Following a ground-breaking fire test, one of the UK’s leading advanced glazing suppliers now offers a system with a new level of fire safety.
The Wrightstyle test was on the company’s WSL SR60 curtain wall framing system combined with SCHOTT PYRANOVA® 120 glass.
Wrightstyle carried out the test at WarringtonFire to achieve dual-directional fire safety.
Traditionally, advanced glazing systems have been specified for fire resistance in one direction only.
But, with fires able to start anywhere, dual-directional capability can also be a vital safety factor. That’s particularly the case in, for example, shopping centres, airports or large atria.
The target performance, itself demanding, was to achieve EI120 (120 minutes integrity and insulation).
In the event, the test ran for a period of 148 minutes, exceeding the criteria for a pass by 23%. Such a comfortable overrun is rare in high-performance tests.
The test was carried out with the exterior building surface facing into the furnace. This made it significantly more demanding on the system components.
SCHOTT
Its dual-directional capability makes the system an ideal solution in places where a high level of integrity and insulation is required.
That’s particularly important in places where fire risks can come from either side of the glazing. That could be, for example, between higher risk areas such as car parks and lower risk areas such as offices.
In the test, full furnace temperature was achieved after some 60 minutes, with a peak temperature of 1050 degrees C.
The test module size was three metres by three metres and the test was jointly carried out by Wrightstyle and SCHOTT Technical Glass Solutions GmbH.
Wrightstyle has a long history of development and test innovation – from the first openable fire-rated round window, to unlatched fire doors, and a system capable of withstanding a lorry bomb.
“This really is a breakthrough fire test. It underlines how Wrightstyle has recognised a gap in fire safety and moved to fill it,” said Chris Peters, chief design manager.
“At Wrightstyle, we don’t just rely on computational models to promote our products and systems. We live test everything, so that we can market everything as complete and guaranteed.
“Fire safety is about recognising the evolving requirements of specifiers and to then actively provide safety solutions,” he said.
