FireLite and Fire Safety Design

One of the most basic requirements of fire safety building design is to prevent the physical movement of fire from the place where it breaks out, firstly, to allow occupants to escape and, secondly, to reduce threats to other parts of the building. The physical containment of flames and smoke is also important so that fire can readily be controlled and put out by suppression systems and firefighter actions, before flames have a chance to physically move and spread.

It is therefore important to consider the ability of fire-resistant glazing to function effectively in conjunction with other fire protection systems and methods. Time is critical in a fire, since spread through open areas can happen so quickly, and unexpectedly.

That risk means having confidence that fire-resisting barriers will stay in place and work effectively without a concern that they might fail, even in part, under fire and firefighting conditions. Glazings are notoriously vulnerable to sudden thermal shock and stresses arising in fire, especially when there is likely to be water present from firefighting or sprinklers. Reliably maintaining the basic integrity of fire-resistant barriers under realistic fire and firefighting conditions is therefore fundamentally important for practical fire safety building designs.

FireLite is ideal for reliably maintaining integrity in fire without suffering damage over a relatively long period of hours compared with other integrity glass types, as shown in fire resistance furnace tests (more than 4 hours exposure).

Central Japan International Airport (Japan)_1
  • FireLite is ideal to maintain a reliable and dependable physical fire-proof barrier, against the threat of fire and smoke movement, for several hours if necessary should events turn out differently from those expected and assumed.
  • FireLite’s fundamental properties in fire mean that it is ideal for use in combination with water sprinkler or water mist systems, without the significant concerns that apply to standard clear glass types from water quench thermal shock and stress cracking failure.