Does your design have to compromise if fire-rated glass is required?>
Why is fire-rated glass expensive?>
Can fire-rated glass be used after a fire?>
Do buildings with automatic sprinkler systems not need fire-rated glass?>
Most buildings are required by code to have a mix of passive fire defense systems, like fire-resistive or fire-protective glass, and active fire defense systems such as automatic sprinklers. Both types of systems work together to create a comprehensive approach to fire and life safety design.
For instance, fire-rated interior glass partitions and automatic sprinkler systems can help reduce the spread of fire, smoke and heat. However, if automatic fire defense systems fail, passive fire defense is always on, ready to guard occupants. These systems act as both a failsafe and protective barrier to help maintain traversable egress pathways and safe shelter-in-place locations.
Ideally, both active and passive fire defense systems work in tandem and as intended any time there is an emergency. However, research from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) indicates that automatic sprinkler systems have a failure rate of approximately 1 in 10. This can be due to system malfunctions, human error or any number of factors. As a result, only relying on these systems can inadvertently put occupants at risk.
The Internation Building Code (IBC) addressed this concern starting in its 2021 edition by explicitly stating fire ratings for fire-rated materials shall be determined without the use of automatic sprinklers or any other fire suppression system. This update helps create a useful demarcation between how materials like fire-resistive and fire-protective glass support occupant safety in general and mitigate potential danger caused by an active fire defense system failing to engage. It also limits the breadth of exemptions and alternative material approvals an Authority Having Jurisdiction can grant, which safeguards the intent and results of these code-driven requirements.
Contact Technical Glass Products to learn how fire-rated interior glass partitions and glass wall systems can expand the possibility of code-compliant fire and life safety design.
