Regional Focus: Global fire glass expertise, locally available in India
Fire has no boundaries. It’s because of this that fire safety and passive fire protection are critical, wherever you are in the world. As the largest independent global provider of fire safety glass solutions, Pyroguard has decades of experience when it comes to international construction projects.
Here, Steve Goodburn, Pyroguard’s Business Development Director, explores some of the key challenges encountered when working on projects in different countries and the various factors to consider.
A local understanding
In relation to fire safety, perhaps the first thing to consider and be aware of when approaching an international project is a country’s local conditions and level of fire safety awareness, as this can greatly influence the adopted level of fire regulations.
In countries and communities like India where you can see densely packed and heavily populated areas, fire can present a different challenge and pose an even greater risk to buildings and life; requiring special consideration from a passive fire protection point of view. With buildings packed tightly together and many people to evacuate, a blaze has the potential to spread incredibly quickly, causing catastrophic damage and many fatalities. In cities especially, traffic can be chaotic. For example, traffic jams are an everyday occurrence, making it a real challenge for the Indian Fire Service to reach the site of a blaze quickly, resulting in longer response times and a greater reliance on the performance of fire safety systems.
Climate
Another factor to consider is a region’s weather and climate. With fire safety glass used in external building envelope applications, as well as the typical internal installations, there are additional climatic factors to consider. One of those is understanding how the glass will perform under different conditions and its overall integrity when exposed in the longer term to external elements.
For example, temperature can be a very real issue. High season temperatures can often reach in excess of 40oC, with high humidity presenting project teams with significant challenges. Here, the choice of an appropriate, high-quality solar control glazed system is crucial, not just for the thermal values but also to ensure that the whole project and every unit is suitable for the intended position and application.
Cold temperatures can be just as challenging, with the mercury in Scandinavia capable of plummeting to sub-zero temperatures. This can present a whole different set of issues around transportation, packaging, storage on site and final installation performance. With both these scenarios in mind, partnering with an established global fire safety glass provider who has both local knowledge and sound industry expertise is vital.
Security
Security is another area of increasing demand. Vandalism and burglary offences can occur everywhere and anywhere; while sadly, terror attacks and civil unrest remain a continuous concern globally. As such, multi-functional options and capabilities with fire safety glass are becoming increasingly important and relevant, with specifiers wanting more from a glazing system – including high-performance anti-attack and bullet resistant systems and counterpanes for additional security and extra peace-of-mind.
Fire Safety Standards
Generally, there is a clear increase in fire safety standards on an international scale, which considering recent disasters is a natural response and only positive to see. Of course, when it comes to fire safety regulations, those countries experiencing rapid infrastructural growth are having to develop their approach faster than others; such as India, the Middle East and Singapore. As a result, when it comes to fire regulations and building standards, these can vary dramatically from region to region.
While you can travel around the world, the fundamental principles of fire safety glass regulations and test evidence remain the same. Compartmentation also remains key, helping to limit the spread of fire and provide occupants with the time and the route needed to evacuate.
Fire safety glass for the Indian market
Navigating projects in different countries and extreme climates, especially with the added pressures of climate change, presents substantial challenges. Ensuring passive fire protection in such environments requires a fire safety glass supplier with extensive global expertise. Pyroguard, with its decades of industry experience, technical know-how, and the largest portfolio of solutions, is uniquely positioned to meet these demands.
For the past decade, Pyroguard has established a strong presence in the Indian market, supporting numerous prestigious projects. Building on this foundation, we are excited to announce the launch of a new manufacturing facility in India. Our 13 mm fire safety glasses are rigorously tested and approved according to local regulations and our widely used 11 mm FD120 product is readily available via Envirotech. This latest expansion underscores our deepening commitment to the Indian market and our dedication to providing high-quality fire safety solutions.
To learn more about Pyroguard’s innovative fire safety solutions, please contact us.