need additional information, our experts are here to assist you. Access the Product SpeciFIRE online. Ceramics: The Tried and Trusted Standard for Many Fire-Rated ApplicationsAs codes have become more stringent, architects, specifiers and building owners are looking for cost-effective fire-rated glazing without the institutional feel of wired glass. Glass ceramics, such as the FireLite® family of products, fit the bill and offer great design flexibility.
Wireless glass ceramics look similar to ordinary window glass, yet provide fire ratings from 20 minutes to 3 hours. Ceramics are also available in large sizes - up to 24 square feet - and are able to withstand the thermal shock of water from sprinklers or fire hoses. Where impact safety is required, ceramic products are available that offer at least four times the impact resistance of wired glass, meeting federal impact safety standards (16CFR1201 - Category II). FireLite® glass ceramic is a clear choice for corridors, lobbies, sidelites and other highly visible locations requiring a fire rating. It can be installed in standard fire-rated frames, is available with beveled edges, and can be sandblasted for artistic effect. FireLite is listed by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.® |
Designing a Curtainwall? Fire-Rating Requirements Need not Limit Your OptionsIn the not too distant past, fire-rated window and door framing was bulky and difficult to integrate into sleek and modern building designs. And, designing a fire-rated curtainwall was nearly impossible. Fortunately, that is now changing as fire-rated framing enters a new era. European-designed narrow-profile steel frames offer a strikingly different look than traditional hollow metal steel since they are installed inside the fire-rated opening (much like aluminum store front systems) instead of wrapping around it. This gives a much cleaner appearance with narrower sight lines than has previously been available.
Modern framing even allows for development of fire-rated curtainwalls, enabling architects and designers to incorporate large expanses of fire-rated glass stretching across multiple stories, in interior or exterior applications. Lobbies and atriums are well suited for fire-rated curtainwalls to provide uninterrupted views. And floor-to-ceiling fire-rated curtainwalls can be used to divide interior spaces while offering security and aesthetic appeal along with fire protection. Fire-rated curtainwalls also can be used on the outside of a building to help prevent the spread of fire to higher floors, or to block flames from migrating to adjacent buildings when there are narrow set-backs from property lines. TGP offers Fireframes® Curtainwall Series fire-rated frames, which provide the option of designing with large areas of fire-rated glazing, helping support daylighting and aesthetic considerations. The Fireframes Curtainwall Series is listed with Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., and carries fire ratings up to two hours when used in conjunction with Pilkington Pyrostop™ glass. Fire-Rated Glazing Council Seeks to Educate Building Industry on Key IssuesTGP leaders are playing a leadership role in the Glass Association of North America's (GANA) efforts to educate building industry professionals on the role of fire-rated glass in life and property safety, and the appropriate uses for various types of fire glazing. As chair of the newly created GANA Fire-Rated Glazing Council, we are working with other suppliers to develop communications and educational vehicles to meet the needs of design professionals and others involved with commercial buildings. Look for more information in coming months. |
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SteelBuilt Curtainwall Infinity™ SeriesBy utilizing the superior strength of steel, SteelBuilt Curtainwall™ Systems from TGP allow architects to design with larger areas of glass, smaller frame profiles and wider free-spans than is possible with traditional aluminum curtainwall framing. Now, the SteelBuilt Curtainwall Infinity™ series takes design flexibility a step further by offering back mullions of virtually any profile, including I-, T-, U- and L-shapes, among others. As a result, designers can use almost any type of structural member as a curtainwall back mullion, including I-beams, round steel tubes, and glulam beams. In contrast, aluminum curtainwall framing systems are typically limited to square-tube back mullions.
The exterior cover caps or interior back mullions can also be made from stainless steel, to integrate the curtainwall with the use of this increasingly popular material incorporated throughout building designs. Traditional aluminum curtainwall systems must use cladding if stainless steel is desired. This increases the complexities of the framing system, including the need for additional fasteners and seams, along with increased bulk and increased labor and material costs. The ability to use a range of back mullions allows glazed curtainwalls to be incorporated into many different types of designs, from high-end urban storefronts and grand entrances, to rustic lodges and other facilities that incorporate wood throughout. Learn more about SteelBuilt Curtainwall Systems here. Case Study: Using Translucent Channel Glass for Daylighting DesignsTo add diffuse and even daylighting to the University of Iowa Art Building West, Steven Holl Architects used floor-to-ceiling Pilkington Profilit™ channel glass as an integral part of the building's design. The building received an American Institute of Architect's (AIA) 2007 Institute Honor Award, and uses approximately 30 percent less energy than if it met existing codes using typical materials. Read more about the project in the June 2007 edition of Glass Magazine, "Temple of Green," page 6 of pdf link here: Pilkington Profilit channel glass.
Request for Photography
If you have a recent project that incorporated our products (such as Pilkington Pyrostop™, Fireframes®, FireLite® family of products, Pilkington Profilit™ or Neoparies®), we would like to see it. Simply e-mail snapshots and a brief description to photos@fireglass.com. Your work could be featured in a case study in Hot Topics or in a national publication. |
Nanogel® Aerogel from Cabot Takes Channel Glass Daylighting to a New LevelTo further enhance the energy efficiency of daylighting applications using Pilkington Profilit™ channel glass, Nanogel® aerogel insulating panels can be inserted between the channels. With a content of 5% solids and 95% air, aerogel is the lightest weight solid in the world and one of the best thermal insulators. Aerogel is translucent and provides a U -value of .18 when used with low-e coated glass, compared to a U-value of .32 for low-e glass without aerogel inserts. 
Visit tgpamerica.com for more information on our line of specialty architectural glazing products, including Pilkington Profilit with Nanogel aerogel insulation. Winner Announced in "Imagination Cube" Design CompetitionThe Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), Phoenix Chapter, and American Institute of Architects (AIA), Arizona Chapter, presented their 2007 Imagination Cube Design Award in September to a team from DMJM Design for its creative use of Pilkington Profilit™ channel glass. The winning entry, entitled "The Art of Place Making," used channel glass in a design concept for a public sculpture that mimics the free-flowing form of a viscous liquid.
The Imagination Cube competition, now in its eighth year, encourages students and professionals to explore imaginative designs of a featured building material - either functional, technical, spatial or artistic. The designs, which are presented digitally and are un-built, must fit within a 48-foot cubic space and were required to include Pilkington Profilit as a key design feature. TGP was a joint sponsor of this year's competition and is the sole North American distributor of Pilkington Profilit. |
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